It is a common misconception that the world will never run out of water yet fresh water is a finite resource. Major implications will occur if the public continues to participate in unsustainable water treatment. By no fault of their own, however, most people are unaware of water-scarcity as well as the devastating consequences that can arise. “Entering an Era of Water Scarcity: The Challenges Ahead”, written by Sandra L. Postel, aims to shift the narrative of water security by informing the audience of the problems associated with a deteriorating water supply. Those challenges include food security, the weakening health of ecosystems, and political conflicts. After she examines each problem by providing an abundance of statistics, data,
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In the opening paragraph, Postel directly states the exigence by reporting, “with the world population projected to increase by an additional two billion (2×〖10〗^9) people by the year 2030 (United Nations 1998), finding ways to satisfy humanity’s water demands while at the same time protecting the life-support functions of freshwater systems now ranks among the most critical and difficult challenges of the 21st century” (Postel 941). Postel does not just state her exigence once but reiterates it throughout the entire article. Also notice her use of logos and ethos to further stress the importance of the current water situation. It is crucial to state the motivating cause behind the text because it gives the audience a better insight to why the text was created. With that in mind, the water-scarcity challenges Postel addresses are given a greater sense of imminence. As a result, the audience acquires a greater sense of signficance to the problems at hand and are more likely to heed to Postel’s …show more content…
The article was found in an online journal titled Ecological Applications and published by the Ecological Society of America in 2000. This is significant because the audience the article reaches is presumably narrowed down to experts or professionals in varies scientific based research. Another key indicator of the discourse community involved in the text is Postel’s use of ecological jargon. For instance, words like “irrigation”, “delta”, “runoff”, and units of measure such as “Mg” and “ha” are mentioned numerous times (Postel). Common people may not know what a delta is or that ha stands for hectare, therefore the use of jargon implies Postel’s intended audience are ecologically well-versed. Consequently, Postel’s main message is going to be read by experts in science who have the power to adopt and execute Postel’s goals.
Overall, Postel’s purpose of “Entering an Era of Water Scarcity: The Challenges Ahead”, could not have been achieved if it were not for her dynamic use of appeals, exigence, and Kairos. All three rhetorical devices work together to maintain a relationship with the audience. This relationship leads to powerful persuasion, and ultimately the advancement of water-scarcity
In the opening paragraph, Postel directly states the exigence by reporting, “with the world population projected to increase by an additional two billion (2×〖10〗^9) people by the year 2030 (United Nations 1998), finding ways to satisfy humanity’s water demands while at the same time protecting the life-support functions of freshwater systems now ranks among the most critical and difficult challenges of the 21st century” (Postel 941). Postel does not just state her exigence once but reiterates it throughout the entire article. Also notice her use of logos and ethos to further stress the importance of the current water situation. It is crucial to state the motivating cause behind the text because it gives the audience a better insight to why the text was created. With that in mind, the water-scarcity challenges Postel addresses are given a greater sense of imminence. As a result, the audience acquires a greater sense of signficance to the problems at hand and are more likely to heed to Postel’s …show more content…
The article was found in an online journal titled Ecological Applications and published by the Ecological Society of America in 2000. This is significant because the audience the article reaches is presumably narrowed down to experts or professionals in varies scientific based research. Another key indicator of the discourse community involved in the text is Postel’s use of ecological jargon. For instance, words like “irrigation”, “delta”, “runoff”, and units of measure such as “Mg” and “ha” are mentioned numerous times (Postel). Common people may not know what a delta is or that ha stands for hectare, therefore the use of jargon implies Postel’s intended audience are ecologically well-versed. Consequently, Postel’s main message is going to be read by experts in science who have the power to adopt and execute Postel’s goals.
Overall, Postel’s purpose of “Entering an Era of Water Scarcity: The Challenges Ahead”, could not have been achieved if it were not for her dynamic use of appeals, exigence, and Kairos. All three rhetorical devices work together to maintain a relationship with the audience. This relationship leads to powerful persuasion, and ultimately the advancement of water-scarcity