Conservative Environmental Policies

Conservative Environmental Policies in A New Age
Climate change is a very divisive subject. While some may attest that climate change is a subject that is divided on partisan lines, that can easily be dispelled by a group of elderly Republicans. These republicans aim to offset the damage to the environment by creating a tax that generates revenue by way of taxing where carbon enters the environment. John Schwartz, a writer for the New York Times, decided to report on the republican proposal. By using Aristotle’s appeals, Schwartz is effective in his article by using the elements of logos based in facts and relevant arguments and supplementing with the appeal to pathos by using experiences and facts that provoke emotion in the reader. Before …show more content…
Schwartz is effective in his use of pathos because he uses emotion to his advantage to explain to his readers the importance of the new plan involving a carbon tax. While referring to the stimulation of the economy, Schwartz wastes no time in his mention of a “carbon dividend” to American families. In a time where families fear taxes and how taxes can influence the things they buy, it can be comforting to know that this tax is giving money back to them as they try to punish those who are affecting the environment so harshly. In doing this, Schwartz includes various arguments in his article to appeal to pathos. In understanding, he makes sure to include that some people “would prefer to see the money raised by the tax used to promote renewable energy and other new technologies to reduce emissions.” This use of pathos is effective, because it demonstrates that the author is aware of opposing views and documents them with respect. Schwartz understands that not everyone can share the same views as the original creators of the plan and he wants the readers to know of his …show more content…
While including the opposing arguments, Schwartz also includes the expected attacks and oppositions of the plan. In using words like “attacks” and not just “oppositions,” Schwartz demonstrates an effective use of pathos as he uses word choice to help the reader understand the amount of urgency that some may see that the plan has. Schwartz mentions that “attacks on the plan can be expected from many quarters, even among supporters of a carbon tax in theory,” this use of a harsher connotation is an effective use of pathos because it helps stir emotions within the text that may not have been included