"It's not just a 'California drought'"
by Cynthia Barnett
Ethos appeals
Pathos appeals
Logos appeals
audience
speaker
context
message/purpose
cultural values
direct quotes from hydrology and environmental science professors
narrative of tourists who visited Lake Mead but didn't understand the consequences they were seeing
instilling fear in audience, but then adding hope to keep the reader engaged
created personal sense of guilt for me -- not effective because that makes me defensive and less sympathetic
statistics of Lake Mead water level
explanation that water tables are dropping
drought personified as a villain or dark force to emphasize danger
connection that water consumption will be an issue whether it's in the east or west US
shows understanding of popular belief regarding water and drought
general public (people who are slightly informed)
those who read LA Times
assumption that audience already knows about the CA drought and what's happening there
argument organized in sequential manner
connecting agriculture and water usage to the common public via general food supply
establish that drought is dangerous
(just as dangerous as other natural disasters)
dismantle misconception that eastern states that receive more rain will not be affected by the water shortage issue
get the general public aware about their own water consumption and involved in dialogue about drought
criticize the government's slow reaction to the issue
establish that drought is a nationwide issue, not just a state or regional one
ongoing CA drought has started to gain national attention
Lake Mead water level is at 1080 feet -- new regulations kick in at 1075 feet
wildfires caused by drought have received national attention
assumption that audience is already somewhat familiar with hydrology fundamentals and terms such as "water table" and the concept of groundwater
drought and overconsumption has been an ongoing issue in the Great Basin states, but has not received a lot of national attention until now
environmental journalist,
specialization in hydrology
values in article
popular values
sense of human responsibility over natural resources
hard to understand where the water from a tap comes from -- many people don't understand how much energy is used to import water
need to find a way to reduce water consumption so we can maintain our urban way of living
wants the government to take control of regulations
lack of widespread knowledge about agricultural water use
environmental issues don't get much public attention unless there are regulations put in place, and therefore the government declares it to be an actual issue
misconception that drought isn't very dangerous, and lack of awareness about water supply
teaches environmental journalism at University of Florida
three books published about water
(two on water consumption, one on rain)
books have received multiple prestigious awards
lives in Gainesville, Florida
LA Times, NY Times, Wall Street Journal
(many publications)