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Mountain Top Coal Removal

Imagine living in a community where beautiful mountains once stood and now all you see is demolished, dusty land. Places such as West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee have to deal with this without their word or safety mattering. Mountain Top Removal is the cheapest way to obtain coal. Instead of digging below the surface, mountains are dynamited swiping out more then intended. Miners are selfish by demolishing mountains completely to gain the coal they need even if that means harming near communities and environments of animals and plants.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency mountain top removal is, “…a mining practice where the tops of mountains are removed, exposing the seams of coal. Mountain top removal can involve removing 500 feet or more of the summit to get at buried seams of coal. The earth from the mountaintop is then dumped in the neighboring valleys.” Coal mining in the Appalachian started in the 19^th century. Soon companies wanted bigger and better. Bigger machines started being used to scoop out as much coal as possible without consideration to any of the environment. McQuaid says, “Behemoths called draglines can be more than 20 stories tall and use a scoop big enough to hold a dozen small cars.” These were the machines replacing workers in order to be more profitable. According to The Beehive Collective today there are fewer then 15,000 coal miners compared to the once 150,000. The cheaper they gain the coal, the more they can consume when they sell the coal products, considering a lot is powered by coal still.

Mountain top removal is the lazy way out of gaining the coal needed. Producers obtain coal for such benefits as shipping it to Asia and Latin America to produce goods. According to the Bee Hive Collective, an organization trying to get their story out about MTR using a mural with animals representing a story line of mining history, goods such as hair driers, I-pods, X-boxes, plasma screen TVs, and college diplomas are all coal-powered. Even if you are against the mountain top removal, it is hard to find yourself using a product in some way coal produced. Bee Hive Collective mention all the bad things that Mountain Top Removal causes and hope that eventually something will be done about it.

Everything that goes into gaining the coal needed harmfully affects the communities surrounding the mountains. Mountain top removal is intruding on human’s lives and health. MTR Companies are a nuisance to the community as they make themselves at home by forming large potholes with their huge trucks and dumping their waste into water supplies. Living in such areas as a parent would be emotionally shattering having to worry about your child as they are in school. Take for example Marsh Fork Elementary School, which is located 400 feet below a 2.8 billion-gallon waste dam. If there were to be a spill, which is likely, there would definitely be deaths. Safety should be more of a concern then having the best machinery to dangerously blow up entire mountains. Surrounding families have to deal with problems such as: lack of water supply, blasting, and sludge dams. Careless MTR leads to the drying up of wells and contamination of others. Blasting occurs close enough to 300 feet within homes. Blasting can last 24 hours a day and is an interruption to the community. Also, it can lead to cracks in wells and foundations. Pieces from the mountains fly all over and regularly land in streets and homes. Sludge dams are used to store the waste used to wash the coal, and are very unreliable. Often, sludge dams leak into people’s water supplies putting people at risk of illness. (“end mountain top”) Mountain top removal companies take over people’s homes and intrude on their daily lives, even causing deaths and illnesses. Many suffer from asthma and other related diseases caused from toxins in the air.

Processing the coal releases toxins and greenhouse gases out into the air, which have a large leading effect on global warming. In fact, The Beehive Collective (TBC) mentions a former NASA scientist, James Hanson who, “…estimates that 80% of the problems associated with climate change could be avoided today, simply by leaving the coal in the ground.” Due to many problems that were caused, the Clean Air Act was formed. The clean air act requires coal to be washed before it is burned to get SOME of the toxins out. TBC says, “…the deadly rinse water has to go somewhere- usually, back up the mountain into unlined, open air pits held back by some of the largest earthen dams… This “sludge” is even injected into old under- ground mines, (where it leaches and leaks into aquifers and wells), or illegally dumped into waterways,” Therefore in the end just causing another problem needed to be handled with polluted water supplies.

Just to get the little amount of coal effects the entire environment in a great way.

