Monbiot

George Monbiot is a British writer that, when you look at his achievements in education alone, is very astonishing. Throw in a few awards for books, screenwritings, and radio then you have what seems to be an enviromentalist god. This book Heat won the Premio Mazzotti which is an Italian Book prize. Along with this award he recieved the UN Global 500 Award for outsanding enviromentalist.

In this small piece entitled heat Monbiot focuses on climate change due to the burning of fossil fuels and emission of carbon dioxided into the atmosphere. He opens up with a story that serves as an analogy of a man named Dr. Faustus who makes a deal with the devil that if he recieves 24 years of special powers that he would sign over his soul to the devil. The deal is done and in 24 years the devil comes to collect on the bargaining. With us representing Dr. Faustus and the special powers being fossil fuel by 2030 almost the exact 24 years that Dr. recieved we too will begin to cease to exist. He specifically points out that the richer society of the U.S. are much to blame with there finer taste of luxury. They seem to travel more and use and buy things that burn more and more fossil fuels which in return create the carbon dioxide that is destroying this planet. He presents specific instructions that if the world does not reduce its production of dioxide by the year 2030 then the world will begin to self destruct. That is to say that its not already to late.

Monbiot uses an interesting rhetoric of explaining what it is we need to do or else cease to exist at all. He scares people into changing there ways and acutally brings guilt to the readers who read the excerpt. All three startegies are present in this reading. Pathos (emotions) is seen through is constant reminder that are world is slowly declining and giving constant reminders that if we love this world then we must do something to preserve it. Logos (evidence) tons of this is present in that while reading you can tell that Monbiot has done his homework and gives plenty of data and numbers and actually tells us what percent we must achieve and how long we have to achieve it. Ethos (credibility) he recieves the trust from the reader through these statistics and really makes the reader believe what he is saying is completely true.