Coal mining, in particular, has become the latest casualty of the growing green movement in the United States. What is strip mining? The Encyclopædia Britannica Online defines strip mining as the removal of vegetation, soil, and rock above a layer of coal, followed by removal of the coal itself ("strip"). Most Americans do not realize the impact that this biologically derived material that can be used as an energy source (“fossil”), or fossil fuel, has on their daily lives or on the national economy. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the mining industry directly employs approximately fifty thousand Americans, of whom nearly half work in the more specific field of strip mining, or mountaintop removal (“Average”). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports in its “Fourth Assessment Report” that coal accounts for half of U.S. electricity generation, with the U.S. exporting about 6% of coal produced (Sims). Despite the positive aspects, mining comes with some serious consequences for the environment, painting the industry in a negative light, some of which include deforestation and erosion, water contamination, wildlife poisoning, and habitat loss. Deforestation and erosion are the most obvious effects of open-pit mining. To reach the minerals beneath the earth's surface, miners must clear the area in which they will be working. According to the EPA, mountaintop logging will affect 6.8% of the forests in Appalachia, United States. Carl E. Zipper and coauthors, affiliated with the Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, clarify in their report, “Restoration of Forests and Associated Ecosystem Services on Appa......middle of paper.... . .and landscapes.” Conservation Biology 19(3):768-792. PDF file. University of Alaska Fairbanks, June 2005. Web. 4 July 2011. Sims, Ralph EH et al. ” Contribution of Working Group III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007. Cambridge and New York. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Network. 5 July 2011 “strip mining”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Encyclopedia Britannica online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Web. 04 July 2011. United States Environmental Protection Agency, nd Web. 4 July 2011Zipper, Carl E., et al. “Forest and Utility Restoration Ecosystem Associated in Appalachian Coal Mines." Environmental Management 47.5 (2011): 751+. Environmental Studies and Policy Roundup. Network. June 30 2011.