Johnson and Haubursin

Johnson

The author of Nuclear Green and the End of Power” from Romancing the Atom is Robert R. Johnson.  He is a professor of rhetoric, composition, and technical communication at Michigan Technological University. He is the author of User-Centered Technology: A Rhetorical Theory for Computers and Other Mundane Artifacts.

The hazard/risk Johnson is trying to discuss is how individuals view nuclear radiation, and how this atomic mindset has taken hold in society and is affecting how nuclear energy is being viewed in the present day throughout the world.

Johnson’s research methods include, “personal narratives of those involved, documents from the government archives, several photographs of the cleanup itself, and most importantly, excerpts from the town meetings that told the stories of those affected by the milling site and their successful calls for action” (Johnson). He draws upon statements by politicians, media spokespeople, energy experts, and other outspoken advocates for nuclear power.

Johnson’s primary point about the risk is that people are all believing the faulty assumptions that the nuclear power industry should be labeled “nuclear green”. He claims that “the advancing of nuclear power by certain powerful individuals has turned the tables from fear and skepticism toward an unreflective optimism that, in turn, reflects our romance with the atom once again” (Johnson). He is arguing that nuclear energy is being thought of again as this great thing for society when in reality people are ignoring the real facts and dangers associated with it. This is shown through the nuclear green enthymeme example. Nuclear energy is in fact not green, cheap, safe, or disposed of correctly.

Johnson gives a “short lesson” on rhetoric, in order to prove his point about the discussion of atomic energy and how green it really is. He discusses a writing structure called an enthymeme, which implies a common understanding (or shared premise) that can result in an illegitimate premise. For example, Nuclear power does not produce CO2 emissions. Therefore, nuclear power is green” (Johnson). Because it is missing valuable information regarding the disadvantages/consequences of nuclear energy, this leads to people believing nuclear energy is perfectly safe and efficient for the environment and one’s health. By including this tutorial/example, Johnson is appealing to logos to prove his point and persuade readers into understanding both sides of the argument of whether nuclear energy is green or not. He goes on to include evidence of how nuclear energy production is actually quite time-consuming, expensive, and dangerous.

Haubursin

Christophe Haubursin is a video producer for Vox, which is an American news and opinion website. He produces those videos through scripting, animating, and editing. He makes videos about culture and design. He attended Northwestern University in Illinois.

The hazard/risk Haubursin is discussing is how the meaning behind a toxic biohazard symbol should be universal and able to stand the test of time. This idea is applied on a global scale.

The research method used to produce this video is secondary research, including points of views and claims made by philosophers, scientists, and authors who are knowledgable in the subject of visual risk and biohazards.

The video is saying that the hazard discussed (meaning of the symbol) must be well understood throughout the world. The point about this risk is that how over several years, many visuals/symbols that originally had one a dangerous connotation, can morph into a less dangerous connotation. An example of this is the skull and crossbones symbol that once meant death and poison, but then became associated with pirates and treasure. Therefore, a new approach is needed to effectively warn people globally, while preserving the meaning of the symbol for generations to come.

The language the author uses to discuss the hazard is that he repeats the phrase “memorable but meaningless”. This saying from Charles Baldwin, an environmental health engineer, displays how the symbol must stand out and be memorable while having no meaning. This phrase holds a meaning of importance because of the grand scale of how many people need to be familiar with the meaning of the symbol. This example of language shows a sense of repetition because he reiterates the idea of “memorable but meaningless” several times throughout the video.