After a volunteer team effort, a group of scientists has published heavily scrutinized article in Science (“this is the most heavily peer-reviewed paper I’ve ever published“) calling for an immediate moratorium on the mountaintop removal war (MTR) on Appalachia. Acoording to the press release of the article (to appear in the 8 January issue),
“The scientific evidence of the severe environmental and human impacts from mountaintop mining is strong and irrefutable,” says lead author Dr. Margaret Palmer of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. “Its impacts are pervasive and long lasting and there is no evidence that any mitigation practices successfully reverse the damage it causes.”
Their argument is quite strong and there is a very serious underlying issue of concern:
the most amazing part of all this—and clearly the scientists are amazed as well—is the fact that there’s never been a comprehensive assessment of MTR impacts before. We’re blowing up mountains and we have no idea what the consequences are! The mind boggles. It’s like the whole country is just discovering Appalachia.
Of course, just yesterday the EPA issued a permit for a MTR site.
Of course, better alternatives exist for our power situation and for the local economy.
On this, see:
- David Roberts, GRIST, Science confirms that blowing up mountains harms mountains
- Appalachia Voices, Scientists unveil a mountain of evidence against mountaintop removal
- Jesse Jenkins, Watthead, Science confirms the Abhorrently Obvious: Blowing up mountains damages environment, human health
- Sierra Club, Scientists Agree Mountaintop Removal Mining is Destroying Appalachia
- DeSmogBlog, Scientists call for mountain top removal moratorium
- Rob Perks, NRDC Switchboard, Scientists Support Ban on Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
- Joe Romm, Climate Progress, Science bombshell explodes myth of clean coal: Mountaintop “mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for losses.”
- Clem Guttata, West Virginia Blue, Planning an end to Mountaintop Removal Mining
- DWG, Daily Kos, Science blows the top off mountaintop removal mining
- Jeff Biggers, HuffPost, Mountaintop Removal Mayhem: Blair Mtn Scandal (Feds See Dead People), Coal Profits Soar, EPA Disses Scientists
- Matt Dernoga, The Dernogalizer, Unprecedented Scientific Report Details Mountaintop Removal Horrors
- Andy Revkin, Dot Earth (NY Times), Scientists Reject Mountaintop Mining Methods
- Kate Sheppard, Mother Jones, Blowing Up Mountains: Not a Great Idea
- Devilstower, Daily Kos, Daily Kos, It’s Only Appalachia
- Ken Ward, Coal Tattoo, Bombshell study: MTR impacts ‘pervasive and irreversible’
Traditional media
- David A. Fahrenthold, Washington Post, Scientists say mountaintop mining should be stopped (note: seems to be on web and not in printed version)
- Reuters, US should stop mountaintop coal mining — scientists