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The ozone layer is an important layer for the protection of earth against harmful UVB
radiation. The hole in the ozone layer found in the Antarctica made scientist and people aware of
the harmful manmade pollutants that were causing its depletion. This created awareness, causing
a treaty known as the Montreal Protocol to be signed towards the protection and against the
release of harmful pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons. Even though this has made the size of
the ozone hole decrease, many other pollutants are still being released that are a potential harm
towards the ozone layer. This issue is addressed by two genres in which they inform and
advocate on the problem of the release of pollutants and the protection of the ozone layer.
Rinkesh online article, Ozone Layer and Causes, Effects and Solutions to Ozone Depletion,
explains the importance of the ozone layer, its causes and effects for its depletion, as well as
solutions. The YouTube video by TomoNews US, Ozone depletion: China pollution ruins
America effort to reduce ozone levels-complication, talks about how China’s release of ozone
producing nitrous oxide emissions have become a problem towards the effort to decrease the
ozone layer and many other topics in regard to ozone depletion. These genres will be analyzed
Both genres vary on the way they are structured and how they deliver the information.
The video delivers most of the information through audio and visuals, while still incorporating
some text. The video is structured in four parts, an introduction of Ozone and China’s problem,
to “Ozone hole shrinks to smallest since 1988”, to “The atmosphere’s stocked with killer ozone
chemicals”, and ends with talking about four new gases. Providing different types of information
that is still relevant to the main point, which in this case is ozone depletion. This layout allows
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the information to be organized within what the information is about. Such like the facts about
china and their release of pollutants being set apart from the information about the ozone hole,
while still being relevant towards the topic of ozone depletion. The video is short, limited on
time, and also limited on the amount of space it has for text, providing only a few facts using
text. The audience are those who watch small fast videos who are looking for information or to
simply acquire knowledge about the environment. The visuals provided by the video are
cohesive with the audio that is being provided, and its layout is set in a way to convey their
message. The video starts by giving information about ozone levels, to what the ozone layer is,
and ends with new pollutants that are putting in danger the ozone layer. This layout is set in such
a way to convey its message that it provides its audience with good news, to bad news, to
alarming news. The YouTube video also includes several communication features that give the
video credibility and structure. It uses several images throughout, including colorful visuals. In
the first part of the video it provides the audience with images taken from space in different
years, in which the ozone hole is clearly described and explained in regard to its visible smaller
size. The video also uses formal language throughout and specialized vocabulary, such as polar
stratospheric clouds, which is explained as clouds that “encourage ozone eating chemical
reactions” (TomoNews US, 2017). The features allow the viewer to be more engaged on the
topic of ozone depletion and pollutants, and its formality allows credibility.
Unlike the video, the online article is differently structured, and its way of providing the
information is not based on visuals. Most of the information is being delivered in text and only
one image is included. The image being, just a picture of the earth with no facts or visual
representation of facts on or about the ozone layer. The space is limited by the addition of ads on
the side and at the bottom of the page, including ads popping on the side. The layout of the text is
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in a column and the comment section is set below. Time is not a factor for the online article as
the author is not limited by it. The audience is those who are looking for information about the
environment and for those who don’t mid long texts of information. The layout for the online
article starts with the description of what the ozone layer is, following with its composition, its
importance, the causes of depletion, effects, and ending with solutions. This allows the
information to be organized, making it effective to deliver. Each section has its title in which the
font and color is different from the information, making it visually organized and easier to read.
The text is both formal and informal making the article lose some credibility.
The major difference between the video and the article is the way they deliver the text.
The video focuses mainly on visuals while the online article is focused on only text. Both genres
are organized in an effective way of delivering the information. The time constriction and the
The YouTube video by TomoNews US, Ozone depletion: China pollution ruins America
effort to reduce ozone levels-complication, is intended for those who care about the environment
and/or to those who watch informational videos such as news. The information presented by the
video is mostly for the purpose of informing the audience about the depletion of ozone and how
its depletion is being decreased and increased in today’s time. Besides its purpose to inform, it
also includes a general awareness against the use of toxic pollutants that are being released to the
atmosphere such as those found in pesticides, which are causing the breakdown of ozone
The online article is intended to those who want to gather more information or are
looking for information regarding the ozone layer. It is also intended for those who care about
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the environment (environmentalist). The article’s purpose is to inform the audience about the
importance of the ozone layer and the effects some human made chemicals are having in the
depletion of the ozone layer. The article is also trying to convince and encourage general
awareness against the use of pesticides, the decrease of number of vehicles in the road and the
Both the article and the video are trying to inform the audience about the causes of ozone
depletion. The video is focused mainly on informing the audience and gives a general overview
on the effects certain pollutants have on the ozone layer, while the article is both trying to inform
and persuade the audience to stop the use of certain chemicals that are found in everyday objects.
The video and article both target those who care about the environment, but the video is mainly
Rhetorical Appeals
Both genres use rhetorical appeals as a way to deliver the information to the audience
more effectively.
Ethos
The video’s facts and formal language create some sense of credibility. The sources of
the facts used in the video come from well-known organization (NASA, Nature Geoscience) that
dedicate their time to the research of the environment. Their mentioning creates credibility and
makes the audience have trust in the information that is being delivered.
Unlike the video, the online article uses facts but seems to add things from his own
opinion, losing credibility. The article does cite its information at the end, but doesn’t mention
where the facts are coming from when used in the article. This makes the audience lose
credibility towards the information he is giving. The article also includes a small comment about
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the author, Rinkesh. The comment doesn’t state any information on what he studied or if he has
any degree or study in the environment in regard to the atmosphere. This makes the author lose
much credibility.
Logos
The video uses several facts and the use of formal language creates a sense of credibility
throughout. The video uses facts in each section of the video, proving the source of which the
fact came from. For example, in the middle of the video, it states that according to NASA the
ozone hole decreased, but not because of a decrease of pollutants. This creates credibility and its
The article also includes facts such as, “The ozone has the capability to absorb almost 97-
99% of the harmful ultraviolet radiations that sun emit...” (Rinkesh, n.d.). The problem is that the
author does not state where the facts come from, but only states the references used at the end of
Pathos
The YouTube video uses a serious voice throughout making the audience feel scared and
worried. The music used in the video also creates a feeling of seriousness towards the audience.
The article on the other hand does use certain words such as suppression, essential, and
The videos use of these rhetorical appeals make the video have credibility and makes the
audience have trust in the information that is being provided. Unlike the article, which uses most
of these rhetorical appeals ineffectively, losing credibility. Both the video and the article use
logos in a way to provide credibility. They both differ in the way they used pathos, which was
Conclusion
Both genres achieved their purpose of delivering information about the ozone effectively.
The video was more effective at getting the information across using a short amount of time and
using the rhetorical appeals. The article on the other hand, used less formal language and didn’t
state where the information came from, making it lose credibility. The article’s choice of no
images of the ozone layer makes it harder for people to understand when they don’t have a clear
understanding of what the ozone layer is or its chemical composition. The video stated the
information clearly and gave visuals which helped in the interpretation of what the ozone layer is
and how its chemical composition plays an important part on its depletion.
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References
[TomoNews US]. (2017, Nov 13). Ozone depletion: China pollution ruins American effort to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpy6QFzcma0
Rinkesh, (n.d.). Ozone Layer and Causes, Effects and Solutions to Ozone Depletion. Retrieved
from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/ozone-layer-and-causes-of-ozone-
depletion.php