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Dear Professor Garcia,

In this persuasive essay, I clearly demonstrated the presence of ethos, pathos, logos, and

Kairos. Firstly, I strived to establish ethos by presenting credible sources, such as state

regulations and university initiatives, to support my argument. I clearly stated the impacts of the

Cal Poly Campus Green Team and what they have done to increase sustainability efforts on

campus. By citing specific examples of partnerships with organizations like Cal Recycle and

highlighting Cal Poly's commitment to sustainability goals, I aimed to advocate for the change

that the Cal Poly community has made to be more environmentally friendly and make less of a

carbon footprint. I used sources directly from Cal Poly sustainability websites and peer reviewed

websites from Kennedy Library One Search to further back up my argument.

Furthermore, I employed pathos by appealing to the emotions and values of the reader.

Through poignant quotes from environmentalist Margaret Mead and vivid descriptions of the

environmental impacts of poor waste management practices. My goal was to evoke empathy and

concern for the urgency of addressing these issues. But it was a persuasive essay so I included

more ethos to validate my claims and impact the readers’ view on sustainability and how Cal

Poly and similar universities are trying to make a change. By emphasizing the importance of

individual actions and the collective responsibility we share in safeguarding our planet for future

generations, I aimed to inspire a sense of moral obligation and drive to take action.

In terms of logos, I employed logical reasoning and evidence-based arguments to support

my thesis. By providing statistics on waste diversion rates and greenhouse gas emissions, as well

as outlining concrete initiatives and programs implemented by Cal Poly, I aimed to demonstrate
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the practical benefits and feasibility of adopting sustainable waste management practices.

Through logical appeals, I sought to convince the reader of the efficacy and necessity of

embracing these solutions.

Lastly, I incorporated Kairos by contextualizing my argument within the current socio-

political and environmental climate. By acknowledging the growing public awareness and

concern surrounding environmental issues, as well as the evolving legislative and technological

landscape, I aimed to underscore the timeliness and relevance of my advocacy for sustainable

waste management practices at Cal Poly. By seizing the opportune moment to advocate for

change, I sought to galvanize action and momentum towards a greener and more sustainable

future.

In conclusion, through my use of ethos, pathos, logos and kairos, I effectively influenced

the readers perspective on waste management at Cal Poly. If the reader had a thought that Cal

Poly wasn’t doing a great job disposing of waste, after they read this essay, hopefully they are

persuaded in the other direction. I believe that my essay effectively demonstrates my

development of ethos, pathos, logos, and kairos in advocating for sustainable waste management

practices at Cal Poly.

Sincerely,

Jaden Peck
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Jaden Peck

English 134

Professor Garcia

22 February, 2024

A Sustainable Shift: Cal Poly’s Evolution in Waste Management

Poor waste management practices have cast a looming shadow over the global landscape,

leaving a trail of detrimental impacts on the environment and human health. From overflowing

landfills to plastic-filled oceans, our actions have severe consequences that will continue to

negatively impact our precious earth if we don’t fix them within the next few years. Trying to

“save the earth” can be daunting and it’s hard to see individual impacts, however, we need to

start somewhere. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change

the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead. The effort and

commitment of one citizen can change the minds of everyone else around them about whatever

they're trying to change. This state is full of individuals, companies, and universities that are

trying to do just that to make a change in the states impact on global warming. One of these

states is California. The improved waste management policies in California over the last couple

of years have set an example for other states to improve theirs as well. Waste management has

undergone significant improvements in California to help improve the local environmental

conditions and to decrease the states contributions to global warming. This has been driven by

increased public awareness, advancements in technology, and more state regulations. An

example of this are programs that the state is acquiring. They have partnered with Cal Recycle to

develop a variety of tools to help jurisdictions and businesses develop their commercial recycling

programs. They have additionally implemented disaster guidelines which prepare these
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jurisdictions for dealing with disastrous waste. This ensures public safety and enhancement of

waste policies that will help the state stay cleaner. Furthermore, the big universities in California

are holding up their waste management and sustainability standards as well. At California

Polytechnic State University, situated in the serene city of San Luis Obispo, waste management

is a critical aspect of campus sustainability efforts. They aim to divert waste from landfills and

promote recycling and composting practices among students, faculty, and staff. With ongoing

efforts and community engagement, Cal Poly continues to lead by example in sustainable waste

management practices, inspiring positive change and contributing to a healthier, greener future

for generations to come.

