Erice Reece is strongly opposed to mountaintop removal because of the damages it causes to the nearby wildlife and citizens and because it is destroying and eliminating chunks of our earth that are pretty much impossible to replace. There are several effects of mountaintop removal including the fact that the Appalachian mountains are home to a diverse group of trees and animals and by bringing in heavy machinery and causing total devastation to the area, it is ruining the wildlife and also makes it difficult for scientists to study certain species that used to be native to the area. His main point is that coal companies are demolishing large areas of land (the Appalachian mountains in particular) without providing any compensation or replacement of the wildlife that is ruined. Another huge problem is the fact that laws have been either ignored or revised in favor of the mining companies and pretty much allows companies to dump the matter from the explosions into the water and nearby areas. This has also caused many illnesses and deaths from the chemicals and toxins that are leaked into streams and the water supply of the people who live close to the area.
Reece mentions the various reasonings that companies and supporters of mountaintop removal, such as providing an abundant amount of energy, cheap coal, the wildlife return after the mining, and several other claims that ignore the aversive side effects and praise the highly “efficient” mode of extracting coal.
By putting myself in this situation the problems seem much larger than by just thinking about it happening miles and miles away. It’s scary to think that cheap coal and this way of mining is supposedly good for the state and that it should be beneficial to the Kentuckians. This is not the case at all and it makes me sick to think that these people are still so poor and can easily get ill from this and no one is doing anything to help them. I also can understand where Reece is coming from when he describes the beauty and life that fills the Appalachian mountains and how mountaintop removal is ruining everything there is to appreciate about the wildlife and scenic views of the Appalachian mountains. He also makes a great point when he mentions the fact that the Mayan civilization used up all of their resources and only thought in the short term and what we are currently doing today will horribly affect us in the long run if we don’t stop to think logically about what we are doing and what problems we are causing.
You have really great points about what the author was trying to convey. I agree with you about how the laws being constantly revised or ignored plays a major role in this situation. Also I like how you mention the chemicals that get into the water system and cause numerous health problems.
ReplyDeleteThe Mayan reference you (and the author) made is actually very relevant and is seen in not only the Mayan civilization. Mesopotamia, for example, did the same thing by not growing agriculture responsibly, and their civilization fell. It's a common story across the archaeological record, and to think that we're not able to learn from the past is very sad. It seems that we're doomed to repeat the failures of our predecessors.
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