MOVEMENT WITHOUT MOTION: THE RHETORIC OF CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CLAIMS TO GLOBAL WARMING THEORY

Abstract

MOVEMENT WITHOUT MOTION: THE RHETORIC OF CONSERVATIVE COUNTER-CLAIMS TO GLOBAL WARMING THEORY By William J. Edwards Jr., BA A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English, Writing and Rhetoric, at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Thesis Director: David J. Coogan Assistant Professor, Department of English Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia Many U.S. conservatives view government mandates to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases as a threat to the economy of the developed world. Conservative think tanks have adopted a common rhetoric to instill doubt about proposed mandates in the minds of elected officials, the media, and the public. Using a survey of the websites of 14 conservative think tanks, this thesis analyzes counter-claims to global warming theory to identify rhetorical artifacts that typically characterize conservative responses to issues, and to show how rhetorical theory can help anticipate the nature of such responses. The research identifies unifying speech codes – such as