Rhetorical Analysis Of Why Bother By Michael Pollan

Most of the time people get so caught up talking about making a difference, rather than focusing in taking action to solve the problem. In the essay “Why Bother” by Pollan, the writer describes people’s attitudes regarding climate change and he offers possible solutions if people just try to help. The idea of “why bother” refers to people’s expectations when it comes to making a difference, like driving less, but these individuals believe that one person doesn't have such power in solving a problem. However, Pollan then says, “If you do bother you will set an example to other people” pg. 317. With this said, Pollan not only bring out a solution but also hope.

Pollan uses a serious tone in the article to persuade the audience. The subject of the article is climate change and he keeps a serious tone throughout the entire article. He keeps the serious tone because he does not want people to overlook this problem because it is such a phenomenon. He also uses a sarcastic tone in a few sentences. He uses the sarcastic tone because he wants the audience to look at it and think about it on their own perspectives. In the article, Pollan explains about how he could turn his life around and use less resources. Pollan then says, “what would be the point when I know full well that halfway around the world there lives my evil twin, some carbon-footprint doppelgänger in Shanghai or Chongqing who has just bought his first car that is eager to swallow every bite of meat I forswear and who is positively itching to replace every last pound of CO2 I am struggling no longer to emit.” On the flipside, someone on the other side of the world will be doing the exact opposite. Therefore, he is saying this in a sarcastic tone because he wants people to realize that it will take more than one person to solve

In Michael Pollan’s article “Why Bother?”, he addresses the issue of climate change and the inner reasoning behind those who don’t acknowledge or bother with the crisis. Pollan intertwines a discussion of the rising danger of global warming with a psychological discussion of personal virtue. He emphasis his main point of climate crisis by providing examples and data stating, “we have only ten years left to start cutting—not just slowing—the amount of carbon we’re emitting…So:eight years left and a great deal to do.” (117). His discussion of personal reasoning to the problem of people not responding to global warming is intertwined through the direct question that is the title and by other experiences such as Wendell Berry’s comments on the

Although it’s only one percent change, it’s still a change. Pollan also explains that people are not as serious about change as they say they are. Pollan believes that the only way a difference will be made is if the government gets involved; Pollan also believes that if we are to get the government involved then the people need to make the first move. Pollan also states that a large majority of our carbon footprint comes from cheap energy (coal and natural gas) which is what is destroying our planet in the first place. People need to realize that climate change is a real threat and need to take it more serious and stop waiting on the government to make the first move, along with not supporting “cheap energy.”

Dr James Hansen’s argumentative essay, “A Solution to the Climate Problem,” discusses his premise that it is imperative for humankind to deal with carbon dioxide emissions, which he believes needs to be phased out by the mid-21st century. He begins with the current paradigm in government efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and claims that so far it has been a lot of talk and action in the other direction. Dr Hansen argues that while governments pay lip service to agreements such as the Kyoto Accord, they are going full steam ahead with projects that will result in increased carbon dioxide emissions, such as going forth with coal-fired power plants, coal-to-liquids, hydraulic fracturing, and tar sands oil extraction. Dr Hansen believes

Each of these writings were prompted by the same situation: climate change. However, Michael Pollan was inspired by a different reason than Steingraber. Steingraber’s main reason for writing was to inspire people to make the world better for their children. Pollan, in contrast, wrote to put an end to climate change in general.

Climate change is very important to many people right now. There are lot’s of discussions between scientists asking, should we be worrying about climate change? Obviously, there are two sides between this topic. There is a natural side, these people don’t think that we should be worrying about this, and that the causes of this climate change are natural. There is also the side of people who think this is all caused by humans. They say that we should be worrying about this climate change. But is it really that important? I have chosen to send this letter to you because you are a part of ohio and are important, but there is one thing. Climate change, it’s not that important right now. Not that we should never worry about, but there are other

Michael Pollan has recognized that there is an issue in today’s society, and that issue is climate change. Within the article of,” Why Bother”, by Michael Pollan, he talks about an effect that society itself may have inflicted upon themselves. But looking at the actual reasoning behind why the climate is changing is baffling. In the text of “Why Bother”, Michal Pollen talks about climate change is on us, yet before reading the text, I assumed that maybe climate change was just destiny, and continues to happen because it’s due. Yet now I believe that we as a people, have actually caused climate change to progress quicker than as planned. Pollan explains that we as a people have to be active in the change we want to see. I can say I concur and

