Revised Conclustion

In this post I will revise my conclusion. I think that my new conclusion is more interesting and adds the broader significance of my topic.


Original Conclusion:

Mckibben is a masterful writer as well as an expert in the field, and it shows in this article. That being said, I think that the article is so opinionated and politically charged that his argument is only accessible to a small fraction of the population. This group probably already agrees with him. Anyone who isn’t already environmentally minded might stop reading after the first paragraph. This is partly a function of the stratified nature of politics in the United States right now. People connect environmental issues with one side of the political spectrum even though they are going to affect us all in the future.  If people don’t see themselves as “environmentalists” or “liberals” then they don’t want to talk about the environment. Mckibben’s argument is that Obama isn’t doing nearly enough for the environment, and many people are unwilling to look as far left as Obama let alone further left. I’m not sure if there’s anything that Mckibben could do rhetorically to overcome this obstacle and reach more people. This is a problem that anyone arguing something controversial is going to run into.



New Conclusion:

Understanding how rhetoric is used to persuade audiences is invaluable for trying to address environmental issues. Persuading people to change their personal behavior as well as fight for policy change is, and will continue to be, one of the most valuable skills for environmental change-makers and leaders. Bill Mckibben is a master at this. He has been a key player in rallying people to engage in public protest and has helped start numerous university divestment movements. One of the most important jobs of environmental writers is to leave readers feeling hopeful enough to act. In Mckibben's article "Obama and Climate Change: The Real Story", he does just that. He begins by engaging readers emotionally with facts and imagery, and ends with hopeful tales of successful environmental movements. Powerful and effective use of rhetoric in environmental writing and speaking by people like Mckibben has the potential to positively impact the future of humans on this planet.

Webb, Michaela "Monsoon over Mexico" 2014