Blowing Away Our Natural Skyscrapers

Image Credit: www.panoramio.com

 

Hello there everyone, you must be wondering what this picture of a desert has to do with mountains, well this barren landscape is quite similar to what a mountain range looks like after it has become a victim of mountain top removal mining. This type of mining is incredibly harmful to the planet and the communities nearby.

 

Let's start with the process itself. It all begins with coal companies going to the top of a mountain and cutting down all of the trees and other vegetation in order to make room for their employees and mining equipment. All of the trees are wasted, being burned rather than given to other companies, nearby towns or even sold. While disposing of the trees, they begin drilling holes into the top and sides of the mountain which they then fill with explosives. Once the area is clear, the top of the mountain is blasted, removing as much as 800 to 1,000 feet off of the mountain at a time. The rubble is stripped of all of the coal and the rest is dumped into nearby valleys leaving these wastelands where mountain peaks once were.

 

While this practice does alter the very geography and environment of an area, it has much farther reaching consequences. Many animals are displaced by the blasts and the complete removal of their homes. This could potentially wipe out species of plant and animal life that have yet to be discovered. Another byproduct is the contamination and destruction of nearby streams and other water sources. As mentioned earlier, the rubble deemed useless is dumped into valleys that are close by. This often covers up or destroys natural paths for rainfall to collect and provide water for the ecosystem and cities near the mountain. Finally while coal companies like to claim that they are creating jobs and supporting entire communities, this fairly new practice requires very few people to operate the machines required. This leaves many coal miners out of a job with few other employment opportunities available to them.

 

Before the sadness sets in, let me just say that we can help stop this. By making informed decisions when voting it is possible to show our elected officials that we are against this horrific practice. Until the next big election keep learning and help your fellow humans. Talk to you all soon.