With its commitment to environmental stewardship and innovative solutions, Cal Poly

seeks to minimize its ecological footprint through various projects by waste sustainability groups

throughout the campus. An excellent example of this is the Cal Poly Green Campus Program

who oversee the energy, utilities, and sustainability departments on campus. The individuals who

manage and lead this team are all students. They have done many past projects such as

RecycleMania where colleges across the nation compete to see who can divert the most waste

from the landfill. The Green Campus program also provides sustainable consultations to on-

campus residents that aim to educate the Cal Poly community to “live more consciously and

reduce Cal Poly’s energy, water, and waste.”(Green Campus Program) One of the most

important current programs is the “Shut the Sash” project that educates current students about the

importance of shutting the sash on the fume hoods in the Baker Center for Science building.

When the sashes are left open, each fume hood can consume as much energy as 3.5 homes (Cal

Poly Green Campus Program). Therefore, closing sashes is a crucial step towards reducing

energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Just to be extra safe, Cal Poly has placed magnets

on each fume hood in the building to make sure students shut it effectively. Another impactful
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project is the “Slow the Flow challenge” where all first year students participate in a water and

energy saving challenge. The residential community with the most significant water and energy

savings wins a grand prize provided by the Inter Housing Council, which sparks a little

competition within these communities. These sustainability programs and plans made possible

by the Campus Green Team are very effective as they aim to conserve precious resources such as

water and energy and eliminate waste in the most impactful and effective way possible.

Cal Poly Campus Green Team

In addition to current projects, Cal Poly also has committed to a few goals that follow

CSU’s sustainability policy. These goals include reducing landfill-bound waste to 50 percent of

total campus waste by 2030, divert at least 80% by 2040 (Cal Poly Zero Waste Program), and

move towards zero waste by increasing the amount of recycling and composting bins around

campus. They can also modify products to be recyclable and compostable instead of plastic to
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decrease the amount of landfill bound waste. The university has always been effective in waste

management but has made even more of an impact in the past few years. In 2019 and 2020, 80

percent of all campus trash was diverted from the landfill which is a big achievement. But how

did they accomplish this? CSU defines zero waste as “managing products, services, and

processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume of waste and materials, conserve and

recover all resources, and not burn or bury them”(Cal Poly Sustainability and Campus Action).

This Zero Waste policy ensures that the university is maximizing recycling, minimizing as much

waste as possible, reducing consumption, and ensuring that all products that are made can be

reused or recycled back into nature or back to the marketplace. Zero waste is all about changing

the products beforehand to eliminate waste instead of dealing with the waste after it is used. This

step requires “...redesigning products and processes to eliminate waste before it happens” (Cal

Poly Zero Waste Program). This is the most efficient way Cal Poly can transition to a green

campus. Furthermore, it’s not just about the regulations that CSU is putting in place or the

programs by the Green Campus Group, it’s also about the change the students are creating on

campus. Cal Poly students have demonstrated strong interest in improving Zero Waste efforts

and recycling on campus. They have made efforts to increase knowledge and awareness about

waste management. One of their goals is to create awareness about reducing the amount of

single-use containers used in campus dining and stores and recommend reusable alternatives

such as bringing your own reusable bag or straw. “Decreasing the amount of one-use packaging

around campus can also be very beneficial for sustainability,” one of the students said. Doing the

little things like getting a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones can spread

awareness and inspire more students around campus to pick up these good habits. These

individual actions to sustainability made by Cal Poly students are important to becoming a

greener campus.
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Cal Poly has made great strides toward sustainability but more could be done. The

university could ban all single use plastic on campus. Whether that is using paper straws instead

of plastic straws by Jamba Juice and other vendors, using less packaging products made with

plastic or using more compostable packaging, these slight changes can make an impact on efforts

to becoming greener and set an example for other universities.

Climate action has become a crucial part in the university‘s initiative to become greener.

Climate action refers to the efforts taken to combat climate change and its impacts. Cal Poly has

a great goal in mind which is to be carbon neutral by 2050. They said that “Total greenhouse gas

emissions in 2017 were 17 percent below 2015 levels, and 20 percent below 1990 levels despite

the campus doubling in building square footage and on-campus residency since that time.”(Cal

Poly Climate Planning and Resilience). The levels of greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing at

an exceedingly rapid rate which shows how advanced Cal Poly is in acting to reduce their carbon

emissions. Energy conservation efforts have also been increased. They have decreased energy

intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a given level of output) by 3 percent since 2016–

