To Vacation or Not, in Tennessee? That Is the Question (for the Coal Industry and the NRDC)

In the war over the destructive coal-mining practice known as mountaintop removal, one of the fronts is being fought in Tennessee, between advocates for regional tourism and mining interests.

The Daily Green named Appalachia's scenic byways as one of 10 Endangered Vacations, because the scars created by mountaintop removal can so decimate the beauty of a landscape. (Beyond the scars, mountaintop removal obliterates forest habitat, which is typical of strip mining, but also fills in vast stretches of mountain streams, destroying trout habitat and polluting downstream waters. Not only that, but mountaintop removal only further distorts the artificially cheap cost of coal, making a perverse incentive to burn the most highly polluting fossil fuel for electricity when cleaner sources are available at far less longterm cost to the environment and human health.)

Nowhere has the debate between the advocates of tourism and strip-mining been as fever-pitched as in Tennessee.

At the center of the debate is Sen. Lamar Alexander, the only Republican who supports the Appalachia Restoration Act, an effective ban on mountaintop removal mining. The coal industry, trying to undermine his political support, has urged people to boycott Tennessee when planning their vacations. The Natural Resources Defense Council, today, has countered by encouraging its 1.2 million members to plan a vacation there.

(Hardly the coal industry's only effort to boost its fortunes, it is also lobbying hard -- with a $1 million campaign -- to win further concessions from the Senate in the debate over climate change and energy policy legislation. It has also been wrapped up in the recent controversy over forged letters to House members purporting to be from grassroots groups opposed to climate legislation.)

Tennessee not your first choice of vacation? Well, it has the nation's most popular national park, the Great Smoky Mountains, among its natural treasures, historic sites like the Abraham Library and Museum, along with unique (one might say oddball) destinations like Dolly Parton's Dollywood ... not to mention the home of country music, Nashville. If none of that sways you, Tennessee is the Volunteer State -- so let's assume they'd do it for your state, if called upon.

"We are now calling on our members to stand up to the bullying tactics of the coal industry and to support Tennessee's economy," said Frances Beinecke, President of Natural Resources Defense Council and the winner of The Daily Green's 2009 Heart of Green award for lifetime achievement. "On behalf of NRDC, and our 1.2 million members and activists, we commend Senator Lamar Alexander for his leadership and we will continue to support his home state and its irreplaceable natural resources."

She added: "We're certain that all of NRDC's members recognize that the Appalachian Mountains are a diverse, ecological biogem with remarkable wildlife and natural resources that must be protected from destructive mountaintop coal mining. There is clearly a direct connection between the health of Tennessee's mountains and the health of its tourism industry and economy. These natural resources are the backbone of economic growth in the state."

For Tennessee tourism ideas, visit www.tnvacation.com, or check back with The Daily Green soon for more ideas.

More Vacation Ideas from The Daily Green

• 10 Romantic Ecotourism Destinations
• 10 National Parks to See Before You Die (Everyone Else Has)
• The Wildest of the Wild: The 10 Least Visited National Parks
• 10 Endangered Vacations
• 11 Eco-friendly Volunteer Vacations

Comments

[daybranch]

It is greed that drives this type of coal mining. Resorting to larger and larger equpment and more explosives while continually and consciously reducing the number of workers as well as destroying the natural beauty of the mountains is not something we should tolerate any longer. Tennessee still has very beautiful mountains and we used to have them in Southeastern Kentucky too. After the strip miners came to that part of Kentucky, mudslides ruined local farms. After that, reclaimation efforts were instituted and grassy plateaus with tiny pines began to replace the hardwood covered peaks. We had no need for more golf courses.
Keep Tennessee beautifiul, do not sacrifice it to corporate greed of Duke power and other mining and power profiteers. I may be from Kentucky but I still appreciate the beauty of Tennessee and wish it preserved.

[jetphixer]

I lived in W Va for several yrs. an the mt top removal sickens me. I want to go back tot he smokies b4 i pass over but ill not go as long as Mt top removal is happening.

[B-Dog]

My wife and I would visit Tenn. but refuse to do so as long as the tops of mts. continue to be blown off.

[Pansey]

Come to Chattanooga, TN........­.I guarantee you will love this pedestrian friendly city on the Tennessee River. The politics suck in the South....b­ut you can't have everything. I'm a transplanted Californian; hoping for change in this region.

[independantmav]

I bet that you LOVE the tax rates though.