Sunday, January 10, 2010
Lost Mountain Part 1
Reece believes that the forest of Appalachia should stay intact as a whole. He gives examples about the wildlife, and the people that this mountain top removal affects. The first example is of the cerulean warbler. This example probably speaks true to a lot of the wildlife in that area. They need more than just a small piece of the land to survive on. The mining breaks the land apart, and therefore makes it very difficult for wildlife to survive. The effect on the people living there comes in many different ways. Their water has been contaminated. They are being poisoned and there is really nothing they can do to stop it. Their houses and land are being taken from them, and they are being forced out because the land is no longer a safe place to live. Another point that Reece makes in the book is that their lives are being destroyed, and the money the coal companies are making off them doesn’t even come back to help them. It is really destroying them faster because they use more coal than most places because it is so cheap there and this in turn makes the coal industry even stronger. It’s almost like a catch 22. They have to use the coal to survive, but using the coal is making their survival more difficult. Some of the people believe the coal mining is a good thing. It is one of the most predominant jobs available in the mountains, and their families have survived by being miners for generations. These people are just worried that without mining their families will have no income at all. They are willing to put themselves in danger as long as they can afford to buy food to feed their families. As an “outsider” it is very difficult to put myself into this debate. I see all the devastation that is being caused to the families, land, and wildlife, but I can also see how those people, who have worked in the mines all their lives, want to keep mining so that they can survive. As I don’t have any experience with this, I can understand why the people living their my not want to hear my opinion.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Reece does do a great job of setting up his arguments, then supporting them with a solid scientific facts. He didn't set back and write a book about his opinions. He went out and got his hands dirty seeing these places before and after the mining. But, as far as the mining creating jobs and an income for the local workers I agree 100%. But, what about taking those people and having them do other work to create a healthier more efficient way of producing energy? It may be hard and difficult, but the destruction of the environments are overwhelming and in my opinion a newer way of energy production needs to be utilized.
ReplyDeleteI remember that Teri Blanton tells Reece he is not an outside, that no one is, because "we all live downstream."
ReplyDeleteYou might have wanted to explain what a ceruluen warbler was. For those of in the class with you it's not a big deal, but there may be people reading this blog that have no idea what a cerulean warbler is. Did you before two days ago?
ReplyDeleteAs far as the rest of the blog goes, you did a nice job recapping some of the key points that Reece mentioned. You might not think that the people who have to deal with the devastation of strip mining care what you think, maybe they don't. I feel that it's more likely that your ability to empathize with their situation will lead to your support of their cause. In that case, I think that they would care very much what you thought.