Tran Duong

Period 2

Sept 28, 2018

Mining the summits

The article “mining the summits” is an article about the coal mining of many companies.

Mostly focused on the mining of mountain top. This article based on the person who is, I

believe, a journalist since that person going around and ask for the resident’s opinion. This

article explained the impact of coal mining on the environment as well as the community

around the mining areas. Residential places got affected heavily since the coal mining company

took most of the land for their purpose. The health of the people living around the mining areas

also got affected heavily. Cancer, lung problems, etc. are the defect that leave behind from the

mining processes. The process of mining involved many danger health problem for the resident

as well as the worker but yes it still remained freely without the involve of government to help

protect the lives of people who live around those areas. Not only it affect the human life but it

also disturb the nature habitat of many species. Biodiversity of those areas also decline. Since

mining changed from underground to mountain’s top. Land are removed as well as trees and

many species used to lived there have to migrate to somewhere else and some dies off, like

insect, because they cannot migrate out of the habitat as fast are killed off in the process of

mining. Leaving the land empty and effect of the mining also leaving the land cannot be

inhabited by many species such as bird. Since there not a lot of soil and trees available to

absorb the rain fall which turn into runoff and soon turn to flooding. The flood not only affect

the mining areas but also runoff to neighboring land. Disturbing other habitat include the
human community and take away lives of many people. Lawsuits are files against the coal

mining companies. However, law cannot stop them from making money as far as all the lawsuit

won by the mining companies.

The article is somewhat interesting to read. However, many factors in the article make

readers hard to understand as well as enjoying it. The author did not state his purpose in the

beginning. He also did not state what is he going to argue about. Which make me as a reader

somewhat got confuse by what he is trying to say. He did really good at taking people- who got

affected by the coal mining company- opinion and their feeling about the mining company. He

did good on giving examples, but did not include evident with it. He stating others’ opinion but

does not distinct them from what he’s trying to prove. Many part of his writing are unnecessary

because it does not be part of the big idea. Stating too many unnecessary information making

the reader got off track from the main reason. He did well on addressing he impact however de

did not include statistic fact along with it, making the reader don’t have a clear picture in mind.

Many of his statement does well on catching the heart of reader by providing the impact, of top

mountain mining, on people. He forgot one thing that it is also have a great impact on the

biodiversity. That what make his article be less important to think of. It is good that he mention

about the trees and how the field of mining is making the mountain topless and can only be

Pasteur lands. With only a few sentences on the impact on the biotic factor of the land tend to

make it less important. Readers would not remember the impact of it on the nature habitat if

the author put it as a less important factors. Those are the things that cannot catch the reader

feeling and attention on what the author is trying to prove. If this article have more purpose

from the beginning it would make it be less misunderstood while reading it.