The constant battle between wanting to protect and save the numerous amount of species in danger with a finite government budget plagues modern society. The increases in environmental change, as well as the harm that human beings are causing the planet and the environment makes this struggle of which species to save a growing problem, especially in a struggling economy. Michelle Niijhuis brings attention to the topic of conservation triage in both of her articles, “Which Species Will Live?” and “Conservation Triage.” Conservation triage is “based loosely on the medical term triage, a decision-making system used by battlefield medics since the Napoleonic Wars.” This term speaks of making difficult decisions based on what is best for the greater good. Niijhuis speaks about the individual value of species and the importance that all have on an ecosystem, but with limited funds, conservationists have to pick and choose their battles wisely. They have to choose which species are more important based on the role they serve and what they can do for society.
Niijhuis discusses many similar topics in both articles, however her tone is different in each. In “Which Species Will Live?,” she addresses her audience with a tone of urgency, laying out the facts and backing up her evidence with words from many different, well-known environmental groups, like the Zoological Society of London, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the New Zealand Department of Conservation, and references many well known environmental laws such as the Endangered Species Act. Also, she provides the reader with fact upon fact about how the environment has changed over the course of the past 30 years and the measures government has taken to attempt to restore the balance of nature. The appeals to logos and ethos, and the tone of urgency and danger, pertain to a reader who is aware of many of the environmental hazards that our society has faced. Through the facts, she attempts to persuade the reader to become more involved.
In her article, “Conservation Triage,” Niijhuis takes a softer approach and develops her points through the idea of the
“ark, ” referencing Noah’s Ark. This is a well-known story and relates to readers who aren’t as aware of many of the environmental dangers that exist in the world today. She asks the reader to think about making the decision on which animals to take. “You’ve got a boat—oh, let’s just make it an ark, shall we?—and you can load it with any kind of animals you like. The species you coax on board will probably make it through climate change. The ones you leave on shore probably won’t. While you can choose your passengers, there are limits: Put too many critters in the ark and the whole thing, you included, will start to sink.” This idea entices the reader by allowing him or her to make the decision, putting them in a place of power and helping to provide the reader with the issues that everyday conservationists face about saving various species. She also explains that many species survive because of the purpose they serve society and mankind, since they are ultimately the ones who decide which will live. Through the use of this analogy, Niijhuis demonstrates the idea of conservation tillage to someone who may not know much about the conservation.It forces “professionals—and, indirectly, voters and taxpayers—to make difficult, emotional decisions, but give them some reassurance that those decisions are for the greater good.” She also adds facts, to appeal to logos, about acts that were passed to save to environment, and mentions big names when it comes to envioromentalists and conservstion groups, like Tim Male, a vice president at Defenders of Wildlife.
Both articles make the reader aware of the issues going on within the environment, but do so in different ways. “Conservation Triage” is targeted at a less knowledgeable reader and “Which Species Will Live?” is aimed at a reader who is aware of what is going on. While using different tones and methods, both articles convey the same message and successfully enlighten the reader about issues, while persuading him or her to become active in fixing this world-wide plague.
WRT 102.22: Science & Society 