Critical Thinking Skills - Developing Effective Analysis and Argument(2)

Practice 2: Finding flaws in the argument
As he suggests, why should developing countries modify
their behaviour whilst developed countries continue
with a wasteful lifestyle Developing countries will
always want to follow in the footsteps of more
developed countries. Developed countries are like
parents who smoke 60 cigarettes a day but get angry if
their little children then threaten to take up the habit
themselves.
The sense this gives of a hollow argument is increased
when one looks at the real reasons developed countries
are jumpy about the Protocol - reluctance to offend
major fossil fuel companies. Fossil fuels are big business
in many of the developed countries' economies and their
power is such that they can influence politicians against
ratifying the protocol. Some companies have even made
the ludicrous suggestion that global warming is actually
good for the planet!
Industry associations in developed countries suggest that
agreeing to the Protocol would cost hundreds of
thousands of jobs and there would, therefore, be a very
real impact on national economies. However, objections
go beyond these initial job losses. Not all developing
nations are the same and whilst some are too poor to
ever be serious competition to the developed countries,
others like China or India are just waiting for a chance
to take advantage of enforced reductions for developed
countries so that they can supersede them as an
economic power. Powerful oil companies are clearly
anxious about any threat to their market and have a
vested interest in making sure the Protocol is not
ratified.
Ultimately, countries' failure to address greenhouse gas
emissions could mean that they shoot themselves in the
foot. Long-term global warming is anticipated to cause
significant climate changes and countries will have to
contend with floods in their tourist centres and
droughts in their wheat belts. However, given that
neither of these consequences will have an impact on
powerful fossil fuel companies, developed countries can
justify adopting this short-term strategy of protecting
their interests. The power of fossil fuel companies is such
that they can influence developed countries not to sign
up to the Protocol. Developed countries are susceptible
to the influence of fossil fuel companies so if they are
told not to sign up, they are likely to give way to that
pressure. Given the impact this has on us all, this is
obviously unacceptable. Everybody knows we are facing
Comments
O Stella Cottrell (2005), Critical Tl~inking Skills,
Palgrave Macmlllan Ltd
Practice activities on longer texts 21 7