17 and 23 percent lower than 10 years ago (Cal Poly Climate Planning and Resilience). The

university’s water conservation, zero waste efforts, and improved agricultural practices have

further reduced carbon emissions by the university. Cal Poly is making efforts to save energy all

around campus to ensure sustainability. Additionally, with the increased rainfall in the northwest,

they have improved their hydroelectric generation and decreased the energy needed from the

Pacific Gas & Electric CO in 2017, which resulted in 79 percent of Cal Poly’s electricity

purchases coming from carbon-free sources, up from 59 percent two years ago (Cal Poly Climate

Planning and Resilience). These are incredible sustainability efforts moving from carbon energy

sources to renewable energy. But the greatest challenge Cal Poly faces on its path to carbon

neutrality is transforming the way commuters get to and from campus, as commuting accounts
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for nearly half of total campus carbon emissions. (Cal Poly Climate Planning and Resilience.)

The Transportation and Parking Services department implemented numerous initiatives to reduce

emissions from commuting, including prohibiting cars for freshmen living on campus, the

addition of bike racks, expansion of the Zipcar program and limiting the number of parking

permits. This is a very difficult area for the country to advance in because of the complexity and

variables involved in moving to electric cars. Cal Poly has done a great job with the initiative to

reduce emissions. They have also increased the number of bus routes to encourage public

transportation instead of cars. These efforts will ultimately set an example for other universities

in the state and country and hopefully move towards a sustainable future.

Overall, from the bustling academic buildings to the scenic outdoor spaces, waste

management initiatives are seamlessly integrated into campus life, fostering a culture of

environmental responsibility and collective action. Cal Poly is quickly becoming an efficient

eco-friendly community for everyone to enjoy. Their steps to become sustainable such as their

efforts to fund programs, follow regulations, and implement Zero Waste practices will lead this

university towards a sustainable future for generations to come.

Sources:

• Briens, Elysa C.M., et al. “Assessing Sustainability Knowledge for Undergraduate

Students in Different Academic Programs and Settings.” International Journal of

Sustainability in Higher Education, Emerald Publishing Limited, 28 June 2022,

www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJSHE-10-2021-0455/full/html.

• California, State of. “Waste Diversion Program Implementation.” CalRecycle Home

Page, calrecycle.ca.gov/lgcentral/programs/. Accessed 29 Feb. 2024.

• “Climate Planning and Resilience.” Climate Planning - Sustainability - Cal Poly,

afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/campus-action/climate-resilience/. Accessed 26 Feb. 2024.

• “The Cal Poly Green Campus Team.” Cal Poly Green Campus - Sustainability - Cal

Poly, afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/student/green-

campus#:~:text=Green%20Living%20Certified%20Programs,energy%2C%20water%2C

%20and%20waste. Accessed 22 Feb. 2024.

• “Zero Waste.” Zero Waste - Sustainability - Cal Poly,

afd.calpoly.edu/sustainability/campus-action/zero-waste/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2024.

Final Reflection:
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1. Describe one of your process artifacts and explain how it shows evidence of your progress

towards one of the following course learning outcomes:

o EO1 Explain how audience and rhetorical situation influence topic, genre, content, and style in

composing effective written communications.

EO1 is important because it changes the style of your writing to address the audiences

opinions or who your audience is in general. Different written communications are meant for

different audiences. A different genre for example, can give you a totally different audience that

you have to account for. The rhetorical situation changed because the topic and genre changed a

lot. It is now about more ethos to back up your main argument to make it more credible and

validated.

2. You wrote a persuasive essay, a type (or genre) of essay that many writers have written before

you. Describe the writing techniques and rhetorical strategies of this genre as you understand

them. What are some of the typical moves that writers make when working in this genre? How

did these genre moves support your discussion of an issue that is important to you and your

community?

The writing techniques were about persuading your audience to be on your side of the

issue. The rhetorical strategies were mostly ethos and pathos because I had to use information

from other sources to validate my argument that I was making. Some moves that the writer

makes would be to also include pathos to persuade your reader and get them in their feels about

your topic. These genre moves supported my discussion of the sustainability and waste

management practices of Cal Poly because I had to gather more information to help back up my

point. I felt like a lot of ethos had to go into my argument for it to be effective.
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3. What is the strongest part of your final draft? Explain why. What is the weakest part? If you

could revise this essay again, what would you like to change? Explain why.

The strongest part of my final draft would be the pathos I used at the beginning of the

essay to grab the readers attention and also my ethos was very clear and concise so that it related

and backed up my argument in a beneficial way and helped move the argument along. If I could

revise this essay again I would add more detail on what other students have done to make our

university sustainable and eco-friendly.