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.