Type of Speech: Informative

Type of Speech: Informative

Speech Pattern: (See Chapter 6)

COMM 1100 – Sec. (#)

Informative Speech Outline Template (Rough/Final Draft)

1. Introduction

Attention Getter: Ladies and gentlemen, today, we are gathered here for a common course and greater good of today’s generations and the progression of humanity. We are to learn about climate change and learn about our shared goals and responsibilities, reversing the devastating outcomes that we have experienced due to our irresponsible co-existence with our environment and nature.

1. Background: Previous environmentalists and climate change activists have insisted that nature is ruthless. You hit it, and it will always find a way to hit back. Today, nature is hitting back through climate change. We are experiencing the early culmination of a human-made climate change. Notably, they are hitting back faster than ever today.
2. Audience Relevance: I am certain that most of you have experienced or witnessed the outcomes of the frequent earthquake, heatwaves, melting ice of the arctic, sinking cities and civilization, bushfires. All these are the outcomes of manmade climate change. In one way or another, we all will be victims of climate change unless we engage our shared responsibilities to fight for nature and help it heal. (One sentence stating why the audience is connected to the topic – How does this topic impact their life? Why should they care? What can they learn? How can they benefit from listening?)
3. Speaker Credibility: In the last three years that I have been a climate change activist, I have embarked on an enlightenment mission on different ways in which we harm nature and the primary and secondary repercussions. I have been in different countries across the world and seen firsthand natural calamities resulting from climate change. I have observed local temperature rise to levels that have never been recorded before. I have observed entire forests and neighborhoods engulfed in roaring fires. I have seen the sinking cities in Asia. I have seen lakes and dams swell and destroy neighborhoods and communities that lived alongside them for centuries. I have seen flash floods, experienced earthquakes, and flooding in places that never flooded before. I have interacted with scientists to learn the cause and solution to each phenomenon from all these observations.
4. Thesis: All these observations, research, and interactions have culminated in the conclusion that climate change is not natural but rather an outcome of an increase in greenhouse gases emission due to human activities.

Preview of Main Points: First, we will talk about the current climate change situation, then we will discuss the primary causes of climate, and finally, we will look at the role an individual can play in averting climate change.

Transition to 1st Main Point: On the current climate change situation, global warming has been speeding up, and climate change is accelerating faster than before.

Main Point 1: We have experienced the most extreme weather within the last 20 years. Climate change is worse than it has ever been before. For instance, the hottest years we observed between 2006 and 2020. All 20 warmest years were observed after 1996.

1. Sub-point A:

In these years, most countries have experienced the hottest summers since 1921. Since the preindustrial era, global temperature has grown by an average of 1.1%. Sea level rise is rising by 5mm per year, a faster than average rate of 3.2mm annually since 1993. There has been a massive mass change of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctic, and the arctic. Data shows that there has been a 26% in ocean acidity since the industrial revolution.

Sub-point B: These aforementioned changes have affected the weather, nature, and biodiversity in so many ways. Today, more than 90% of natural calamities are weather-related. This includes the heatwaves, the tsunamis, the bushfires, among others. Furthermore, most species, birds’ aquatic life, and trees are at an increased threat of extinction.

Transition to 2nd Main Point: Notably, all these outcomes have occurred during the industrial revolution period.

1. Main Point 2: Climate change researchers have found direct evidence that relates greenhouse gases emission to rises in temperature.
2. Sub-point A: As the world embraces the use of fossil fuels and other more convenient industrial processes and products, more greenhouse gases are emitted. These gases affect the temperature balance of the atmosphere and cause it to retain more heat. Over time, the earth’s ability to balance its temperature is compromised.

Sub-point B: Climate change is, however, not a result of our industries alone. In the U.S, 20% of all emissions are from households. There are individual practices at the household level that increases greenhouses gases emission. They include farming, choice of cooking fuel, garbage treatment, among others. Farming practices like pig rearing are major sources of greenhouse gases.

Transition to 3rd Main Point: Based on this information, households, and individuals are both responsible for the increased greenhouse emission.

1. Main Point 3: Minimizing greenhouse emission should, therefore, be a joint effort between all industries and households.

Sub-point A: There is a need for public participation in reducing greenhouse emissions. We all need to understand the choice we make that include our model of transportation, coking, power, and personal services directly affect climate change.

Sub-point B: However, this does not make us fully subconscious of the 80% emissions from industries. We have the combined responsibility to ensure all industries align with the global frameworks and recommendations towards reducing greenhouse gases. Our voice as consumers, voters, and citizens of the greater world should be used to call for better practices and choices that are considerate of greenhouse gas emissions in every industry.

Signal the Conclusion: As I conclude, we all should remember that we are not doing well enough.

1. Conclusion
2. Review Main Points: “First, we talked about the current climate change situation. Second, we talked about the causes of climate change both at the industrial level, and thirdly, we spoke about share responsibilities at the household and industrial level to minimize greenhouse gases emission. All these observations, research, and interactions have culminated in the conclusion that climate change is not natural but rather an outcome of an increase in greenhouse gases emission due to human activities.
3. Memorable Closer: As I sign out, remember that your actions could have contributed to every natural calamity. You can change that by redefining your choices. Thank you.

References