If trends continue the way they are now John McQuaid talks about the Environmental Protection Agency who say, “…by 2012, two decades of mountaintop removal will have destroyed or degraded 11.5 percent of the forests in those four states [West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky], an area larger than Delaware. Rubble and waste will have buried more than 1,000 miles of streams.” Companies are practically killing life when they carelessly blow up mountains and trees and surrounding land. Once the mountains are blown up nothing is ever the same. In 1977 the Surface Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) was formed in order to try and get the mountains back to how they were after the removal of coal. Companies are careless and do not seek to make the land what it once was, “The former mountains remain as barren plateaus, and any regeneration will take centuries. Reclamation efforts are scattered and largely pitiful, because the ‘industry-ready’ flat land is left both polluted and inaccessible”(Motavalli). Mountain top removal is not concerned about saving the beauty the mountains once had to offer, the money saved is all that matters to some. Chuck Nelson, who once was a minor says he, “watched his industry transition rapidly from underground extraction to MTR, which he says is ‘quicker and cheaper, and employs fewer people’”(Motavalli). Many people lost their jobs due to the industrialization of the coal mining industry.

Beautiful environments are being destructed every day from mountain top removal. Area that cannot be replaced is getting blown up without a thought. Blasted land is dumped in valleys and streams. Toxicity is then in the streams causing harm when fishing, swimming or drinking (Gaworecki). As mountains are blown up animals are left with no habitat to come back to. Although sites are supposed to be brought back to their original content that would take years, and are instead replaced with cheap grasses. The Appalachia is known to have the prettiest mountains and diverse forests’. And the damage that has been done is done and it will never be replaced to the same beauty it once was. Environments and animals habitats need to be thought about first before the extraction of entire mountaintops.

Obama’s administration is taking steps towards trying to end mountain top removal. First, limiting the amount of MTR practice within a time period is being limited. Valley filling is taken into deep consideration as pollution of water is getting out of hand. New limits are being set on the “conductivity” of the streams. Conductivity is tested by, “measuring the salinity, or salt content, of the stream. Conductivity is an effective way to gauge the concentration of pollutants in a stream” (Gaworecki). Recent trends of valley dumping would not meet the regulations therefore it would have to be cut down to pass. Organizations are also coming together trying to get their word out such as: The Sierra Club, Mountain Justice, I Love Mountains, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and Appalachian Voices (Chhotray). Organizations are important because one persons word is not going to do much, it takes a lot to fight against the mountain top removal companies because coal IS a common source that is used in many situations.

There is too much being taken for granted as we destroy the mountains in order to gain cheaply produced coal. Everyone needs to speak out with the communities around the Appalachia that have their lives and health at risk. Surrounding communities, forests, and animal habitats need to be taken into account before mindlessly blowing them all up and causing destruction.

An Inconvenient Truth

Climate Change

Al Gores An Inconvenient Truth acknowledges the threats of climate change. His presentation is a good way of getting people to understand by using multiple videos, pictures and graphs. You would think having a movie based off of a slide show presentation would be boring, but Gore knows how to keep it interesting by speaking emotionally and factually. During the presentation Gore speaks his opinion, shows emotionally startling images, and gives factual information in order for people to understand the consequences of climate change.

Gore is one of a few who actually try to spread the word of threatening climate change. A good point he brings up is big shocking changes versus gradual ones. The process of climate change is very gradual but why should we wait until something shocking happens to do something about it? Relating to this an article by New York Times mentions, “In the meantime, recent fluctuations in temperature have intensified the public debate over how urgently to respond… the combination of flooding, heat waves and droughts in the summer were taken by most researchers trained in climate analysis as evidence to show that weather extremes are getting worse.” Not seeing the actual effects day to day might be a reason people don’t care as much. Gore brings these problems to life by showing many graphs and videos. When he shows a video clip of an ice cap breaking off and falling into the ocean it makes it real. Showing images to the viewers helps them pay attention because they can visually see what exactly Gore is concerned about. Clearly the most threatened area is the Arctic. Already, Polar Bears are becoming the biggest endangered species because they cannot survive without the ice and each day the ice is melting more and more. Gore puts the problems in perspective by showing a map and creating a virtual flood around the world. Many states and other countries would be flooded out when the caps melt and create a 20-foot sea rise. This relates to gradual versus shocking changes because people can now see although this is gradual that is what will eventually happen.

