Lost Mountain: A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness Radical Strip Mining and the Devastation of Appalachia

“Why are we as Americans so stubbornly immune to understanding the world as something miraculous, as something imbued with spirit, as something worth preserving?” (Reece 2006, p. 221). Erik Reece, the author of Lost Mountain – A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness: Radical Strip Mining and the Destruction of Appalachia, chronicles a year that he spent witnessing the destruction of a single mountain in the Appalachian wilderness. Erik Reece teaches writing at the University of Kentucky. Reece delves into the consequences of strip mining on the environment and on the communities in the region. The book is written in a journal-like format that explores the role of culture in science and how that can have a profound effect on the way society views the natural world. Reece seeks to highlight the value of the environment in a spiritual context and not in a scientific one. By doing that, Reece hopes to change the individuals’ attitude and maybe then the attitude of society. While Reece includes an element of poetry in the book as well as first hand knowledge of Appalachian strip mining, the book is often hard to follow and Reece is very judgmental of U.S. culture and of opinions that don’t align with his own. Lost Mountain was published in 2006, ten years ago, and a lot of has changed since. This may have been a fairly good representation of strip mining in Appalachia in 2006, however the passing of time should also be taken into account, as the subject is an ever-evolving industry.Reece spent a whole year, from September 2003 to September 2004, watching one mountain in Kentucky as it was destroyed for the purpose of extracting coal. He hiked to the summit many times and explored as he made his way up and down. As Reece accounts the events he witnessed over the year he also touches on the subjects of corruption in the coal industry as well as in the government. Reece explains that everyone has an agenda and very few people are interested in protecting the land, which is the richest ecosystem North America (Reece 2006, p. 4). The Appalachian Mountains are part of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forest biome, a point Reece uses to support that this region has high species richness. Biomes are largely categorized by vegetation and this region is home to nearly 80 different tree species and hosts a large selection of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.Reece claims that coal mining companies that engage in radical strip mining like mountaintop removal are threatening this diversity. Mountaintop removal is the process of literally removing ridges and summits, usually with explosives, and then dumping the debris into stream streams and valleys in order to expose the coal underneath. The theory of Island Biogeography was also introduced in the book as a way of explaining the need to protect Appalachia. Island biogeography was the topic of a study aimed at establishing and explaining the factors that affect species diversity. The study found that an island that is more isolated will have a decrease in the number of species. The study also found that as the size of an island increases so does the number of species. What makes this so important is that this theory can be applied to more than just literal islands but to habitats in general, like the Appalachian Mountains. Radical strip mining creates small isolated habitats, which has very negative consequences for species richness. This theory is also a huge key to conservation biogeography and could have positive implications for the region. Essentially this book is meant to expose the ugly truth about coal mining and draw an emotional and personal response from the reader. While the book certainly does this it also has its flaws.Lost Mountain is written like a journal with each chapter being a different date. This allows Reece to give the book a more poetic style and achieve his goal of incorporating a spiritual element into it. The book is organized in chronological order, which sounds very effective, but each chapter has a different topic. This makes it difficult to connect the author’s main argument to the body of the book. Throughout the chapters Reece introduces various theories to reader but it’s difficult to understand them within the larger context of the book when they are only mentioned in passing. Reece is trying to show the spiritual side of the environment but the scientific evidence needed to make his point is lacking support and explanation, leading the reader to question his credibility.Not only is this book unorganized but, the author is very judgmental of U.S. culture and of opinions that don’t align with his own. “Material gain, speed, and convenience are the most dominant forces within this country, and they have done much to crush the spiritual, ethical, and aesthetic elements of our nature” (Reece 2006, p. 232). Reece even goes so far as to say that Americans would rather spend their time in a shopping mall than outside in nature (Reece 2006, p. 220). While his point, that the values of the country are increasingly aligned with consumer culture, may be true not everyone values the things money can buy. Reece also fails to mention opinions or data that go against his argument. Including both sides of an argument increases credibility and exposes to the reader to al sides of an issue. The coal industry provides job and contributes to the economy but neither of these aspects were included in the book.The author, Erik Reece, has first hand experience with strip mining in Appalachia and his call to the individual is beautifully expressed:“Individualism is the right to passively consume in pursuit of happiness based on convenience; individuality is a more creative attempt to invent oneself and one’s life based not on commercial influences but on a more direct, intuitive combination of knowledge, passion, and responsibility. To me, that is really the crux of our American dilemma” (Reece 2006, p. 231).Reece wants to change the way the individual views the environment and then change the way society views it with the hope that, that will help stop the destructive behavior that has no respect for nature. While Reece writes and describes portions quite eloquently the book is often hard to follow and very judgmental of U.S. culture and of opinions that don’t align with his own. This book is a good read and would be excellent for individuals seeking further knowledge on the topic but Lost Mountain was published in 2006, ten years ago, and a lot of has changed since. The coal industry can change very quickly but this book still shows a very important view of Appalachia and the consequences of radical strip mining. Overall I would recommend this book because at the very least it makes one consider the greater world around them.

