Introduction
Some pieces of writing are more persuasive than others for various reasons, such as the ways they plead with the audience. The text chosen for the current paper is Greta Thunberg’s speech transcript. During her appearance at a United Nations (UN) summit, Greta Thunberg spoke about climate change, and the report she presented lacked ethos but was relatively compelling due to its appeals to logos and pathos.
Summary
Greta Thunberg has written and spoken about modifications in the global environment. The young activist addressed world leaders about the lack of progress in addressing climate change (“Transcript”). Thunberg shared her view of the situation, offered statistics on current carbon emissions, and made pessimistic predictions for the future (“Transcript”). The text Thunberg read educated the audience about environmental transformations and the risks they pose to the planet.
Purpose
The author’s purpose in the reviewed transcript was to highlight the international authorities’ negligence regarding climate change. In her speech, Thunberg represented the young generation, disappointed in global leaders who claimed to understand the urgency of the environmental problem but failed to address it adequately (“Transcript”). The activist stated that the youth would be watching those in power and demanding justice for the world (“Transcript”). Accordingly, the purpose of the text was to call on global authorities to take accountability for climate change.
Context
The context of the reviewed piece of writing is that the transcript was read during a conference. Thunberg delivered her speech at the UN Climate Action Summit (CAS) in September 2019, which was intended to draw international attention to environmental shifts (Han and Sang 6; “Transcript”). Accordingly, the text focused on climate change and was appropriately used since CAS also focused on the same topic.
Audience
The transcript’s audience included individuals from the international community who attended the UN Summit. CAS gathered people from many countries, including the heads of state of Germany and France (Han and Sang 15). Nonetheless, as noted above, Thunberg’s speech was directed at global authorities who failed to address environmental change (“Transcript”). Although global leaders were the primary audience for the text, CAS also attracted numerous spectators interested in climate change.
Appeal
The appeals found in the transcript are pathos and logos. The former refers to emotional inducement meant to move the audience and is presented in Thunberg’s speech through anger and disappointment (Shaaban and Rehab 167; Voci 7; “Transcript”). For instance, the activist stated, “How dare you!” when accusing world leaders of making the young generation responsible for climate change (“Transcript”). Moreover, logos, the argument’s logic, is demonstrated by Thunberg’s use of evidence (Shaaban and Rehab 167; Voci 7; “Transcript”). For example, the author notes that if contemporary carbon emissions are cut in half, the planet will have only a 50% chance of remaining below 1.5 degrees of global warming (“Transcript”). Nonetheless, the speech does not establish ethos, or credibility through expertise, as Thunberg did not mention her credentials or experience (Shaaban and Rehab 167; Voci 7). Despite the emotions and logic in the transcript, it lacks credibility.
Conclusion
The text for Greta Thunberg’s speech at the UN CAS appeals to logos and pathos but needs more ethos. The transcript aimed to raise awareness of climate change and was intended for a specific audience attending UN CAS. The writing is moderately persuasive, with evidence and appeals to emotion, but the author did not list her credentials to illustrate her expertise.
Works Cited
“Transcript: Greta Thunberg’s Speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit.” NPR, 2019.
Han, Heejin, and Sang Wuk Ahn. “Youth Mobilization to Stop Global Climate Change: Narratives and Impact.” Sustainability, vol. 12, no. 10, 2020, pp. 1-23.
Shaaban, Safaa Abdelrehim, and Rehab Rabie. “Review Revision Techniques Tools for Undergraduate Business Students within the framework of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.” Journal of Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics, vol. 20, no. 5, 2022, pp. 160-175.
Voci, Denise. “Logos, Ethos, Pathos, Sustainabilitos? About the Role of Media Companies in Reaching Sustainable Development.” Sustainability, vol. 14, no. 5, 2022, pp. 1-17.