Rhetorical Analysis Of Al Gore's 'Climate Of Denial'

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. In Al Gore’s article “Climate of Denial”, despite the fact that he uses rhetorical appeals, his argument is neither convincing nor effective.
Gore makes the appeal to ethics through his experience

Gore was the vice president of the United States. He is looked up to by the country. If one simply reads his articles, one would make him out to be a very convincing person. He is credible. He seems passionate about the future of our world. He uses sources and evidence to back up his arguments. But if we are to be truly knowledgeable on this topic, we must dig further. Al Gore is not what he says he is. In fact, he is a hypocrite. He doesn’t abide by his ideals. “…while he campaigns for Americans to curtail their electricity use — you should take cold showers, forego air conditioning and dry your clothes on a clothesline — Gore is plugging in and turning on more than ever” (Milloy 2008). Why does this matter? It matters because it proves that just because people may have efficiently use modes of persuasion, clearly communicate with their audience, evoke emotion in their readers, and apply credible evidence, it does not mean that they are true. And this was just the case with Gore. A good writer, but a hypocrite. Convincing speaker, but not effective. The hero of the environmental debate? Yet he doesn’t care at