I don’t understand how people could deny global warming or push it to the side to worry about it later. Gore also shows the popular image “earthrise” and you can clearly see the difference of glaciers and lakes shrinking (Ebert). Robert Ebert who critiqued the movie agrees by saying the slide shows images and statistics kept him interested: “Gore stands in front of a graph showing the ups and downs of carbon dioxide over the centuries. Yes, there is a cyclical pattern. Then, in recent years, the graph turns up and keeps going up, higher and higher, off the chart”(Ebert). Carbon dioxide is a main factor in global warming, so the graph helps people see the danger the future has to offer.

Right from the beginning I knew I wasn’t about to watch a boring movie when he tells a joke, “I am Al Gore and I used to be the next president of the United States.” Although Al Gore had already captured my attention with his information he proceeded to share personal stories in his life. He begins to tell how he worked on a tobacco farm as a child and his sister started smoking at a young age. His sister became diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away. If this wasn’t sad enough he tells another story about how later his son was in a tragic car accident and was in the hospital for a long time. His son turned out to be okay but it gave him a new perspective on life. Seeing as he almost lost two people close to him he knew they would never see the world, and I believe this is what makes him care so much about saving it himself. He also brings up where he truly first got his interest when he was inspired by his teacher Roger Revelle talking about the Carbon Dioxide increase (Steig). When steig speaks of all the personal stories Gore shares in his review he says, “And it is interspersed with personal reflections from Gore that add a very nice human element.” Agreeing with Steig I think his speech gains credibility by putting himself out there. By putting himself out there you learn to trust him jut like you would one of your friends. He knows by trusting him you will listen to what he has to say and realize something has to be done.

The way this movie was put together overall attracted viewers. Producers took into account audience emotion when creating the movie. For example, the music placed in was sad when showing clips of ice breaking off or when Gore was telling the story of his son in the car accident and his sister dying. Also, producers knew that they wanted to get what Gore had to say out to the public but a movie being made of a slide show presentation probably didn’t sound to appealing. They then decided to add a little documentary footage of Gore with little clips of him in his hometown and such. This kept viewers interested because they then weren’t seeing graph after graph it was being mixed up. The level of technology that they had would also definitely boost credibility. If Gore walked up to the front of a room with a poster and started pointing to drawn out graphs I am sure nobody would take him seriously. But even I was amazed when they showed some of the graphs on the big screen and how the states would flood as soon as the ice caps melted.

Gores audience could be from 15 and up. The information he is giving is probably too much for anyone younger to understand. There are many purposes of this movie. One would be to inform the audience of what is going on in the world and how climate change is becoming more of a risk. Another is to educate. I am sure many people walked in to that presentation knowing nothing about climate change and walked out with such a better understanding. Gore definitely got his point out to the viewers.

I believe that Al Gores argument was overall successful. As I began watching the movie I didn’t know a lot about global warming or the effects it would eventually have, but at the end I feel I came out with new knowledge. He used very good tactics to keep the audience interested through graphs, personal stories, and jokes. Even if people went in having a disapproving view of Al Gore he gave enough information and facts that they could not be against him. Mixing a documentary and a slide show was a good way to present information and have viewers gain knowledge, but in an interesting way.

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/05/al-gores-movie/

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060601/REVIEWS/60517002

An Inconvenient Truth

In class we watched Al Gores “An Inconvenient Truth” talking about global warming. Al Gores movie is of him giving a slide show presentation that he has done about a thousand times. He talks about how the government doesn’t really try and understand the threats of global warming and that they would rather ignore it until they must handle it. Gore speaks about how he used to be running for president but now he has a passion about getting his word out and speaking up for climate change. Throughout the presentation he gives many examples and life stories. Gore shows graphs, pictures, and videos to gain attention of viewers.

