Assignment #5

Environmental issues have always a very large part of society. People’s views are different and many confrontations have occurred because of these varying looks on things. Some people want the environment to go untouched while others could care less what resources are used, just as long as they get what they need when they want. The article “Arctic Eyewitness; When will we realize we can’t drill our way to cheap gas?” talks about one environmental issue that is currently in discussion. Is it ok to drill in The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge located in Alaska? The article discusses why it is not ok to do such a thing. The author by the name of Mary Essen is effective in his effort to convince his audience that the valued land in Alaska is definitely not ok to drill for oil.

Although the article that Essen wrote was published in a Buffalo, New York newspaper, I am going to say that his targeted audience is the American people, mainly oil users and potential voters. His main message is that drilling for oil in this precious land of Alaska because it harms the environment and the drilling will not help gas prices go down because the gas industry is a global economy and drilling in one part of the world, will not help the gas prices go down.

Mary Essen uses his ethos to help his argument be more valid and his attempt to convince the population that this drilling should be stopped. He has done lots of research regarding this topic and you know that by reading the article. He knows lots of information and facts about the issue that better supports his argument. He talks about Exxon Valdez and how oil spills harm the environment and that the Exxon Valdez spill in particular, can kill thousands of animals and destroy the habitat that many of these animals live in. He makes note of President George W. Bush’s unpopularity by saying, “What’s changed is that artificially high gas prices have made it easier for oil companies and the Bush administration to manipulate the Americans into supporting an energy policy that will lead to even greater oil industry profits.” He is looking down on President Bush’s administration by making it sound like he knows what is best for the American people and what president Bush is doing is completely wrong.

Essen talks about deity and how the Indian people view the land that is being drilled upon as the “sacred place where life begins.” This points out that God knows about this place and it should be treated with respect because it is a sacred place. Marty Essen relates his personal experience to the reader to help convince that he knows what he is talking about. He personally went to the location and spent time there and to see of its beauty. He and his wife were able to canoe down rivers on the The article makes the reader feel guilty and shameful for wanting lower gas prices and not for not really paying attention about the causes and effects that it would have on the environment. It also appeals to emotion by giving a very detailed description of the land that is being used for oil. Upon their arrival to the drilling sight, Essen describes, “A sickening brown haze told us we were nearing Prudhoe Bay.” This immediately put a vivid image in my mind that this beautiful land is being ruined by this nasty brown cloud of smoke. Nobody wants a thing of beauty to be destroyed by something that can potentially be stopped.

location and had the opportunity to admire the wild life that lives in the area.

Marty Essen appeals to emotion in many different ways. He makes the point, mentioned above, that drilling in Alaska will not drop the gas prices because gasoline is involved in a global economy. He says, “We can’t drill our way to cheap gas. We can, however, with only a minor conservation effort, save more oil than we’d ever pump out of the Arctic Refuge. And if we put a full effort into weaning ourselves off oil, we won’t be passing the problem on to future generations.” This points out that it will effect the future of America.

Essen also talks about that this may affect the wildlife near you. In this important land, Essen exclaims, “More than 50 species of migrating birds hatch their chicks. Many of those birds will migrate to a park, forest of body of water near you.” This personally relates to many people that have birds around where they live. They will want them to continue to stick around and the drilling in Alaska could potentially cause that to not happen anymore.

Marty Essen is successful in using his sense of reasoning that the drilling in the Alaskan land in the sense that it is not necessary because it will not change the gas prices. His timing in writing the article is important because gas prices are a very large national issue. He is logical in his analogy between the size of the drilling factory and the cob webs in a house. Two different measurements are taken when explaining the size of the drilling area. They are 4,240 acres and 640,000 acres. Essen explains, “Imagine you come home from vacation and find cobwebs in every room, stretching from chair to chair and from wall to wall. You consult two friends - - an oil company lobbyist and an environmentalist. They lobbyist says, “The webs are thin. Let them me. You’ll still have most of the house to yourself.” The environmentalist says, “My dear friend, you have a spider problem!”” This is a logical explanation on the measurement of the oil field.

In conclusion, Essen used ethos, pathos, and logos in an effective way to convince the reader that drilling on this precious Alaskan territory can be harmful to the environment. He calls for action using a sense of patriotism. After reading the article, readers will walk away with a different outlook on gas prices and that drilling for more oil will not effect the price of gas in America.