Environmental issues Essay

The Greenpeace. org website is an effective tool that calls environmental activists to action around the globe. This essay will demonstrate how the website effectively uses content, design, and visuals to achieve its objectives. The central purpose of the website is to get people involved and taking action to solve issues that negatively affect the planet. The main argument presented by www. Greenpeace. org is that ‘this fragile Earth deserves a voice. It needs solutions. It needs change. It needs action†. This argument is effectively followed up by examples of the earth being threatened by highlighting issues about energy, politics and big business. The description of each environmental issue uses pathos, logos and ethos to persuade activists. The stories that illustrate the need for action are driven by pathos which appeals to the human emotion to compel people to take action. All stories have used visuals to appeal to activists. The pictures and images are a critical part of the argument being effective. When you see something you care about in danger it is more moving than just text. A great example of moving visuals is the cute baby monkey pictured right above the ‘donate to Greenpeace’ button. The use of logos through the use of facts and figures in the website successfully back up the claim that the earth needs help. What adds further credibility to the significant amount of statistics on the website are the links to national websites which provide a more local view of the issues. The overall design of the website is seamless. Every page integrates content and visuals to highlight a range of pressing environmental issues and call for action. The home page is organized and packed full of content with a lot of images used. My firstl impression is that the homepage is too busy but it does give people the choice of what they are interested in. The color scheme is very attractive with the bright green color attracting visitors to areas of interest. The site effectively uses large font for headlines to draw attention also using different font colors for different sections. In terms of ethos the tone is appropriate in that it conveys authority on the subject while still maintaining a down to earth approach that conveys to the reader; we are in this together. The paragraphs are concise and broken up for easy reading and the writer reaches out to the reader to keep them engaged. The website is updated regularly with a daily blog. One of the most effective aspects of the greenpeace. org website is its clear and multiple calls for action on every issue mentioned on the website. For each major story there are two links one is ‘Support Us’ and the other is ‘Take Action’. On the homepage alone there are eight calls for action. The visual argument effectiveness of the greenpeace. org website has a high impact since it personalizes the issues that increase the probability of activists taking action. The website used a wide variety of tools such as video clips, photos, interactive maps, webcams, discussion forums and even Greenpeace TV. The visuals are used mostly to attach feelings and emotions to the issues for example a video clip of an interview with a farmer affected by the destruction of the Amazon forest is a powerful way to convince people to help this farmer and others like him and take action. On each page there is a picture of either an animal or a child asking the reader to take action and help them before it’s too late. Overall the Greenpeace. org website is a highly effective website that inspires and motivates activists and every day citizens to take action to address environmental issues. The design, content and visuals of the pages within the website all support the central argument that the earth is fragile and action is needed to help it before it is too late.