From the very beginning Gore emotionally pulls you in and you can tell that he has a passion for the presentation. Not only does he give us a new knowledge of climate change, but he lets us in on who he is a person. He gives two life stories within his presentation one being about his sister and the other about his son. When he was little he worked on a tobacco field. His sister started smoking at a very young age and continued throughout her life. Eventually, she died of lung cancer and this devastated Al Gore. Later, his son got in a car accident and was in the hospital for a long time. When his son was finally okay, this stepped up Gores motivation on the topic because he knew that his son might not of seen the world and he wanted to save it that much more. Giving these stories made me listen to everything he had to say and understand it more because it became not as much of a text book reading, but more of an actual passion and worrying topic. Sometimes, when speakers just simply lay out facts you start to lose focus. Gore gives many stories, examples, pictures, and videos grabbing your attention. Once the video of ice burgs breaking off and falling into the ocean and melting, it became real. As he kept going and showing what the future would be like as the ocean sea level would rise, it became scary. Seeing the representations of land such as Florida and California and other countries being flooded you start thinking about all the people that would lose their homes.

After watching this video I would say I gained a lot of respect for Al Gore. You can really tell he has done his research on the topic and that he cares a lot about it. It was very interesting to me personally because I actually wrote about climate change in the recent paper. Therefore, everything he talked about I remembered reading, but he cleared it up a little more for me. I thought he did a good job keeping the crowd entertained and telling jokes such as the opener, “Hi I’m Al Gore and I was the old next president.” I could tell right away that it was something I would want to watch.

Baker Center Brochure

As we walked around campus I thought about what would be the best place I could do a project on that people would be interested in. Learning rhetoric there is a lot to take into account such as your audience or whom you are trying to get attention from. Trying to attract my audience I made sure to include pathos, ethos, and logos.

I chose to make a brochure about Baker Center. The genre of the brochure would be informational. It is not something of a fun story to read; it is just to let students know what the history was like, and what they can visit inside the building. Thinking about my audience, I figured a brochure would be a good way for college students to learn about the building because it is a quick and easy read. I am sure students would rather read a brochure then a passage out of a textbook. I knew writing about Baker Center would be something that students would want to hear because basically, every student passes through it each day. Walking through it every day you have to wonder at some point what the history is, or what you could possibly be missing. Specifically, the audience would be students of Ohio University, or students looking into enrolling at Ohio University. Gender, ethnicity, and social class could be of any kind.

When writing, pathos has to do with emotions, and how you make your audience feel. I portrayed this in my brochure by giving quotes from old students and the former dean of students. This would appeal to audience emotion because the quotes showed that they cared very much about the old Baker Center not just educationally but emotionally. The brochure mentions the former dean of students, Terry Hogan, talking to others about how he can’t imagine people not remembering the old Baker Center and how it was hard to say goodbye. It makes you realize that we really will never know about the old Baker Center or what it meant to others. Students can also clearly relate to the building because they can physically see the new Baker Center and know that it is a helpful resource to have on campus. Logos is included in the brochure by using the source I researched: Ohio University outlook archives. By describing Baker Center floor by floor, students can learn features of the building.

Ethos is included in the brochure by giving students quotes and citing who they are. My credibility is reputable because this website is legitimate. By using glitter and colors I knew that would appeal to my audience because they are young. Such features attract the audience and want them to read more about the building.

The topic being meaningful to you in any project you do is really important because then it will turn out ten times better. The purpose of the brochure I made was the fact that I knew Baker Center was new and I wanted to know everything that was inside of it in case I needed something one day. I made sure to include information about what exactly was inside of Baker Center so that students could know if they didn’t before. Also, I thought the history would be interesting because you can compare how it used to be to what it is now. This brochure can help a lot to the audience of students on campus, or enrolling students of Ohio University. This could appeal to enrolling students because this is one of the best buildings on campus and this could attract new students. It gives a look at what it is now and what it used to be. Brochures can keep audiences interested because it is like a brief explanation but enough to get the point.

