Rhetorical Analysis Critical Thinking Example

An article published in Discover Magazine warns environmentalists about bats dying in large numbers in wind farms, mistaking the tall wind turbines with massive spinning blades for harmless trees to spend the night on. The author of the article Elizabeth Preston employs many rhetorical elements, including some proven research findings of biologists, to inform readers –mainly researchers, wind farm companies, the government and the general public of the huge number of bat corpses found below wind turbines, and persuade the technology-driven scientific community to triumph in a more reasonable and caring way.
The article begins with a touching survival tip to the bats -“hanging around machines with giant rotating blades is dangerous.” The author affirms the consequence of not adhering to the survival tip by citing recent video footages from many wind farms in the U.S. and Canada. Preston applies the fact that it is difficult to estimate the loss of bat population since they live long and reproduce slowly as a logical rhetoric to convince the scientific fraternity, who are more interested in research data than mere statements. Throughout the article the writer cites findings of Paul Cyran, a Research Biologist, by adopting state of the art research techniques, a well employed ethical appeal to woo the readers. Cyran’s research established that bats of a particular species were mostly victimized by the monstrous spinning blades of wind turbines. Emphasizing the need to stop bat death even though the danger is not evenly spread out, Preston conveniently quotes an emotional appeal of Cyran – “we might or might not have the luxury of time” to save the bats if the matter is not taken seriously.
According to the author, bats are attracted toward the killer wind turbines because the air flow from the turbines appeared to them like air currents they feel while sheltering on cliffs or trees, a clever scientific analogy adopted to persuade the scientific fraternity. Preston also cites recommendations of Cyran to the wind mill companies to make arrangements to scare away bats through noise and other stimuli. She ends the article by concluding that till now the spinning turbines have been succeeding over the poor bats and wishing it does not necessarily be the end of the story, an intended rhetoric antimetabole, to give the reader hope.