Research Assignment: Mountaintop Removal 75 points
Mountaintop removal seriously impacts the environment, but it also brings jobs and access to coal. Coal supplies nearly half of our electrical power plants. Do some research on mountaintop removal and compile a position paper to answer the following questions:
- What are the main arguments both for and against mountaintop removal?
- After reviewing evidence for and against mountaintop removal, what is your opinion on it—do you favor it or disagree with it? Why do you feel that way?
For your research, you can do an Internet keyword search on "mountaintop removal." You can also use the website you saw on the previous page and these two sources, which present arguments from both proponents and opponents of mountaintop removal. You can take any position you want, but be sure to support your argument either for or against mountaintop removal with evidence from your research.
- Appalachian Voices -an article from a citizen’s group opposed to mountaintop removal.
- National Mining Association -an article about the economic benefits of mountaintop removal, as well as discussion of the process and how sites are restored when the mining stops.
Submit your written research report to the Research Assignment: Mountaintop Removal assignment link for grading. For information on how your paper will be graded, see the Rubric.
