Six-Point Critical Analysis - Ancillary 3.2.2.1

1. Exploratory :
Mountain Top Removal (MTR) is a type of surface coal mining that's happening in Appalachia. They’ve mined over 1.2 million acres using this method, and it’s not just the landscape that takes a hit. When they blow up the mountains, all that debris ends up in nearby streams, messing up the water supply. People living near these mining areas have drinking water violations at seven times the rate of non-mining communities, and the air quality isn't great either.

2. Diagnostic :
MTR only provides about 3% of the electricity the U.S. uses. Even though that’s a small amount, the U.S. has a high energy demand, so the government turned to mining in these areas to help meet it.

3. Cause and Effect :
When the mountains get blown apart, streams get buried, leading to both air and water pollution. Tons of metals, sulfates, and chemicals end up in the water, contaminating billions of gallons and affecting the communities around them.

4. Priority :
The big issue here is the health of the people living nearby. Many residents have complained about dirty water and polluted air, and a lot of them are getting sick because of it. Despite this, there hasn’t been much published about the public health impacts of coal mining in the U.S., which is a major oversight.

5. Application : 
Living near MTR sites comes with serious health risks. People in these areas are seeing higher rates of heart and kidney diseases, chronic lung conditions like COPD, and even more cancer cases, especially lung cancer. There’s also a noticeable increase in birth defects and babies being born underweight. Plus, it’s not just people affected—the environment suffers too, with contaminated water and soil hurting the plants and animals.

6. Critical : 
This really changed how I think about public health and safety. It’s upsetting to realize how many people are living with polluted water and air, and yet there’s been no real effort to protect them. It’s shocking that nothing has been done to stop the project or, at the very least, relocate these people temporarily to keep them from getting sick or worse.

References

US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). (2019). Species of concern: Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerula) fact sheet. USFWS Midwest Region. https://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/soc/birds/cerw/cerw-fctsheet.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Activity 4.2.1 – Applying My Environmental Policy Frameworks - Vivianna Vando

  Problem Statement : Hydraulic fracturing, or hydrofracking, is a technique used to extract natural gas and oil from deep shale rock formations. While it has been around for years, technological advancements have made it possible to tap into energy sources previously considered inaccessible. The process involves injecting a mix of water, sand, and chemicals thousands of feet underground to break open the shale and release the trapped gas. According to the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA), the United States has an estimated 482 trillion cubic feet of recoverable shale gas. At current consumption rates, this supply could last about two decades. Key drilling sites are located in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Hydrofracking has contributed to a significant increase in natural gas production, becoming the country’s primary energy source and the second-largest overall energy contributor (Cohen, 2014). However, while hydrofracking has driven economic growth and ener...
Read more

Activity 4.1 - U.S. Environmental History and Major Regulations

Image
 During the twentieth century, there was a significant shift in recognizing the complexity and global nature of environmental issues. The Brundtland Report underscored the interdependence of human well-being, ecological systems, social structures, and economic sustainability. This report was pivotal in framing environmental challenges as multidimensional, requiring a holistic approach to understanding and addressing them. U.S. historians studying environmental policies have identified three distinct periods marked by the emergence of new ideas, scientific discoveries, political institutions, and legal frameworks aimed at managing humanity’s impact on the environment. For early settlers in North America, the concept of “waste” was almost meaningless. Resources seemed inexhaustible, and when one strategy failed, there was always another option available nearby. This mindset of abundance shaped early interactions with the land and continues to influence how some groups perceive humani...
Read more

Activity 2.3.1 - Ranchers, Anglers, and Beavers

  1. Exploratory The reading dives into the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and their work to address how streams have been affected by drought, wildfires, and grazing practices. Research by Trout Unlimited (TU) scientists and some BLM biologists highlights how combining grazing management strategies with beaver activity can make a big difference in restoring stream habitats. Beavers play a critical role here—think of them as nature's recovery specialists. Their dams slow down stream water, helping it spread across floodplains, keeping the soil moist, and supporting streamside vegetation all year long. 2. Diagnostic Streams shrink and degrade over time due to a mix of natural and human-induced factors like drought, wildfires, and grazing. This has a ripple effect on wildlife that depends on these habitats. Wildfires burn up the surrounding land, while droughts limit water availability for fish and other aquatic species. Grazing adds another layer of stress, often stripping away the...
Read more