"I come from the mountains, Kentucky's my home,
Now there's scenes of destruction on every hand... And only black waters run down through my land. Sad scenes of destruction on every hand,
Black waters, black waters, run down through my land..."
- 'Black Waters' by Jean Ritchie
I know I have been single-minded in my posting as of late. But my heart is extremely saddened and angered by Mountain-top mining. It is destroying the beautiful state where I live....and the state that I grew up in. When you see your fellow Appalachian people suffering because of the negligence of a few in power, it is hard not to speak up.
The above picture is of a stream filled with Coal sludge. The water in West Virginia and Kentucky is literally being poisoned. I am very grateful that PBS recently did a special on this issue....they are the first media outlet to do so. You can view it here. It is a longer clip, but it is a worthy endeavor of your time as we all use electricity....much of which is powered by coal mined in my state.
THIS is the price of coal...... Should the Appalachian people continue to suffer, be sick, and in some cases, die, to supply our nation with electricity? President Bush just recently made a statement that our nation needs to make this sacrifice to take us from dependency on foreign oil. I have to say that I strongly disagree.......
This new website has made it easier to let your voice be heard about the new Regulation passed by the Bush Administration to allow Coal Companies to basically have free reign for Mountain-top Removal.... with little to no accountability. It also features a moving preview of an upcoming documentary about the people of Appalachia's suffering and fight to end Mountaintop Mining.
PLEASE, please take the time to view these clips and let your voice be heard.....
22 comments:
I don't want you to think I don't care...I'm in SF now, but will come back to this post and topic upon return.
june- i know you have been helping spread the word about MTR, and i really appreciate it! many thanks.....
it's a way to use blogging for the betterment of our society....
i promise i'll once i finish typing the comment .....
Hmmm. I have to wonder if our president would be willing to make the same sacrifice. Personally, I mean.
Does he really think this is necessary?! [banging head hard against my desk]. All due respect to the office of the president, but seriously. Color me incredulous.
Thanks for sharing, Blue. I appreciate the burden you carry for your home and the other families you represent in your plea for this to stop.
nice picture
I hope not to offend you on my first visit but your last paragraph sums up a lot of our problems and they are in what I call the Whine House. Karl Rove might be gone but I think he is still running things from the outside in. I just learned today that Ohio, where I live, traditionally a Republican state has apparently gone Democratic and Bush and the Congress are noted at those to blame.
Thank you for these compelling links. My heart is heavy, but it is not idle.
no offense taken, lincoln. i try not to get into politics on my site. but on *this* issue, i cannot keep silent.
and, also, to tell you the truth....it is not just Bush allowing this to go on. Our state is run by Democrats who's pockets are lined with coal money. our governor, senator, representatives..... NONE will stand up to King Coal.
It must STOP.
But I feel the same way about the war because it so didn't need to happen. I confess that I feel sort of apathetic and like nothing short of cataclysmic change is going to make the powers that be stop.
Just saw Ken Burns special on PBS on "The War." It was very moving.
Thats for bringing this to our attention. I didn't even know the problem existed. I will check out the links.
Thought provoking post and a great photo complimenting it.
Yeah one day we'll have to answer the future generations for the irreversible damages we cause to the nature.
We really can understand your anguish...Just be strong and fight for this cause...for the Lord is with us, and will surely show us the way for a better life and future ahead...our good wishes are with you!
colleen- i understand about the apathy....sometimes i feel the same. i get overwhelmed and think that my puny little voice will never make a difference. but hopefully, if we all put our puny little voices together, we can do something. but i am afraid it may come to a cataclysmic event....like the Big Sandy River flood caused by MTR that killed 125 people in the 70's. i just pray that it will stop before we have to face another event like that.....
I went to the links and sent off my letter to our representatives. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This type of thing just can't continue.
thanks so very much for taking action, sue. it means a lot to me.....
My aunt had the coolest, cleanest spring on her property until a cousin had his land mined. Now the water is ruined and the farm will never be the same.
I can see his parents turning over in their graves at what he's done. :(
I'm slowly catching up with myself since returning to Floyd. Just wanted you to know that the new MTR action site is great. You know how it goes, people like easy. BTW, I sent mine out a minute ago and I plan to make note in my blog again.
thanks, june!
So glad you published a link to Jean's lyrics. (Saw her perform it up here in Southeast Ohio a couple years ago.) You saved me some time as I put together a blog entry this morning about all the blackwaters poisoning our land.
[after getting up to switch off the unneeded kitchen light] I actually enjoy your passion. Without passion, where would our communities end up? In the arms of the passionless, who would put profit before love.
The picture and the reality remind me of the book Savages, about the practices of oil companies in Ecuador. It seems to me that these issues are in many places, with similar symptoms...taking the richness of the earth without regard for the richness of human life and flora and fauna.
just a side note, it was the Buufalo Creek flood that killed 125 people in KY, when a coal sludge dam broke. The Big Sandy River flood was more recent and killed ove a million fish. Both were a result of mountaintop strip and removal mining.
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