Fracking in America

A relatively new development in energy production, fracking for natural gas has offered an alternative to the traditional fossil fuels that are infamous for extreme pollution. However, fracking has not proved to be the environment-saving hybrid that it was marketed as.  While natural gas is better for the environment then coal, the actual process of fracking destroys areas of land, contributes significantly to global warming, and pollutes water supply.  Phil Radford argues in his article that fracking for natural gas only provides a "bridge" and a tool for procrastination, an excuse for not developing permanent alternative and safe options.  This article speaks to the majority of Americans, even referencing polls of Americans on the topic that provide insight on the issue.  The text serves as a medium for the masses to express their ideas with the author channeling the most popular opinions.  The major argument is that not enough is being done to research and move to a new energy source that would actually benefit Americans and the environment, which is what the public is calling for.  Using outside sources in his argument aids to provide a stronger argument because he establishes his point as a popular one and a credible stance.  The author also calls people to action by stating that the more people that speak out, the closer America will be to clean energy production.

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Venezuela's Polarized Society

The election in Venezuela is one of the more controversial ones in recent history.  With such a close vote dividing the two candidates, a complete recount was ordered by the loser, Henrique Capriles.  The electorate, Nicolas Maduro, is the socialist candidate and son-in-law of former president Hugo Chavez. The reason the controversy is so large is Maduro does not want the recount to happen and the followers of the candidates have resorted to violence to settle disputes.  It got so bad that South American leaders all met to discuss the issue. After a recount was eventually ordered, the tensions got worse.  This article analyzes the situation in Venezuela and proposes a reason for the intense division in Venezuela.  the author argues that Venezuela's economic state is what polarizes its people.  Even though it is the most oil-rich nation in the Americas, staples of everyday life are running short.  In order to illustrate this, the author develops pathos by using a first-hand account.  He visited a baker in Venezuela running scarcely short on flour.  The baker had to put a limit on people's orders because he only had 6% of the flour he usually has.  This helps the reader infer why people not only want a change from the Chavez-Maduro government, but also why socialism is so powerful in Venezuela.  Also, the author cites statistics about the election to help the reader understand the controversy.  It was so close that with Venezuela being as corrupt as it is, people immediately assumed an infraction in the counting system.  The author did not try to bias the reader, which further helped the understanding of a foreign situation by the reader.

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Fast Food Nation Pt 2

Fast Food Nation, a book by Eric Schlosser detailing the business and culture of the fast food industry, is able to effectively portray all of the elements of the industry, from production and raising of the livestock to the marketing aspect.  This establishes ethos because the author can demonstrate advanced knowledge in every element of his text and shows evidence of complete research.  In addition, the book doesn't just say that fast food is bad for you, but unbiasedly presents the information.  This avoids presenting the industry as fat-filled and worthless, a necessary position to keep the readers interested in the book, even if this idea would be eventually proven.  In the second part of the book, much of the book is focused on the increased efficiency, standardization, and mechanization of fast food, showing the transformation into what we are now familiar with.  This does include the chemical enhancement of products that made the 20th century fast food taste so good before a health-conscious America promoted change.  From there, it is noted how working conditions have lowered and health risks are rising exponentially.  At this point in the story, readers are completely turned off from the fast food industry, a contrast for the reader from the humble beginning.  Because of this huge difference, the reader is able to feel the food service grow into a monster.  This fact is illustrated by the rising obesity rates across the globe after the Cold War, an indication of the export of American fast food.  Overall, the informative text was effective in painting a picture of the horrifying fast food industry.