Pollan is right in his mindset to push humanity into action in order to undo the damage we have caused, and although the most beneficial changes for the environment seem like drastic lifestyle changes, such as growing our

John Broome wrote Climate Matters with the intention of raising independent, yet well-informed ideas of how to ethically stand in a warming world. He questions what should be done both publically and privately and supports his statements through arguments that can be interpreted in whichever way makes the most sense to the reader. Broome logically organized his book so that before he asks moral questions, he reminds the reader in the opening paragraph about the sad truth of climate change. For example, he states the ice caps are melting and in just a few decades, only one polar ice cap will remain. As a result, the raising oceans will demolish many of humanities greatest cities. He adds that not only will millions of homes be destroyed along oceanic coastlines, but climate will change as droughts and floods make agriculture impossible in many? currently productive areas. The remaining ocean-adjacent? areas not directly affected by sea-level rise? will have to face difficult and unpredictable weather changes that will make food? production challenging. Broome also reminds the reader, who is most likely from a developed country, that the western lifestyle causes the greatest damage, yet the global indigenous societies, who contribute virtually nothing to greenhouse gas emissions, will be hit the hardest. I found this introductory chapter to be very powerful and the rest of the book was easy to absorb because I was constantly thinking back to these disasters which seem

Patterson expresses a fear that “Man will be convinced by these climate cultists to turn his back on the very political, economic, and scientific institutions that made him so powerful, so wealthy, so healthy”. By framing his argument in a way that transitions from highlighting the scientific ignorance of global warming to the policies that such a worldview could impact, Patterson attempts to establish a chain of logic that justifies his concern for global warming as an influence on government. The language used in the sentence (“climate cultists” trying to convince “Man”, turning their back on beneficial institutions) also implies to the reader that the proponents of global warming are actively attempting to undermine the institutions that have allowed humankind to thrive in the modern world. This opinion is underlined later in the article, when Patterson contemplates why many “hope” for climate change catastrophe.

The articles “The Climate Crisis at the End of Our Fork” by Anna Lappe and “Why Bother?” by Michael Pollan urge us to see the connections between food and the environment. In the article “The Climate Crisis at the End of Our Fork”, Lappe insists the methods used in food production and distribution have a massive impact on the planet. In the article “Why Bother”, Pollan provides us reasons why people should bother to help stop global warming. There are three main causes between food production and food distribution that play a big role in global warming. Changing the way food is produced and distributed could diminish the dangerous effects of global warming. However, in order to stop global warming everyone has to assist as a group instead of individuals.

Have you heard what is happening to the environment? Like how Greenland loses is 286 Gigatonnes of ice per year! And as of January 22, 2017, it has lost 3778.7 Gigatonnes since 2002! Why you ask? It’s due to Climate change. Climate change is a serious problem in our world, It can either end it or make it prosper that is why I chose to research it. Climate change won’t just effect on a country or continent, it will affect the whole world, and we are a part of that world. So, I decided to research it to see what we as humanity can do about climate change. To help I asked myself more questions such as “What will happen if we don’t intervene?”, “What is the source of the problem?”, “What are our choices as humanity?” After my research, I believe that there is a way to stop climate change and to do that we as humanity need to work together.

The essay opens up with McKibben talking about how the political campaign against global warming is flawed because at our current point there is nothing much that can be done to fix it.(Mckibben,1) He then goes to state that humans are the biggest culprit behind global warming and supports this by giving examples such as SUVs and American ignorance.(2,9) He concludes by saying that if ten percent of America were to go green, it still would not save the planet, but ten percent could get the government’s attention to pass laws making everyone go green. (11)

The real issue is how fast this climate change is actually happening which makes it difficult and causes problems for civilization to survive (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). Furthermore, there are other factors such as fossil fuels and the sun that are speeding up climate change (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). To fix this, policy makers have agreed to limit how much fossil fuels we emit to the atmosphere (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). They suggested that the world emits 450 parts per million of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, then by 2050 the temperature would only increases by 2 degrees (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). If by that time it is able to be stabilized, the worst effects of climate change will be avoided (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). However, this is very unlikely, James Hanson who was part of NASA did his own calculations to prove the policy makers wrong (Mosaddeq, N., 2011). He calculated that it should be 350 parts per