Logic in Being Green

I chose the article “Buying into the Green Movement” by Alex Williams. The author’s purpose is to aware his audience that buying more and more biodegradable or eco-friendly products do not help the lessening of carbon footprints as much as they think it does. His point he is trying to make is that it is better to consume less of a product then trying to buy more of biodegradable products. I agree with the author’s argument because I believe that if we just consume less of something it would not harm the environment rather than trying to help the environment by buying eco-friendly products. In my opinion, I think Williams could have done a better job in persuading his audience to buy less biodegradable products, but he still conveys this argument by using ethos, logos, and some sense of an overstatement.

He uses ethos to establish credibility of false authority. In his article he uses quotes said from researchers and environmentalists who have studied the effects of global warming and how we can help reducing carbon footprints. These quotes create a well enough source to persuade his audience by making the audience feel like they can believe in people who seem to know what they are talking about regarding this situation.

Williams also uses logos in his article to make his audience believe he is well informed on his topic and be able to convince his audience to agree with his argument. Using statistics like, “35 million Americans regularly buy products that claim to be earth-friendly”, the author gives an example on how many Americans contribute in buying biodegradable products. This example can prove his point even further because so many Americans are taking part in “buying into the green movement” but they do not actually realize that they are not actually helping the environment. By using logos it makes him sound more educated in the subject and makes him seem more credible because he has evidence to back him up.

In the beginning he uses imagery, but at the same time he also uses an overstatement to catch the audience attention. For example, “roll out from under the sumptuous hemp-fiber sheets on your bed ...and pull on a pair of $245 organic cotton Levi’s and an Armani biodegradable knit skirt.” This sentence shows a picture in your mind, which is imagery, but it is also a little too exaggerated. In reality not many people can afford “$245 organic cotton Levi’s” or an “Armani biodegradable knit skirt” and wear them on a daily basis.

The author uses many rhetorical strategies to make his argument towards not buying eco-friendly products, but I think he could have done a better job connecting with his audience rather than just throwing example and statistics in his article and try to persuade his audience through creating a one to one relationship with his audience.