King Coal Commits Crimes Against Humanity

It was really hard for me to figure out a way to finish up this week of posts on mountaintop removal. It is a subject that gets me extremely emotional. And, truly, it is a "no brainer." The amount of destruction that this unconscionable practice causes pales in comparison to any of the "benefits" that its proponents claim.

This is a case of pure greed taking precedence over our environment, our health, and our livelihoods.

If you think otherwise, you must be getting a nice payoff from the coal industry. And, that is exactly why mountaintop removal exists. Most of the politicos in Appalachia and in Washington, D.C. are on the take from this industry. And, some of the most powerful among them are taking some of the most money.

The only people who want mountaintop removal to continue are the coal companies who profit from it and their paid lackeys.

This rape of Appalachia must end!

And, do not think that you are not implicated in this rape. Your power comes from this coal. So, your comfort is based in this destruction. Also remember that the mountains of Appalachia are also the "mother of waters" and many of you are downstream. In the big picture, we are all downstream.

So, please, educate yourselves to what is happening in your name.

There are several great documentaries that have been recently produced, including "Black Diamonds: Mountaintop Removal and the Fight for Coalfield Justice" and "Mountaintop Removal."

Many incisive books have been published on the subject, including Coal River, Lost Mountain: A Year in the Vanishing Wilderness, and Missing Mountains: We Went to the Mountaintop But It Wasn't There.

And, there are many feature articles out there as well, including "Coalfield Generations: Health, Mining, and the Environment," "Appalachian Apocalypse," "Unnatural Wonders," and "Dirty Money: The Economy of Coal."

If the words make you absolutely sick, just wait until you see the pictures.

King Coal is destroying landscapes and lives.

In the end, we are the only ones who can stop this crime against humanity. But, we need to raise our voices and join in the chorus with those who have already spoken out against the rape of Appalachia.

Please take a few minutes to visit these great organizations: iLoveMountains.org, Appalachian Voices, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Mountain Justice Summer, Coal River Mountain Watch, Stop Mountaintop Removal!, Keepers of the Mountains Foundation, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Save Our Cumberland Mountains, and Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards.

The fate of Appalachia is entwined with the fate of us all.

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