Climate Change Solnit

In her article “Are We Missing the Big Picture on Climate Change ?”, Rebecca Solnit argues that climate change is larger than our narrow minded perspective, resulting in it being hard to grasp. She also accuses the fossil fuel industry of being main contributor to this growing issue, that if allowed to continue, will destroy the planet. Through figurative comparisons, hypothetical strategies and second person point of view, Solinit strives to engrave in the minds of her audience the lasting impression climate change will have on the planet if left unattended. In the very beginning of her article, Solnit begins by getting the audience to sympathize with sparrows that are affected by the company in question. Her comparisons of bright lively sparrows to charred mounds of flesh strives to bring the audience closer to the topic. The vivid imagery within the hypothetical situation lets the audience get empathize with the bird, only to kill it off, leaving the readers shocked. This …show more content…
This gospel is about an all seeing god who protects all, from the smallest sparrows to the great creatures of this earth, and Solnit uses this to allude to all the things humans miss. She then begins explaining why climate change is hard to grasp, comparing the deaths of sparrows, to the loss of an entire ecosystem. This shift is illustrated by the switch to second person point of view. From simply describing and reporting on a situation, Solnit suddenly begins to directly address the audience. This is effectively pushing the blame of inactivity upon the reader, which serves to guilt trip them into action. In the context of climate change, that would be to pay attention to the isolated specific events that represent climate change, and put them together into a big picture, showing the might and extent of climate