TOW #10- Global Warming

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/03/global-warming-the-convenient-truth/305749/

Global Warming: The Convenient Truth

Especially recently, the environment truly has been deteriorating, whether we like it or not. With coral reefs that are bleaching due to high water temperatures, a hole in the ozone layer, and an innumerable amount of endangered species, our planet is slowly being ruined. Jonathan Rauch, a reporter for The Atlantic, captured the problems with the environment in this article. In addition to describing what is wrong with the environment, Rauch also tells the audience what they can do in order to help improve the planet, and when to do so. His audience is anyone in the world who is willing to help make our home a better place. This is evident in the way that he uses “we”. Rauch often uses this word to relate with the audience, show that he is also a concerned member of the planet, and encourage everyone who is able to help the cause. The purpose of the article, therefore, is to create a call to action and urge people to do something about the struggling environment. Although the author states that the aid does not need to come immediately, it would be most beneficial for the positive changes to occur in the coming years due to the fact that the problem is already widespread, and that there is no singular culprit. One of the main issues causing global warming is the amount of CO2 in the environment; however, this comes from many people, places, and products, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint and put an end to each and every person, place, or thing responsible. In addition to creating this call to action, Rauch uses informal diction in order to relate to his audience. By using words that are not too scientific or sophisticated, he appeals to his more specific audience: people on the internet looking for a quick synopsis of global warming and what we can do about it. The simple diction makes the article easily accessible to a wide variety of people, which means that its message is able to be spread more rapidly and effectively.  

IRB Intro #2- Stiff

I have chosen to read Stiff by Mary Roach because it was recommended to me by a friend, and because I usually do not read books on this topic.

TOW #8- Outliers

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell is a book that documents the author’s research and explanation of success in human beings. Specifically, in the second half of the book Gladwell compares and contrasts the lives, successes, and failures of Christopher Langan and Robert Oppenheimer. Christopher Langan is a man who has a tremendous IQ; however, he grew up only to become a horse farmer, rather than pursue a more profitable occupation. Robert Oppenheimer, on the other hand, played a massive role in the Manhattan Project, helping the US create its first atomic bomb. Gladwell attributes this difference in success to the environments in which the two men grew up. Using vivid imagery and anecdotes, the author builds up the stories of both men, strongly displaying their differences, and how these differences impacted their accomplishments. This helped the audience see how someone’s home life can negatively affect their adult life, no matter how smart the person may be. In this chapter, the author’s purpose was to prove to the audience that experiences have as much or even more of an effect on a person’s future as their intelligence does. The audience of this book would mainly be teenagers or adults who are interested in psychology, sociology, or other similar sciences. This is mainly due to the fact that the topic or genre of the book itself is a little too complicated for many younger kids, in addition to the mature diction. In 2008, when this book was published, Malcolm Gladwell, who had previously worked for The Washington Post, continued to write for The New Yorker. Prior to creating Outliers, Gladwell wrote The Tipping Point and Blink. The Tipping Point is about the effects that all decisions have on everyday life, while Blink is about the unconscious. Although both of these books were successful, Outliers is the most popular of the trio.   

TOW #7- Visual Text

This cartoon was posted on The Onion, a popular, satirical newspaper founded in 1988. Created in August of 2016, the visual gives insight on the current police violence in the United States. Recently, many police have responded to innocent citizens violently, causing worry and paranoia in the cities that have been touched by this event. In the drawing, a family in a safe neighborhood celebrates the fact that their area has not been affected by police brutality. The addition of Lady Liberty cheering with the family symbolizes the entirety of America, showing that not only are “Families in Nice Neighborhoods” targeted, but also the rest of the country. The author uses labeling to show the views of certain Americans on this issue, and to point fingers at certain groups of Americans. This device makes the audience want to take action because the author targets certain people. Targeting specific groups of people makes the viewers look at themselves, what they may be doing wrong, and cause them to want to change the way they look at a topic or act upon it. The author is appealing to Americans because police brutality is largely prevalent in the United States presently. He is urging Americans to take action, and to realize that even though the violence is not occurring in their neighborhood, it is still a relevant and important issue that the country as a whole is suffering from. Therefore, American citizens should act do more than hope that their town is not involved in the brutality, but they need to help the issue by providing support and improving their own police forces. I think that the device of labeling helped the author achieve his purpose because it helps bring specific groups of people into the picture, especially those who have thought that police brutality is not their problem.