ipl-logo

Helen Cadicott Nuclear Power Is Not The Answer Summary

939 Words4 Pages

In “Nuclear Power is Not the Answer,” Helen Caldicott argues that pursuing nuclear energy would be a detriment to the United States. According to Caldicott, nuclear power, contrary to what the industry claims, is not clean and green, but rather a pollutant and a strong contributor to the destruction of the ozone layer. Because of the availability of uranium ore steadily decreasing, the process is requiring more and more fossil fuels to extract the ore. Caldicott projects that within ten to twenty years, nuclear reactors will be counterproductive because of the amount of fossil fuel it will take to mine the remaining uranium. In addition to air pollution, nuclear power plants also emit radioactive gases and materials that have the potential …show more content…

Because Caldicott begins her writing with her thesis, it can be assumed that her readers will continue reading without hesitation. If the audience were hostile and unsympathetic, Caldicott would have waited until the end to present her thesis to give a hearing for the truth. Caldicott’s placement of the thesis at the beginning of the introduction suggests a sympathetic audience that will agree and continue to read. Caldicott then opens and closes her writing with excoriating President George Bush and Vice President Dick Chaney. Caldicott’s opening statement accuses the administration for lulling the public “into believing their oft-repeated dictums” concerning nuclear energy. Caldicott later criticizes Vice President Dick Chaney for his secret meetings with Enron and questions whether or not “legal and ethical guidelines were crossed.” Such negative elucidation of an administration well-known for being right-winged, Republican conservatives suggests that Caldicott and her audience are opposite of Bush and Chaney—making them left-leaning in their political views. One can also assume that Caldicott’s audience is educated and well-versed on topics of energy policy and technology. Caldicott takes little time to explain the nuclear energy extraction process, the depths of nuclear energy, or the processes of nuclear power plants. Caldicott assumes her audience is already informed on such processes, so she jumps straight to her criticism of nuclear

Show More
Related
528 Words | 3 Pages

Jimmy Carter, a former US president effectively incorporates logos – facts and evidence, pathos – appealing word choice and emotion, and ethos – credibility to build his persuasive argument. Carter strives to contend that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be developed for industry. First, throughout the article, there are many situations where Jimmy Carter incorporates facts and examples. For example, he states, “The Arctic Refuge might provide 1 to 2 percent of the oil our country consumes each day.” By using such numbers, Carter forces the reader to evaluate the situation by recognizing the difference between an insignificant financial income and enormous damage to the territory.

Read More
750 Words | 3 Pages

Jimmy Carter - Persuasive Techniques Usually, when people have to give a speech or write an essay they have to convey a message or convince the audience of a specific idea or argument. In this instance it is very important for the speaker to use the correct techniques so they can connect to the audience and convince them of their point of view. For politicians especially they must be able to have the audience intrigued and convinced of their ideas. In his speech to prevent those who wanted to industrialize and drill oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, President Jimmy Carter can be seen using many of the common argumentative techniques, such as logos, pathos, and ethos, to convince his audience against the industrialization of the Refuge. To build his argument, the reader can see Carter use his personal experiences, historical evidence, and alternative options to support his claim.

Read More
643 Words | 3 Pages

As apparent in Document C, in which the quintessential “nuclear family” sits in a bunker, concerns about nuclear war stood at the front of the American ethos. This fear of nuclear war was also reflected in Document E, in which the question is posed of whether or not the “U.S. [should] take the first blow?” This question of “whether a policy of accepting the first blow may be the best one” became intertwined within the minds of the America people, heightening American fears. President Eisenhower, while addressing the issue of the Soviet Union and its subsequent tensions through nearly doubling “defense spending…of government spending” (Document H). However, the Eisenhower administration failed to successfully mollify these fears, apparent in the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, who pledged not to “dare to tempt [challenging nations] with weakness” (Document I).

Read More
943 Words | 4 Pages

Al Gore Jr. was the forty-fifth vice president of the U.S. and is well-known for his environmental advocacy work and his famous writings on environmental issues (Weisser 101). In his article “Climate of Denial”, he describes how the world is very uneducated on the environmental issues of today. Through his article, he uses ethos, pathos, and logos to make his point. He also clearly expresses his purpose, the conflict, and his audience. Despite these proficient skills, if we unveil the true Al Gore, we will witness a man driven for greed, wealth, and power.