Getting to know Hilliard

Almost 160 years ago, Hilliard was known for a popular railroad station, but today, it is a popular suburban town with many schools and families. I interviewed Coty Spengler about his hometown of Hilliard, Ohio, and what exactly it contains. Hilliard might not be a popular place for people to visit, but there is still a history behind it, attractions to see, and how Coty feels being raised here.

Abraham Wendell founded Hilliard in 1969 between Big Darby Creek and the Scioto River with a population of 280 residents. Subdivisions started being built in 1950, and by 1960 there was a population of 5,633 people living in Hilliard. Hilliard is mainly a residential city with easy access to and from the highway I-270. Currently, Hilliard is 11.1 square miles and has a population of 2,585 people per square mile. Hilliard is mainly a Caucasian town; in fact 88% of Hilliard residents are white and the next largest racial group are Asians with a population 5.8%.

Hilliard is a popular place for families to go due to all of the attractions near it. Many colleges are located near Hilliard such as Capital University, Franklin University, Ohio State University, and Otterbein College. No hospital is too far away; three are located in the area, no father than nine miles away. There are also three Malls close by, including Easton Town Center, Polaris Fashion Place and Tuttle Crossing Mall. If you feel like going on a walk with the family, popular parks you might be interested in are Municipal Park and Hamilton Park. Try catching a movie at one of the many theatres around Hilliard. One of Coty’s favorite theatres is called the Movie Tavern, where you can also dine while watching a hot new release. With so many neighborhoods around, your friends will never be too far.

Hilliard might not be somewhere Coty wants to go back to, but he does have his favorite places, such as the Ohio State Campus, which is no more than a ten-minute drive from his house. Hilliard is a comfortable place to grow up with so many people living close together and friendly neighborhoods making it hard to leave sometimes. Coty says his least favorite spot would be the “hill-top,” which is known to be more urban and run-down because a lot of cops are around this place and it never feels quite safe.

Hilliard, Ohio is a great place to live and grow up. There is never a time when you will feel bored because of all the attractions you could possibly see around Hilliard. Through all the great history, including how it became a city and growing into a great suburban town, Hilliard has a lot to offer.

Connection

For me when I think about where i feel the most comfortable it isn't always where I live. Ever since I was a little girl me and my family have been visiting Canada. Ontario, Canada is where my moms whole side of the family lives. My mom and I are actually the only ones that live in Ohio so I love when i get the chance to see my whole family. My grandparents house used to be one of my favorite places to go and I would count down the days to finally visit for the holidays at their house. In 4th grade me my mom and brothers went out to live in Whitby, Ontario but only stayed there for a year. Within the year that I stayed there I made life long friends that I still keep in touch with. I love going and visiting and hanging out with them and meeting even more people while I'm there. I find Canada to be so beautiful and the lakes are so much better then in Ohio. Every summer my mom and I go to her cousins cottage on the lake and even when I'm with all adults it is still so fun. I am really close with my aunt and cousin so I cherish the time that I get to spend with them. My Aunt is somewhat of a second mom to me and I can always rely on her for advice, and my cousin is like my best friend even when we haven't seen each other for years. I feel that one day I might move out to Canada because I want to be closer with my family and I can just see myself there. Canada is not just the place that I have the biggest connection with, it is also the people.

About me

My name is Kellea Roberts and i am 17 years old. I am from Dublin, Ohio and chose Ohio University because it is not far from home and i am still undecided in what i want to major in. I am considering going into communications and doing something with video production. I am really close with my family even though we all live in 3 different countries. I have 2 brothers that live in Canada and my dad lives in England. I love hanging out with my friends and i miss them a lot because we mainly all went to different schools.