Lost Mountain to page 85

After I finished page 85 in the Lost Mountain, I really felt like I have been informed on an issue that is drastically changing our world. Before I read this book, I had no idea about coal mining and how they blow off the mountain tops to get to it. As I was reading the first couple pages, I found myself thinking, "what's the big deal, its only mountain tops. How much harm could it actually do." Now, I have a different perception.

Recce brings up some really good points on why mountain top removal coal mining should come to an end. The argument that mostly stuck with me was the examples he uses that involved people and their way of life. I first came across this argument in the chapter "October 2003." In this chapter he expresses the importance of mountains and the emotional attachment people could have with them. When it comes to the Native Americans Tribes, he noted that these tribes see the mountain tops as sacred and a place where you can be close to the higher beings.

Reece used many emotional examples for the effects of mountain top removal to capture the reader. He uses Debra Burke as a example and notes in the book that she committed suicide because of Tampa Electric Company. The blast from a mountain top removal ruined her home and flooded her garden that she cared about. On a side note, its not a hundred percent clear that this is the reason for her suicide. It could have contributed but it may not have been the only reason. What do you think?

Not only does this type of mining affect people in that area, but also the animals and the forest of Appalacia. One example that he uses in the beginning is the Cerulean Warbler (bird). because of this strip mining, the population of this bird went down 70%. It needs a large track of woods to survive and protect itself from predators. He says on page 8, "The elusive forest singer who is quickly losing his summer breeding ground."

I find myself struggling with which side of the debate I want to choose. It is hard for me to make the decision because I am not the one in Kentucky that is affected by the mining. I am not going through any family losses or a decrease in my salary because of it. Instead, I acknowledge how grateful I am to have the electricity to write this blog and play video games. I am grateful to be able to charge my phone and call my mother and ask her how is everything going. Coal plays a big part in powering our homes today. But now that I know the way coal companies is extracting this coal is harmful for the environment and the health of the community affected by it, I do not agree with. i believe that we need coal but we need to find another way of getting it. This means sacrifice from both sides. America is so obsessed with making money and ignore the well being of animals or the people that stand in the way of doing so.