Question

Read the excerpt from E.O. Wilson’s “The Environmental Ethic.”

Why should we care? What difference does it make if some species are extinguished, if even half of all the species on earth disappear? Let me count the ways. New sources of scientific information will be lost. Vast potential biological wealth will be destroyed. Still undeveloped medicines, crops, pharmaceuticals, timber, fibers, pulp, soil-restoring vegetation, petroleum substitutes, and other products and amenities will never come to light. It is fashionable in some quarters to wave aside the small and obscure, the bugs and weeds, forgetting that an obscure moth from Latin America saved Australia’s pastureland from overgrowth by cactus, that the rosy periwinkle provided the cure for Hodgkin’s disease and childhood lymphocytic leukemia, that the bark of the Pacific yew offers hope for victims of ovarian and breast cancer, that a chemical from the saliva of leeches dissolves blood clots during surgery, and so on down a roster already grown long and illustrious despite the limited research addressed to it.

Which techniques does Wilson use in this excerpt to convey important information to his readers?
Wilson uses humorous anecdotes that make the information more interesting.
Wilson uses metaphors that appeal to a wide range of the reader’s senses.
Wilson relates the significance of the information directly to the reader’s life.
Wilson refers to empirical statistics to relate the importance of his message.

Answer 1

E.O. Wilson relates the significance of biodiversity directly to readers' lives and refers to empirical examples to emphasize the practical and ethical importance of preserving biodiversity.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the excerpt from E.O. Wilson’s “The Environmental Ethic,” Wilson uses a variety of techniques to convey important information to his readers. He primarily relates the significance of the information directly to the reader’s life by illustrating the tangible benefits that biodiversity provides, such as medicines, crops, and other valuable resources that have been sourced from a diverse range of species. Moreover, Wilson refers to empirical and real-world examples, such as the use of chemicals from salivary glands of leeches in medicine, to anchor his argument in established facts. These examples serve to illustrate the practical importance of biodiversity and its impact on human welfare, which ties into ethical considerations regarding conservation and environmental responsibility. This approach is aligned with the broader conservation ethos advocated by figures such as Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson, emphasizing humanity's ethical duty to preserve natural diversity.

Answer 2

The correct option is this WILSON RELATES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INFORMATION DIRECTLY TO THE READER'S LIFE.

In the excerpt given above, Wilson was talking about the importance of preserving the diverse species of plants and animals that exist in the environment. Wilson decided to make his points effective by relating the importance of having these species around directly to his readers. He narrated to his readers the plants and animals species that have been of tremendous help to human health, thus, making them see the importance of preserving these species.