Introduction
In his article “Choking the Oceans with Plastic,” Charles J. Moore comments on an important issue that harmfully affects the entire planet. The author highlights that the quantity of plastic waste is dramatically increasing. This issue negatively impacts the world’s oceans and their inhabitants, which is disadvantageous for people who consume fish polluted with plastic. That is why individuals, organizations, and governments should address the problem.
The Author’s Purpose, Context, and Audience
Thus, the author argues that plastic waste is a real threat and that people should minimize plastic flow into the sea because the planet will face devastating consequences if they do not. The article is generally written for a friendly, international audience of adults concerned with environmental issues. The author additionally tries to convince Californians of all ages and backgrounds that plastic waste is widespread and harmful. The author is persuasive to his intended audience because he shows that a large area of the ocean is covered with plastic garbage and relies on personal experience to explain why this issue is dangerous.
The Logical Appeal
The article’s logos appeal is present and impactful since the author relies on vital statistics. In particular, Moore mentions that plastic particles and other debris cover “as much as 40 percent of the planet’s ocean surface” (par. 3). The author makes this value even more meaningful when he stipulates that this territory equals 25% of the entire earth surface (Moore par. 3). These figures are introduced to help the readers understand that plastic waste is massive and widespread.
The author coped with the task because the presented statistical values shocked the international audience. Furthermore, the expert estimated that it took three days for Southern California’s urban centers to deliver over 2 billion pieces of plastic into coastal waters (Moore par. 4). This information demonstrates that the contributor relied on versatile data to convince his broad audience.
The Character Appeal
The ethos appeal was equally addressed and persuasive since the author relied on his authority and professional experience. Moore explicitly mentions that he has “just returned with a team of scientists from six weeks at sea conducting research in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch” (par. 2). It is one of the primary garbage paths comprising plastic and other waste from all over the world.
The author visited this area for the 10th time, which allowed him to discover how the problem developed historically (Moore par. 2). This description reveals that Moore has sufficient experience to evaluate the problem’s progress. He shares his conclusions with the audience. That is why there is no doubt that the ethos appeal is successfully incorporated into the article.
The Emotional Appeal
Furthermore, the pathos appeal is present, but it is the least evident in the article. Firstly, the author evokes readers’ emotions through the title when he mentions that plastic chokes the oceans (Moore). This verb was chosen to draw people’s attention to the problem.
Secondly, the author wants to make the audience understand that the issue is widespread and significant for everyone. For this purpose, Moore relies on the first-person narrative to indicate that all individuals are equal before the threat. The expert mentions that higher amounts of plastic waste enter human bodies through “the tuna, salmon, and other pelagic fish we consume” (Moore par. 5). These issues ensure that readers become interested and engaged in the topic.
The Secret Behind the Effectiveness of the Article
The author also successfully convinces the audience by utilizing an appropriate style to deliver his thoughts and concerns. Moore discussed the problem in a position paper that follows a particular structure. Such a writing piece presents background information, explains why the problem is acute, and offers a particular position on what should be done.
Moore follows this outline and uses various appeals to demonstrate that plastic waste is a significant threat, which is followed by his suggestion that people should reduce the amount of these pollutants in the ocean. Moore’s tone is formal and official, which allows readers to understand the significance of the issue under analysis. This evidence reveals that the article’s style perfectly combines logos, ethos, and pathos to persuade readers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Moore created an exciting and valuable article to help people understand that plastic waste is a significant problem that negatively impacts the ocean. The author successfully relied on logos, ethos, and pathos appeals to prove this idea. The three were almost equally addressed in the article, while logos and ethos prevailed slightly. As for the pathos component, the particular verb choice and the first-person narrative evoked readers’ feelings. This issue can be considered the main weakness of the article, but the formal tone of the writing justifies it.
However, using statistics and incorporating the author’s professional experience are the most effective tools to convince the readers. This information demonstrates that the author’s argument is persuasive to the intended audience because Moore effectively incorporated logos, ethos, and pathos appeals into his position paper about a significant problem.
Work Cited
Moore, Charles J. “Choking the Oceans with Plastic.” The New York Times, Web.