Heinrichs and Carson Readings

I feel the start of the first chapter shows a deliberate use of pathos, as the audience at the time was led to believe that this situation could happen to anyone at anytime. This represented the heart of America; striking at America meant an attack on our pride. Logos is used throughout the argument, using knowledge of Strontium 90 and other types of pollution to persuade the reader that the author knows the subject matter well enough to formulate a reasonable opinion. A commonplace employed was the view that the public had about nuclear weapons. The audience at the time would have feared a nuclear attack from our enemies at the time; annihilation by these non-conventional weapons was a shared fear here in the United States. Something that I might point out was the Dust Bowl from the 30s. The desire to expand farms and produce more and more is part of what led to this national disaster. Surely the audience at the time would have been knowledgeable of this from school or their parents. This would make the statement on overproduction (which in the 30s led to depletion of suitable topsoil) reasonable and relevant to the audience at the time.