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West Virginia strip-mine. Source: Antrim Caskey from "The War in Appalachia (2006).
Conclusion Despite the 'grey area' that lies within the scientific communities' understanding of climate change, the cues of global warming seem to be knocking at the door. Across the globe, the loss of natural ecosystems due to anthropogenic impact is occurring at unprecedented rates; astonishingly, one of the greatest travesties is occurring within our own country; strip-mining of mountains for coal is an unnecessary atrocity. It is hard to think that every time you turn on your light switch, you're not only burning coal, but fueling the destruction of one of the world's oldest and ecologically diverse biotic system. More depressing is that the United States has the technological capabilities to use 'real' clean energies through renewable sources, but inanely 'maintains against the grain'.
If the American people continue to allow political and economic insulation to the coal industry, then 'we' as a society, are responsible for the consequences. We are faced against a powerhouse industry that supplies cheap and dirty energy. It should be well understood by now that despite improvements in reducing harmful emission from coal combustion, the continued expansion of Florida's energy infrastructure through this resource is a topic of concern. With too many negative impacts and risks to ignore, it is critical that citizens become informed and 'concerned' about the choices being made for their well being Electricity is an important component to society, and the need for it will not diminish. Therefore, it is important to demand more efforts to be implemented into sustainable and economically viable energy solutions. The road to a fossil-fuel-free economy may be an arduous and long task, but it is an extraordinarily prudent path that we all must take.
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Website by Rob Leisure (2007). rmleisur@eagle.fgcu.edu FGCU logo © 2006 |
