electricity
Appalachian Coal: the faucet is almost dry
Submitted by jwrandolph on Tue, 10/30/2007 - 10:20am.The issues with coal-fired power plant emissions are well chronicled - increased lung and cardiovascular disease, loss of visibility, and (somewhat importantly) the complete shattering of our global climactic patterns.
Many are also seeing for the first time that extracting coal is as destructive (and socially expensive) as emitting coal. Mountaintop removal and strip mining are decimating the majestic Appalachian Mountains – the oldest mountains on this continent. More than 1 million acres have been blasted away, and shoved recklessly into creek-beds and hollows. 1200+ miles of headwater streams have been buried, poisoning the water for us and those who live down stream.
The ancient hardwood forests of Appalachia (themselves an important carbon sink in our war on CO2) are often shoved aside with the mountain, left to rot and clog our streams without even being commercially harvested. The “rape” of Appalachia, as Senator Webb has called it.
How much coal would be “worth it?”
100 years?
250 years?
500 years?
Hows about a dozen?
NC Dems and Mountaintop Removal
Submitted by jwrandolph on Wed, 10/24/2007 - 8:41am.Update: Still no word from McIntyre or Etheridge. Please call them and see if we can get them to take a position on the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169.) Thanks!
The Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169) would reverse the Bush Administration’s 2002 decision that the toxic “waste” created by mountaintop removal could be defined as “fill material,” and recklessly dumped into our water ways. This practice has already destroyed over 1200 miles of American headwater streams, and eliminated access to safe, clean potable water for many communities. The CWPA (HR 2169) currently has 107 co-sponsors, and a lot of momentum. But we need more to get out of committee and onto the floor.
We have 5 of 7 Democrats from NC onboard, and we need to know if Bob Etheridge and Mike McIntyre are “wit’ us” or “ginst us” on HR 2169. Please ask.
If you have a moment, please see if your Congressman is a co-sponsor, and take a moment to call Etheridge (202-225-2731) and McIntyre (202-225-2731), politely but forcefully asking that they co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169), and take a stand against mountaintop removal.
A quick report on our NC Dems and mountaintop removal below…