Colin VinhMrs. ReddyEnglish 12 CP Period 422 March 2019Rediscovering the Lost Mountain The nonfiction novel Lost Mountain was written by Erik Reece and published by Riverhead Books. Reece writes about his experience with radical strip mining, mountaintop removal and its negative environmental effects. He details his year long account from September 2003 to September 2004, and how the Lost Mountain in Kentucky was destroyed for coal mining purposes. The summit which he had previously climbed once a month, exploring its routes and streams, was gone. Throughout his journey, he explains how incessant human greed caused the Lost Mountain to now exist as a ghost of its former self on topographic maps of Perry County, Kentucky. Reece delivers his accounts of the animals, trees, and people in the utter annihilation of the richest ecosystem in North America. One of the most telling signs of the Lost Mountain’s ecosystem being destroyed is in the accounts of Reece’s spring excursions in the Appalachia. During the cerulean warbler’s breeding season, Reece hiked with Patricia Hartman, a young ornithologist who studies the warbler, into Buffalo Branch, a 3600 acre woodlot. He explains that the warbler’s summer breeding ground is being devastated by coal miners, who use the birds to detect odorless methane gas from coal in the underground shafts. Sadly, the number of warblers are dwindling due to the invasion of the coal industry. Like many of Reece’s later accounts in the novel, they all accurately depict the belligerent domination of greed motivated coal mining. Another pivotal point in the Lost Mountain’s destruction is December 2003, where Reece highlights the decline of the wood rat, another species inhabiting the Appalachian mountain area. Earlier in the fall season, he had been looking around the area for signs of the wood rats, encountering a dangerous copperhead in the dense vegetation. This chapter is the turning point for the ecosystem on and around the Lost Mountain. After three months, Reece climbs the same ridgeline and gets a view full of mining equipment. The loud sounds and debris from machinery including bulldozers and trucks fills the air, providing a stark contrast of the beautiful nature and animals that previously populated the area. Bulldozers have already carved out a path leading to the three coal seams that lie beneath the Lost Mountain, and the destruction of the environment has already begun. The main themes in the Lost Mountain are the negative impacts of human greed and the destruction it causes on the environment and people. In later chapters, Reece investigates the effects that the mountaintop removal has had on the people in human populated areas of Kentucky. The residue and waste produced from the mining efforts have been reported to seep into water supplies and raise water toxicity levels for neighboring towns. Air pollution is another huge factor that has trapped people inside their homes. In the Corinth Baptist Church, Reverend Peake describes the sunken condition of the church and apparent water damage due to mining. Surrounding residents have developed serious cases of bronchitis and asthma, with older residents suffering the most. Coal mining industries such as TECO use explosives in order to easily access coal veins, which caused much debris and flooding to ruin the house and garden which Debra and Granville Burke lived in. The accumulation of dust and destruction of the Burkes’ garden caused Granville to take her life out of frustration and overwhelming burdens. These examples are a small look into the huge scale of mining and its impacts on the environment, but important enough that change must happen soon. Reece had originally come to the three hundred million year old mountain to be inspired by the diverse wildlife and beautiful nature. However, in the course of one year, he was faced with the destruction of the biological community surrounding the Lost Mountain. Many are in opposition of the blatant unregulated use of Earth’s natural resources, but Reece emphasizes that such a mindset would only guarantee a terrible future for humans and animals alike. I also agree with this perspective, and uphold the fact that as we continue to live our lives without care for nature, the world will soon run out of resources to sustain anyone. The greed of major mining corporations and industries has run rampant throughout history and remains unchecked to this day due to the allure of huge financial profits to be made from extracting the Earth’s natural resources. Reece concludes that the nation should value community and the wellness of nature over technology and wealth. From the beginning of his time with the Lost Mountain to the end, Reece wishes that our progressive society would take a step back and change our attitude towards the value of nature and its important role in our lives. I would highly recommend this book to anyone willing to learn more about how the destruction of the environment plays such a huge role in how we conduct our lives. From my perspective, we have lost touch with our empathy and since we live in areas where we do not experience firsthand the negative effects of strip mining. This book served as a wake up call to actively fight against the greed of mining industries and convert to more renewable forms of energy to use in our own daily lives.

Reece puts you right there on a mountain before, during, and after it has been demolished for all time. He lets you in on conversations with people on both sides of the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining. Lost Mountain is well written, and I think it would be fascinating to anyone who loves planet Earth, our beloved mountains, and all the plants and wildlife who live there. Another reviewer of this book, a professional in the industry, makes some good points, but just doesn't get it when it comes to "property rights". Read this book and decide for yourself how you feel about permanently trading our ancient Appalachian mountains for corporate profits and a few temporary jobs.

Reese’s prose and arrogance can sometimes be overwhelming, but his narrative handle and journalistic excellence are to be commended. Ultimately, this is an excellent work on coal mining. It is deeply informative and engaging. It should be a must read for anyone passionate about the environment.

I could work ten lifetimes and never repair the damages done in my first job. I can say that all through my life I've carried the sense of truth

after reading this book, i can only assume that the corruption of the BUSH, the first one and the second one have not regard for human life, yet they fought so hard against abortion. devatation in this area is COMPLETED. poor people have no choices left, no where to go to fight CITY HALL. scary if you happen to be unlucky enough to live there. what was a beautiful place is a horror now. read the book and find out about it/.

This book was articulate and well researched. It piqued my interest in issues relevant to the Appalachians where I have recently moved.