"Why Bother?"

In "Why Bother?"from the New York Times Magazine, author, Michael Pollan, immediately asks his readers this very question. He asks individuals to really ponder the effects of climate change, what we can actually "do" about it, and if it will even make any difference in the long run. Pollan admits this is a difficult question for many to answer including himself, but he begins to delve into the reasoning and structure behind his opinion and thought process of being economically and socially green and what it takes. Pollan argues that making small changes in your life isn't enough. Why? Because according to the author not everyone is doing it, such as Pollan's "evil twin, some carbon footprint doppelganger in Shanghai or Chongqing" (89), and even if these changes are put into effect (like eating locally and walking to work) they may have no effect whatsoever. Pollan believes that only through a combination of small changes in everyday living, laws established by politicians, and money doled out from anywhere available will an effect really resonate across the globe. He uses the strategy of logos to support his argument, such as a percentage graph of people by country that view global warming as a "very serious" problem and a statistic that states "consumer spending represents 70% of our economy" (90). Pollan writes that he thinks consumers feel helpless to do anything about our current "predicament" (90) because cheap energy has caused "industrial civilization" to become so "specialized" (91) with "divisions of labor being our connection to everyday actions" (91). Pollan's final word on the matter is that if one person decides to bother they can make a difference in their society and influence others to set off a "viral social change" (93). He suggests taking actions such as, abstaining from economic activity one day a week, planting a garden, or giving up imported meat.

Work Cited: Pollan, Michael. "Why Bother?" New York Times Magazine 20 Apr 2008: 19+. Rpt. in The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing. John D. Ramage, John C. Bean, and June Johnson. 6th ed. New York: Pearson, 2012. 88-94. Print.