Last Part of LM

A sympathetic mind and a rational mind are two very different ways of thinking. Thinking sympathetically would be using your feelings to make decisions. These types of thinkers also give thought to how others may feel or react to certain situations. A rational mind only sees things in black and white. There are no grey areas. Their decisions are objective and based on facts and logic. The minds of the men and women who are in charge of the coal companies think in this manner. All they see is the bottom line. People like Reece see the end result sympathetically. They see the families whose loved ones have been killed by overloaded, speeding coal trucks like the ones on page 167. They see the destruction of their homes and the ecosystem in which they are part of it. On page 172, Reece points out what the mountain would still have to offer had there been no coal mining. The quote that stood out to me from the conclusion came on page 226. "And while the United States produces twice as much CO2 as Russia, Bush made it clear in the Presidential debates that he would not sign the Kyoto Protocol because it could :cost American jobs and stifle economic growth". This quote stands out to me because of the quote that came before it about the Mayans destroying themselves because of short sighted decisions. The coal mining industry is quite comparable because of the short sighted decisions that are made while mining. Coal mining does bring a large amount of Americans power every day, but at what cost. We consume tons of energy every year, while destroying hundreds of acres of land everyday. We are the cause of our own problem.