Read More
535 Words | 3 Pages

Through the analysis of the numerous arguments that we have read throughout the course, I have learned how to effectively catch logical fallacies in arguments. Although the use of appeals was a review from high school, I had trouble telling the difference and distinguishing which appeal was which. I have learned how to differentiate and distinguish emotional from rational rom ethical appeals in literary works. I was able to apply what I’ve learned to the presidential debates, which shed light on the candidates’ arguments. I learned that using fallacies can be dangerous, especially in an important event.

Read More
1640 Words | 7 Pages

Chernobyl, Ukraine. April 26, 1986. A nuclear reactor had exploded due to poorly trained workers and a badly executed monitoring procedure. It took over 600,000 emergency workers and firefighters to end the madness. By the end, 63,000 square miles of land were impacted and could not be used for crops.

Read More
607 Words | 3 Pages

Nuclear power produces fewer carbon emissions than traditional energy sources because energy is not produced by burning molecules but splitting atoms. ‘An energy mix including nuclear power has the lowest impact on wildlife and Ecosystems’ as shown by a Conservation Biology paper. Consequently, greenhouse gas emissions have reduced by nearly half which shows the benefits and popularity of nuclear power use. Nuclear power has many environmental benefits such as small waste production, leaves no adverse effect on water, land or any habitats. By reducing fossil fuel consumption and switching to Nuclear Energy, we will sustain the environment, quality of air, improving the overall quality of

Read More
850 Words | 4 Pages

Prompt One: Often times when the story of the Manhattan Project is told, one hears the government and scientist side of the story that focuses on the success of the project. While focusing on the success shortcomings that the project faced is often omitted from the creation of American atomic bomb. The novel, Plutopia, reveals a rare side of the Manhattan narrative that shows the hazards and difficulties faced while undergoing research and development, especially at the expense of the blue-collar workers. Brown also tells a unique narrative, as she includes the Soviet experience in their atomic project and labels it as a story connected to the American one, whose projects moved forward in tandem.    Kate Brown offers an inside perspective

Read More
884 Words | 4 Pages

In 1962, Rachel Carson, author of the book, “Silent Spring” paints the image of a disgusting world filled with contamination that is not too far away for the citizens of America in 1962. A world filled with waste and chemicals due to the lack of knowledge that humankind has about the environment would hurt the air, Earth, rivers, and seas, causing both the environment and the human race to be in danger. Carson idealizes change in the environment through use of an abundance of rhetorical devices. Carson utilizes devices such as, imagery, logos, pathos through childhood, compare contrast organization, and shifts in persona. By using rhetorical devices, Carson reveals the truth about the contamination and waste in the environment.

Read More
1041 Words | 5 Pages

The first of which is where he starts his argument, and he uses a pathos appeal to get the audience thinking about the current state of the climate. He says, the accumulated amount of man-made, global warming pollution that is up in the atmosphere now traps as much extra heat energy as would be released by 400,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs exploding every 24 hours, 365 days a year” (Gore). Not only that a ridiculous amount of energy, but by making a connection to a tragic, massive killing like the one at Hiroshima, he appeals to the listeners’ fears, and grabbing their attention. The contrast between the answer to this question and the next ones that follow is very distinct, as he is positive the rest of the

Read More
812 Words | 4 Pages

As America entered and went through dark economic tensions, President Kennedy strived for stable prices and wages. After the largest steel companies raised steel prices by 3.5 percent, Kennedy gave a speech in response. In the speech, Kennedy calls out the steel companies for actions that were “wholly unjustifiable” and “irresponsibly defiant” to the American people. He appeals to the audience’s emotion, uses repetition, and applies logic to achieve his goal in persuading the companies to lower steel prices.

Read More
1919 Words | 8 Pages

Despite the fact that the goal of these reactors is to supersede fossil fuel energy, moral concerns emerge about whether or not this is the

Read More
3678 Words | 15 Pages

Nuclear energy may be the solution that eliminates our concern for energy production in the future, but it still remains a huge issue for the environment. Despite its wide use in many developed countries, nuclear energy poses many threats to both the

Read More
463 Words | 2 Pages

Although Nuclear Power plants look like they are polluting, their not. Nuclear Power Plants do not emit air pollutants. In fact, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) states that Nuclear Energy is America’s largest emission-free source of energy, producing

Read More
944 Words | 4 Pages

Nuclear energy is something that we`ve all heard about. It carries risk and potential. When an atom (Uranium and Plutonium in nuclear power plants) is bombarded by neutrons, it can be split, causing fission. This fission releases more neutrons, which causes a chain reaction. Nuclear power plants use this use the heat that is created by fission to heat water that spins their turbines (“Nuclear Energy”).

Read More

More about Helen Cadicott Nuclear Power Is Not The Answer Summary

Related Topics

Open Document