The very effective argument tactic Reece utilizes in this book is the personal and emotional connection he has to the issue. He does not observe from a removed perspective gathering what people have told him about the issue. He is driving through these mountains and seeing firsthand the effects strip mining has on this ecosystem. He provides numerous stories of locals he as personally known and met whose lives have been negatively affected by these mining practices. One point that Reece brought up early in the book really illustrates the kind of message he is trying to convey. That point is on page 17 when Reece points out that the explosives being used in these coal mining strategies are the same explosives that were used by Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma City Bombing. This is a foreshadowing to later in the reading where Reece says that strip mining is a form of terrorism.
Like any other environmentalist, Reece uses the destruction of the environment as his main argument. He utilized vivid descriptions of the former beauty of the blue and green rolling mountain side in contrast to the now black and grey, flattened coal mines. He goes on for pages describing the physical landscape that the mining sites have become. He does a very good job of painting the picture of what these mines look like in addition to the sporadic black and white pictures places throughout the book.
The last thing I would describe myself as would be an environmentalist however this does not mean I don’t care about the environment. I believe humans and the environment interact more mutually than people realize. I’m not going to argue that many things humans do have a negative effect on the environment because they do. However humans have lived off the land since the beginning of the human race and I believe that coal is a natural resource that humans have the right to utilize to provide for themselves and their fellow human race.
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I agree with stating how well Reece conveyed his arguments, then backed them up with solid unbiased proof. He went out to these places and saw them first hand, both before and after the mining of the coal. Also he did a great job of supporting himself in many ways; numbers, visualization,scientific facts, etc. The one disagreement I have is the use of coal freely. Yes, humans have lived off the earth for all time and may have a right to. But, what right do we as humans to destroy other ecosystems and forms of life just so we can have light at night? There is many other forms of energy (healthier and more efficient) out there that needs to be utilized. We are using coal at a much higher rate than the earth is producing it, and it can not last forever.
ReplyDeletePaul. Your posting is very well written and organized. It's clear to anyone who reads it what your feelings are about mountain top coal mining and its effects on humans and animals alike. I commend and respect the notion that you are able to take more than just Reece's findings into your stance and come to a conclusion that goes against many others in this class. Great job.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you pointed out the quote about Timothy McVeigh. It makes it seem as if mountaintop removal to the earth is the same thing as his terrorist act on our society. This statement is very strong!
ReplyDeleteI really agree with the Timothy McVeigh comment and posting as well. Strip mining can be seen as terrorism and this foreshadowing in the book comes out well. However, I do agree with your final statement. Americans need coal to run their lives right now. Sure, I absolutely support alternative resources, and we will need them in the future, but right now its not available. Coal is cheap and it works. The environmental affect it has should be looked at more closely, but we cannot just stop using coal. There are other ways of reaching coal than strip mining though. I believe we should utilize these other ways because of the negative it has on the regions it takes place in.
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