Monbiot is straightforward, deliberate and desperate as he lays out the challenge before us to curb climate change. Offering up a dizzying amount of statistics, each seemingly more bleak than the previous, he methodically paints a picture of what the Earth may resemble in the near future barring a complete overhaul of our current lifestyles. The picture is bleak.
Monbiot's warnings seem more worthwhile than some of the more superficial global warming propaganda that has consumed the media recently. A big part of why his call to action is compelling can perhaps be attributed to his use of rhetorical devices.
Monbiot uses the big three Pathos, Egos and data to communicate his findings in an earnest and sincere fashion that hits as hard as the most sensationalized environmentalist video, but with a human perspective that shows reservation and optimism. His pathos are evident in his optimism in the face of the staggering statistics. He exudes a sincere belief in the very same race (his own) that has escalated the problem to proportions hard to process. He also eludes to his own fears about the future. His egos is strengthened first and foremost by his process. It is evident through the number of sources and his raking of data that he has put forth a tremendous amount of research. His constant questioning of the low or high ends of predictions and consideration of best and worst case scenarios set him apart from those already chalking the cause up as a loss. His references and sources are also established groups who devote their lives to studying what he is reporting on.
His logos is maybe the most obvious use of rhetoric as he absolutely bombards the reader with statistics that illustrate the true urgency of the situation. He makes it hard to ignore the problem or write it off as a different kind of 'rhetoric' as it often is by holding back nothing in the way of data.
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