This course was taught by Dr. Kinman and focused a lot of perspective within research. We focused on intended audiences as well as writing formal documents for these specified audiences. The document below is an analytic memo based off of two books. I compared and contrasted these books to discuss potential effects on environmental impacts such as pollution and natural disasters.
To: Edward Kinman
From: Dylan Scordellis
Date: October 7, 2020
Subject: Environmental Issue (VA)
The Uninhabitable Earth:
The Uninhabitable Earth focuses primarily on the effects and impacts of climate change around the world. Climate change is a global issue that is impacting multiple biotic and abiotic factors in present-day communities. David Wallace begins by going over the prehistoric history or climate change stating that “climate change caused multiple mass extinctions” (Wallace, 3). By relating back to prehistoric times, Wallace has already appealed to logos by showing that he has logic within this topic outside of present-day issues. I do believe that the book overall is appealing and does a very good job describing climate change as well as using appropriate language. However, in relation to ethos, this book could be more visually appealing by adding some minor visuals or graphs to represent the impacts as well as display data in a more appealing way. The information provided is very specific and precise which helps explain multiple causes along with their effects. For instance, Wallace divides the book into chapters that focuses on natural, economic, and human driven factors within climate change. This allows readers to connect to climate change in some way, shape, or form. Within the more “natural” headers, Wallace explains the impacts of climate change on wildfires, air quality, and depletion of resources. In more of an economic standpoint, he explains how climate change can lead to economic collapses which can affect stockholders or companies and or businesses. This is critical to society because economics plays a big role in communities. Furthermore, Wallace goes into depth about how climate change will reduce the global output by more than 20% by the year 2100 (Wallace, 117). In relation to global output, GDP or growth domestic products, is also heavily influenced upon climate change. This can pique the interest of stakeholder as well as stockholders that are involve with climate-based economics. When thinking about the economics of climate change, this can also involve the political scientists by basing laws and regulations to help reduce climate change. Wallace states that even if we were to greatly reduce climate change now, it would takes years for the climate to actually go into effect of stabilizing.
Particulate Plastics in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments:
Another book written by Bolan et. al, focuses on the impacts of plastic particles (microplastics) and their effects on terrestrial and aquatic environments. Particulate Plastics in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments does a better job in regard to ethos. This book is more informative on visuals and graphs which helps the readers engage more into the subject as well as being able to analyze data through these visuals. These visuals are present in every chapter to help explain each point that the authors are basing off of microplastics and plastics. This article does really well by tying in multiple viewpoints and aspects of microplastics. In other words, the authors don’t focus on one reason or spend too much time in one specified area, but instead, they explain multiple reasons that involve plastics being polluted in terrestrial and aquatic environments. Within logos, the authors give a sense of great knowledge and information amongst the topic. Bolan et. al, introduces the sources of these plastics, how these plastics are being distributed (imports and exports), and the impacts on the environments from these plastics. It is key to include these multiple aspects because some topics might not affect certain communities or areas. In relation to the impacts, the pollutant and toxic chemicals being released are extremely damaging to surrounding environments and populations. Not only can it affect these living aquatic and terrestrial organisms, but it affects humans as well through consumption. On page 167, on figure 11.2, Bolan et. al, focuses on the toxic components involved with plastics as well as the possible harms of these toxic chemicals and their functions. This figure alone can relate to pathos because it can alter someone’s mood towards plastics once they’ve seen the toxic and chemical components of these products. Another visual that caught my attention was on page 399. Figure 23.1 shows multiple sizes and colors of microplastics that can be visible within the aquatic and terrestrial environments. This informs readers that microplastics can be in many sizes, shapes, and colors. Organisms can mistake these for food and consume these products which is bad for the organism’s health as well as any other organisms that consumes the organisms with the plastic within them. Bolan et. al, also integrates multiple case studies that focus primarily on microplastics and their impacts within surrounding ecosystems. This helps validate that this is a reoccurring issue and that it is a critical issue to environments. My only concern with this book is that it is a bit heavier on the information and can be a lot to take in. For someone who is fairly new to the topic of microplastics, this can be a bit much for one to retain. I would condense this some and focus on a small area rather than the issue as a whole.
With these two stories in mind, I recommend The Uninhabitable Earth as a source for an environmental issue rather than Particulate Plastics in Terrestrial and Aquatic Environments because David Wallace focuses on an issue that is impacting areas globally whereas microplastic pollution is impact the more industrial and more heavily populated areas. Climate change is a broader issue yet has multiple impacts. Furthermore, this issue described by David Wallace is a much older issue and has been reoccurring since prehistoric times. Although Wallace lacks graphs and visual data, he does a great job at explaining these data points as well as getting his point across. Once reading this book, you will gain a good understanding of climate change as well as the impacts it can involve. Within microplastics, the authors do a good job at explaining the causes and integrating case studies which I believe is a good key aspect to add, but I feel like they should condense this issue more and explain some more aspects and harms rather than some broad ideas. For instance, if they focused on one or two causes and then went into the significance as well as the overall picture, it could help readers get a sense of the topic instead of being heavily overwhelmed by all of the information. David Wallace, on the other hand, has a very precise and well-structured novel on climate change that involves some areas that are explained very well with aspects and impacts.