Draft 1 of Essay 2

Ashley Yermasek
ENG-1020
Dr. Houp
25 February 2009
Draft 1
Big-wig coal companies are playing a dangerous game of intimidation and who knows more with the residents of Appalachia and surrounding coal sites. Mining there works out great for them because these are communities located in the backwoods, off the beaten path and are usually very poor. Without proper schooling, jobs, and outside resources, they are kept in the “dark” about what is really going on and that’s just how the coal companies want it. Coal companies aren’t the only ones to blame however, the government plays its role as well. A lot of these coal companies are in pretty tight with both political parties, so they have a lot of leeway when it comes to destroying people’s property or the property surrounding. The government helps keep these residents poor by not funding their economy so there are no good jobs, the schools are falling apart and without proper educations, I’m sure well qualified teachers in these areas are slim to none.
Cut off from society, constant intimidation, and fear for their lives; this is how residents of the coal fields live every day. They are both poisoned with chemicals in the air and drinking water, as well as poisoned with lies. The coal companies and the government both work together and try to convince these communities affected most by mountaintop removal that what they are doing is safe, legal, and a necessity. A lot of the residents believe this because they know that they have little to no jobs available and for some it is the only means of supporting their families. The term “clean coal” is also thrown around in the press by government officials and coal company operators. To think of how many billions of dollars in coal are extracted from these mountaintops and the communities that provide access to it are the poorest in the nation is a sickening thought.
A chilling statement from an article on the Kentuckians For The Commonwealth website, stated by Erica Urias from Pike County, Kentucky reads: “Is coal a cheap source of energy? Not unless you think that people’s lives are cheap.” This quote rings so much truth because of course it is the cheapest form of coal extraction for the coal industry and the government alike, but the residents of these coal fields pay a much higher price. With the highest cancer and diabetes rates in the nation, these people are paying with their lives. But aside from this, aren’t they already paying with their lives by watching everything that they have worked so hard for being destroyed one mountain blast at a time?

This is all I’ve got so far, it’s a little messy and unorganized but I think it’s a decent start.

Bean Day 2

So my beans have been doing a lot of nothing today...just relaxing and soaking up sun...I let them visit with my turtles and my turtles tried to eat them so that friendship was short lived. I wish I could get them to write my papers for me, that would be great.

Thesis

Here's my attempt at a decent thesis...I'm not the best at comming up with them but I tried.



Mountaintop removal is one of the most destructive forms of coal mining, the scars left behind leave the environment and the communities inhabitants caught in a toxic bubble of chemical waste and devastation.

Mom of the Year goes to......ME

So I could write about how sweet my beans were today and how they sat in my window and napped/soaked up the sun while I was working....but....not the case. It seems I forgot them in my purse so they actually tagged along to work with me, I did however take them out at some point in the day and put them in the window at work. So yeah I think I should get mom of the year for leaving my beans/new kids in my purse cause thats kind of awesome in a not so good way...or maybe I just have an odd sense of humor.

Baby Beans

Today in class we were given beans to germinate and treat as our "babies" and we were asked to give them names and talk to them and pet them and love them forever and ever and ever. So since my favorite cartoon is Salad Fingers, I have decided to name my beans Salad Fingers, Hubert Cumberdale, Marjorie Stewart Baxter, Jeremy Fisher, Horace Horse Collar, Milford Cubicle, Barbara Logan Price, and Bordois.

Rhetorical Precis #2

Jim Motavalli in E-The Environmental Magazine; Nov/Dec2007, vol. 18 Issue 6, p34-39, 6p discusses the effect of coal mining and mountaintop removal on the landscape, environment, and people of the Kayford Mountains of Western Virginia. He supports his argument by stating that the green mountains have been replaced by bare, flat, and terraced plateaus and only 50 acres owned by Larry Gibson are left; he informs that elevation is not included in the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act and all students in the Marsh Fork Elementary School are having traces of black dust;also discussed are the various lawsuits and legislations for and against coal mining in the region. His purpose is to convey that it isn't just the land that is destroyed by MTR, there is a tremendous human toll, as drinking water is polluted, housing foundations cracked, and roads potholed by overloaded coal trucks; he shares various stories of residents of the Kayford Mountains and how MTR has destroyed not only their lives but the beautiful mountains that they once called home. He writes to anyone interested in knowing more about MTR and its devastating effects and how it affects the people involved.

Rhetorical Precis #1

Silas House in The Dirt on Coal Sierra;Jan/Feb2009, Vol. 94 Issue 1, p40-45, 6p article reports on the coal industry of the U.S. and the environmental effects of coal mining; the article emphasizes that "clean coal" is a political term and does not exist, noting that coal pollutes the planet and causes global warming regardless of how it is obtained and processed; the article also presents facts about how many pounds of coal are requred for everyday activities such as doing laundry or heating a home. He supports his argument by reflecting on his own experiences with mountaintop removal and the stories of others affected by it through personal testimonies of poisoned water, dried-up wells, and cracked foundations; he also presents the idea of "clean coal" as a fantasy term coined by politicians; he also lists how many pounds of coal is needed to run a dryer for a month, light a house with incadescent lightbulbs for a month, heat water for a month, warm an average U.S. household with space heaters for a month, and finally the total monthly coal consumption for an average U.S. household. His purpose is to inform through personal stories and testimony the devastating effects of mountaintop removal, make people aware that politicians side with the coal companies and coin terms such as "clean coal" to make the whole process seem less destructive, and present us with facts on just how much coal we use so we can start making a difference and become more conscious of the amount of energy we use. He writes for the people of Appalachia and acts as a voice to make thier stories known and anyone else wanting to know the facts and make a difference.

My Family.....

Hopefully this will work...I've not been able to post due to an annoying error page popping up every time I try...its probably my home computer...but we'll see I guess.

My Son Daemien







My Husband Bobby



My Buddha Piggy








My Dogs Molly Mayhem (Great Dane) and AshyLarry (Boston Terrier)