Bill Mckibben: Rhetorical Analysis

Bill McKibben is considered to be America’s first environmentalist activist. His project 350.org works to spread awareness of climate change around the world. Without his push to end projects such as the Keystone Pipeline, the planet would quickly reach the uninhabitable state he fears. While it’s too late to reverse the damages already done, he encourages everyone to do their part to keep the world from getting any worse. His efforts, along with activists around the world, have successfully divested $2.6 trillion in oil drilling funds, and while the few oil companies are still hanging on by a thread with support from large private businesses or people like the Koch family, clean sources of energy are becoming increasingly popular in the

I had no idea just one degree celsius caused the oceans to grow thirty percent more acidic and melt the world's largest ice caps. I always thought temperature fluctuated so regularly on a day to day basis that there would be no reason for one degree worldwide to make such a huge impact. I really enjoyed how Bill McKibben didn’t try and overwhelm the audience with the science behind why global warming is such a large problem. He explained it in a way that was easy to understand and made it clear that our habits needed to change in a concise manner. I also found it refreshing that he was looking out for the younger population rather than trying to recruit them for his cause. I had never considered that once you reach the age of retirement, there’s not really a whole lot the police can do about it and they would be more willing to invest their full self into it. As a college student, it’s daunting to be a part of something where you might get arrested and potentially ruin your chance of success in the future. This isn’t to say he excludes young people completely; he encourages their support, but in less illegal ways. I found his presentation on climate change to be engaging and helped me see ways I could help in a small way to make a big