Eric Reece's book, Lost Mountain, provides many points for stopping mountain top removal. Throughout the chapters, Reece provides numerous tales of how mountain top removal is ruining the lives and communities of both wildlife and humans. The waste such as boulders from the removal of mountain tops, often called "fill material" thanks to changes in the wording of legislation, is discarded below the mountains into streams and on top of soil. (pg 28) This fill material can cause these streams to stop flowing and the soil to be unable to support life. The companies responsible for the mountain top removals are required by law to return the land to at least the same condition as it was before. (pg 38) It is described numerous times in the book how companies get around this by either planting some simple grass or using it for development of homes or businesses. Reece also discusses how trees are removed from not only the mountains, but also from the areas surrounding these mountains. The destruction of these forests ends all of the good they do. Forests store carbon, slow erosion, add organic matter to soil, stop flooding, purify creeks, and provides homes to wildlife. (pg 26) In comparison, Reece describes how coal from these mountain top removal sites goes to plants that cause "acid rain, smog, respiratory infections, asthma," lung disease, and thousands of deaths each year. (pg 25) The most interesting point for stopping mountain top removal I found in the book so far are two examples of cemeteries. One cemetery in eastern Kentucky is filled with members of the community who died due to the effects of the chemicals and waste from coal related businesses. It was stated that most of the people in the area do not live "past fifty-five". (pg 49) The tales surrounding the individuals resting in that cemetery caused me to look up at the light I have on as I am typing and feel ashamed for my part in the burning of coal. Law requires that the mountain top removal projects have to stay "one hundred feet from it". (pg 18) This causes cemeteries to sometimes be, as the book describes, "the only sign of life in a deeply depressing landscape." (pg 18)
The book also includes arguments for the continuation of mountain top removal. During a forum concerning mountain top removal, the president of the Kentucky Coal Association discusses his views on continuing the operation. He discusses the large amount of coal removed, the billions of dollars in revenue made from this coal, how the coal is mostly sold out of state, the lower numbers of employment required for mountain top removal, and the cheap cost of electricity in the area. (pg 61) Individuals are also quoted in the book as saying statements like "The only way to stay in the mountains is to mine the mountains!" and "If It Can't be GROWN It Must Be MINED." (pg 63, pg 29) These statements suggesting that mining operations including mountain top removal are important for making a living in the area and that all land should have a clear, economical use.
When it comes to my own personal position on mountain top removal, I have to side with Eric Reece's points for the ending of it. Americans can still have access to coal without using mountain top removal. As Reece states, the operation is extremely damaging to the mountain, environment around it, and any nearby living creature, including humans. Reece also did a good job arguing against the various reasons stated for continuing mountain top removal. I cannot image my life without electricity, but I do not think we need to resort to such extreme actions, like mountain top removal to get coal. I support the use of other sources for producing electricity. Also, I would hate to live in a world without the beauty of nature and mountain top removal threatens that beauty.
I agree with the fact that Americans can still get access to coal and use it as an energy source without mountain-top removal. I think that coal is very useful though and should still be used because it is inexpensive and readily available, but like you said, we do not have to use the mountain top removal system to get a hold of it.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book talking about the cemeteries also strong me as a strong argument to stop mountain top removal. If cemeteries are obviously filling up with people dying at such young ages then something needs to be to clean the coal and environment affects of coal mining. Dying at the age of fifty-five or younger is very young, especially to American averages today. Plus, to add the argument about cemeteries, Reece talked to someone who saw the coffin of their two-year son rooted up from a bulldozer in the process of mountain top removal. Things like this should definitely be against the law and not allowed, no matter how much fuel we get from that site. Of course, at one point in the book, it is mentioned that a law was passed to keep miners and mining operations at least 100 feet away from cemeteries on all sides. This needs to be completely enforced.
I agree that getting into the territories of cemeteries are a little bit too far and the fact that people in that town don't live far past 55. Although it wasn't proven that all those people died from causes that relate to the coal mining, it is said that the water makes the women infertile and also makes it harder for the children to grow up without haviing academic related illnesses and diseases. There has got to be a better way of extracting coal...
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