UWRT 1102-026

Deforestation in Developing Countries:

The Search for Reductive Alternatives and Methods
AUDIENCE. I am firmly conveying my grievances to green organizations, which are small to
large collective bodies that are concerned with the protection and preservation of Earth. I aimed down the
sights onto green organizations because I believe they offer one of the greatest weapons known to
mankind: persuasion.
PURPOSE. Deforestation is a global epidemic, which was why I found it excruciatingly difficult
to limit its detriments to a specific area of focus. Hence, the purpose of my topic was to reach out to any
official green organization (e.g., Greenpeace and SINTEF) that would be genuinely invested in currents
events in Kenya and Brazil. Through this purpose, I had hoped these collective bodies would be swayed
into action via the pursuit of eco-friendly policies and whatnot.
SOURCES. On his website Conserve Energy Future, Rinkresh Kukreja claims that within 100
years there will be no rain forest.4 Kukreja immediately hooks the audiences attention with an uncertain
future. Carbon emissions from deforestations, claims Doug Boucher, a journalist on the Solutions
Journal, have a greater contribution towards global warming than do emissions from all the cars and
trucks worldwide.5 Boucher provides a seemingly immeasurable claim that forces the audience to rethink
their lifestyle. The Nuclear Energy Institute then upholds that the centralization of nuclear plants will
more than likely create opportunities for jobs for locals. 6 Accordingly, they also claim that nuclear
energy contributes absolutely zero detriments to the surrounding areas. 3 The NEI will more than likely
place nuclear energy on many green organizations to-do list.
GENRES. I chose to visually represent my topic of deforestation via a photo gallery and
brochure because I believe seeing is believing. Sure, you may read and inquire on the many claims and
statistics that I showcase to you; however, seeing the actual photographs of affected lands, animals, and
peoples are much more effective. The photo gallery serves as a mental reminder, of sorts, for the audience
(green organizations in my case), so that they may more clearly visualize and interpret the images. For
4.
5.
6.

Conserve Energy Future. 51 Facts About Deforestation. Accessed April 19, 2015. http://www.conserve-energyfuture.com/various-deforestation-facts.php
Boucher, Doug, How Brazil has Dramatically Reduced Tropical Deforestation, Solutions Journal For a Sustainable and
Desirable Future (2014): 66-75, Accessed April 19, 2015.
Nuclear Energy Institute. Why Nuclear Energy. Accessed April 19, 2015. http://www.nei.org/Why-Nuclear-Energy

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instance, seeing a photograph of a stranded village in Brazil would impose the interpretation that
deforestation eventually lead to its abandonment. A photo gallery may be associated with Microsoft
PowerPoint presentations; however, many photo galleries tend to be free-flowing and less structured.
Now, the brochure serves as an introductory leaflet that allows the audience to easily comprehend the
current events in Kenya and Brazil and how to control the recurring problems that arise. The first page
informs the audience of deforestation, how it affects biodiversity and how rural inhabitants rely on
deforestation for subsistence. The second page introduces alternatives and methods for the reduction of
deforestation, and how these methods may effectively control deforestation rates in developing countries.
ACCESSABILITY. The Internet is such a powerful tool in modern society. I believe green
organizations may easily access my blog and browse through my webpage. But of course, some areas in
developing countries lack internet connection; therefore, I believe a successful publication of my works in
a scholarly article may more easily reach my audience whose communicative reach are limited.
MODES. Spatial, Visual, and Linguistic. Firstly, spatial is crucial to the professionalism of this
multi-genre project because I structured my two genres according to the needs of the audience.
Concerning the brochure, I first introduce the green organizations to the definition of deforestation,
connect deforestation to green organizations and how future generations will be affected, expound further
on the causes of deforestation, and offer advice on deforestation in a left-to-right and up-to-down order.
And concerning the photo gallery, I introduce the immediate effects of deforestation, its causes, and the
long-term aftereffects. Secondly, visual, perhaps the most important, is extremely crucial to both
professionalism and emotion because it, as I have mentioned above, allows green organizations to better
picture and connect to deforestation and its detriments. Rewinding back to the brochure and photo gallery,
you would notice how I accompanied each image with a paragraph or sentence, which would serve as
subtitles, of sorts, for the audience. These subtitles would more easily guide their emotions. Lastly,
linguistic was crucial to both the professionalism and emotional content of my project via diction. For
instance, on page 1 of the brochure underneath the section Sites of Prevalence I claimed, Because of the
usual lack of appropriate departments in developing countries, their respective governments tend to
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ignore the many petty crimes that occur behind-the-scenes. Using formal, proper English suggests to the
audience that you understand the rigor of language and how it may be used appropriately to drive action.
APPEAL. Green organizations, like any other large collectives, expect business to be formal,
respectful, logical, and most importantly, precise and relevant to the topic. Present throughout my photo
gallery and brochure were all three of Aristotles appeals: logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos is apparent
whenever I attempt to strengthen or legitimize my claims with statistics, as seen in the paragraphs on the
second page of the brochure. Pathos is immediately identifiable as soon as the photo gallery plays and its
images absorbed by the audience. Ethos is a must and is easily seen in various parts of the brochure via
Chicago citations (e.g., page 2 of the brochure is littered with them). Otherwise, ethos is difficult to
establish for a college freshman whose experience is little to none in terms of environmental issues.
KAIROS. Green organizations such as PETA, SINTEF, and Greenpeace deserve an original,
well-thought out presentation that clearly strikes their heartstrings. Photo galleries, for one, tend to evoke
hidden emotions deeply rooted in peoples hearts emotions such as fear, sympathy and empathy, respect,
pity, grief, and a myriad of mixed feelings. Brochures, like a loving mother, welcomes the audience and
precisely gives the audience what they exactly require information about deforestation, its effects on
mankind, and rural reliance on the business as well as viable alternatives and methods aimed at reducing
the rate of deforestation in these areas. And, I believe green organizations, more than ever before, should
take action TODAY because tomorrow is never certain.
CONCLUSION. To be absolutely frank, I trust in my genre pieces. I trust that they will hook,
inform, and move the audience enough to place my concerns at the top of their to-do list. I know that
sounds pessimistic, but considering how large many of these green organizations are and how much
people are concerned with the preservation of Earth, being placed at the top is a great leap towards
achieving my goal in the reduction of deforestation and wood usage across developing countries.
Foremost, action begins with the individual, and if enough people voice their opinions to green
organizations, and if enough green organizations uphold these grievances, more than often, government
will hear them out and further their cause.
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