Mountain Top Removal
My friend Bryan has brought it to my attention this week through MANY posts on his tumblr. That mountain top removal is a much bigger problem than I realized before. Seriously, go there for more information, this is just an overview.(Most of these resources came from his blog.) All shitty graffiti aside, Mountain Top Removal is a real problem and I can't believe I've lived here my whole life and not noticed this predicament.
In the 1940's over 130,000 people were employed by the coal companies in West Virginia but as time went, methods "improved" and the way coal was mined became more automated. In 1997, less than 20,000 people were being paid by the companies and they produced more than ever. These new methods include Mountain Top Removal. MTR is a method of removing seams of coal directly from the seams in the mountain and pushing the earth that is on top of said seam into the surrounding valleys. This not only destroys the beautiful mountains but creates a whole gaggle of environmental hazards including coal slurry pits(Slurry produced by coal mining contains dangerous heavy metals, including: Antimony, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chlorine, Chromium, Cobalt, Lead, Manganese, Nickel, Selenium, Arsenic and Mercury.) and most obviously the dependency on fossil fuels. (Applachian Voices)
Check out this video on the Buffalo Creek disaster, I think this video really brings to light what can really go wrong with all this mining.
Can you imagine a wave of poison that travels for 17 miles just because of carelessness? Wow.
Have you heard of Marsh Fork Elementary in Raleigh County, WV?
2.8 billion gallons of toxic sludge sitting precariously above an elementary school. Also, don't forget about the healthy diet of coal dust those kids get to breathe in and play around on the playground.
West Virginians need to realize that coal isn't doing us any good. It's high time we move on to a new renewable resource like wind or solar energy. Plus, Surface mining (which includes MTR mining), accounts for only 1.2% of jobs in WV and brings in just 2.6% of the state’s total revenues. The counties where surface mining predominates are some of the still POOREST COUNTIES in the country.
We're competing with 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES and we play to win.
An easy way to help is by going to this link and voting for the Appalachian Voices to become the charity of choice. Appalachian Voices
Thanks again to Bryan Richards to researching so fervently, like I said this is a quick and dirty overview. If you want to get some REAL good information, check out his blog at http://sweatpants.tumblr.com
In the 1940's over 130,000 people were employed by the coal companies in West Virginia but as time went, methods "improved" and the way coal was mined became more automated. In 1997, less than 20,000 people were being paid by the companies and they produced more than ever. These new methods include Mountain Top Removal. MTR is a method of removing seams of coal directly from the seams in the mountain and pushing the earth that is on top of said seam into the surrounding valleys. This not only destroys the beautiful mountains but creates a whole gaggle of environmental hazards including coal slurry pits(Slurry produced by coal mining contains dangerous heavy metals, including: Antimony, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chlorine, Chromium, Cobalt, Lead, Manganese, Nickel, Selenium, Arsenic and Mercury.) and most obviously the dependency on fossil fuels. (Applachian Voices)
Check out this video on the Buffalo Creek disaster, I think this video really brings to light what can really go wrong with all this mining.
Click to viewCan you imagine a wave of poison that travels for 17 miles just because of carelessness? Wow.
Have you heard of Marsh Fork Elementary in Raleigh County, WV?
2.8 billion gallons of toxic sludge sitting precariously above an elementary school. Also, don't forget about the healthy diet of coal dust those kids get to breathe in and play around on the playground.
West Virginians need to realize that coal isn't doing us any good. It's high time we move on to a new renewable resource like wind or solar energy. Plus, Surface mining (which includes MTR mining), accounts for only 1.2% of jobs in WV and brings in just 2.6% of the state’s total revenues. The counties where surface mining predominates are some of the still POOREST COUNTIES in the country.
We're competing with 3RD WORLD COUNTRIES and we play to win.
An easy way to help is by going to this link and voting for the Appalachian Voices to become the charity of choice. Appalachian Voices
Thanks again to Bryan Richards to researching so fervently, like I said this is a quick and dirty overview. If you want to get some REAL good information, check out his blog at http://sweatpants.tumblr.com