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Trash the planet, earn bonuses. Call attention to this, go to jail.

September 27th, 2010 · 1 Comment

Mountain-top removal (MTR) is a travesty, a crime on current and future generations in the interest of near-term profits. Even within the context of mining coal, MTR isn’t just a way to get the miner out of the mine but miners out of the coal industry as blowing up the mountains and devastating the environment […]

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Tags: coal · Energy

Science blows the top off mountaintop removal mining

January 8th, 2010 · 4 Comments

This cross-post from DWG provides an excellent perspective on the heavily peer-reviewed study, just published in Science magazine, that provides strong material about the serious health (environmental and human) implications of Mountain Top Removal (MTR).  For links to numerous other discussions, see here. The rapacious polluters in the coal industry are celebrating. The approval of […]

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Tags: business practice · coal · Energy · environmental · government energy policy · pollution

Scientists find MTR war systematically dangerous

January 7th, 2010 · Comments Off on Scientists find MTR war systematically dangerous

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 […]

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Tags: coal · Energy · politics

Clean Energy Jobs Blow In (not Blow Up) Coal River Mountain

November 21st, 2009 · 11 Comments

This is part of a series of brief posts on ‘clean energy jobs’ opportunities for sparking meaningful employment, quickly, in the United States as discussed in Clean Energy Jobs: Stimulate Me. Clean Energy Jobs Blow In (not blow up) Coal River Mountain: $250 million per year for 25,000 jobs We often hear about how coal […]

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Tags: clean energy jobs · coal · Energy · wind power

MTR from some security guards’ perspective

September 14th, 2009 · Comments Off on MTR from some security guards’ perspective

Mountain Top Removal, as practiced in Appalachia, is perhaps best described as a warfare on America, Americans, and the planet. A practice filled with devastating implications, about the only redeeming feature is its short term profit making for those who rate the dollars in their pocket above essentially everything else. Many of those who encounter […]

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Tags: coal · Energy

Almost Heaven, West Virginia — land of putt-putt golf courses?

September 7th, 2009 · 1 Comment

“Almost heaven, West Virginia …” An anthem immediately recognizable to millions. Yet, an anthem under ever mounting threat. West Virginia, as with much of the world, faces a clear choice between an ever-dirtier fossil fuel path and moving toward a prosperous, climate friendly economy. While this is a global challenge, in West Virginia the choices […]

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Tags: Energy

Batting 0 for 37,000: Why MTR Restoration Fails

August 25th, 2009 · 4 Comments

A Fish Out of Water struggles to survive, finding a path toward a safer environment. FishOutofWater is a thoughtful, engaged scientist, passionately struggling to help us find our way toward a prosperous, climate-friendly future. Here is a guest post focusing on the local, regional, national tragedy that is mountain-top removal. Mountaintop Removal Mining (MTR) at […]

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Tags: coal · Energy

Cradle-to-Grave Crazy, Cradle-to-Grave Reckless

August 15th, 2009 · 4 Comments

The insanity of truth denying is somewhat staggering to considering, with people who are so disconnected from the real world that they seek to create some form of near 50 year long conspiracy of how Barack Obama wasn’t actually born in the United States (as long as you consider Hawaii as one of the 50 […]

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Tags: climate delayers · coal · Energy · global warming deniers

Wise and UnWise

August 11th, 2009 · Comments Off on Wise and UnWise

Today we have news of a Wise decision when it comes to what should be referred to Dominion Virginia Power’s unWise plan to build a massive new coal-power plant in Wise County, Virginia.

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Tags: Energy

Is it time for the Feds? Intimidation and Violence Escalating in West Virginia’s MTR areas

July 22nd, 2009 · 3 Comments

A month ago, non-violent protesters infiltrated an anti-Progress Mines (Massey Energy) Mountaintop Removal site in Western Virginia. Through the early morning, they snaked through desolated terrain, formally beautiful mountains and valleys, reminiscent of a World War I battlefield. A trained group climbed the dragline and put up a Stop Mountaintop Removal sign. Everyone involved had […]

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Tags: coal