Rhetorical Analysis *revised*

The writer of the article, Craig Welch, is a journalist who covers natural and environmental resources, putting much emphasis on oceans and climate change. There have been changes happening in Amazon forest in Brazil for over 30 years as reported by the journal Global Change Biology. More drought-resistant plant species have appeared in the forest which suggests that the forest is preparing itself for change in the climate. The article is addressing the Brazilians, especially their leaders, intending to persuade them that their acts of deforestation do not only have an impact in their country but also far beyond the country. The purpose of the article is to appeal to the Brazilian leaders to consider conserving the Amazon rather than destroying it due to its importance in environmental conservation. Using previous studies as evidence, Craig Welch tries to demonstrate to the Brazilian leaders and the population in general on how the destruction of the Amazon could affect them and other countries in terms of climate and availability of water. Using a persuasive tone, Craig Welch implores the readers to conserve the water tower for the sake of climate change. He feels that without proper conservation of the tower, climate change will lead to more devastating consequences that will see people losing their lives in years to come. The article is persuasive enough to his audience based on the language used in the article and his accolades.

Craig Welch is a well-known journalist who writes for National Geographic about the environment. He uses his experience and knowledge on matters that are related to the environment to persuade the audience on the credibility of his writings. He won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize and his coverage of the deadliest landslide in the United States of America history. On top of that, he has also won other awards in journalism from the Overseas Press Club, the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Academy of Sciences on top of being a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. His accolades play a significant role in persuading the audience on the credibility of his information about the Amazon forest. Having travelled and repeated from all the seven continents in the world, he has the necessary knowledge and experience to know the consequences of destroying the Amazon forest, which the indigenous people might not be aware of. 

The author uses fear to appeal to the emotions of his audience. In the article, the writer says that experts in the matters related to the environment have warned that continuous destruction of the Amazon forest could lead to loss of moisture which shall eventually lead to the drying out of the forest ("How Amazon Forest Loss May Affect Water ‘and Climate ‘far Away"). This phenomenon is likely to lead to the reduction of rainfall which will lead to the population dying out of hunger caused by drought. He goes ahead to remind the audience that such acts have led to record-setting droughts previously in the years 2005, 2010, and 2015-2016. Using fear in his writing, the author looks to appeal to the audience to corotate in conserving the environment because if they fail to do so, not only will they suffer, but also their neighbors who could come to their aid will be suffering.

Craig Welch goes ahead to use logic to persuade his audience on the importance of conserving the water tower instead of destroying for short term gains. He has indicated that the forest is home to several biome species on earth which include diverse plant life in a single acre. Its destruction could see the end of them. In addition, the forest influences the water cycle on a regional and global scale. This is because the source of rainfall which helps humans do farming, thus destroying it would lead to more dire consequences on humanity.  This has been supported by findings of a scientist who claim that the Amazon is nearing its tipping point. To show the extent to which the forest has been destroyed, the author says that even a small uptick in deforestation could lead it to transition into woodland savanna, a well-known and largest desert in the world based in Africa. The destruction could also lead to greenhouse warming, which could hasten the decline of whatever forest remained.

In conclusion, the author qualifies to persuade the audience on matters related to climate change and the environment based on the honours he has received. He has used fear and logic to appeal to the emotions of the audience. Generally, the way the author has written is persuasive enough to the audience to conserve the environment.

Works Cited