Appalachia

Friends of Coal vs. Friends of Wood

Rob Perks | Posted 12.15.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

I don't know Chris Chanlett, but I like his style. A self-described farmer and landscaper, he writes in the Charleston Gazette about his unique perspective on the "coal war" being waged in Appalachia.

In the Name of Rosa Parks: Arrest of 81-Year-Old on Fast, Mourning Mountaintop Removal

Jeff Biggers | Posted 12.03.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

On the anniversary of Rosa Parks' historic act of civil disobedience, an 81-year-old veteran and anti-mountaintop removal activist was arrested by law enforcement authorities.

Interior Department Comes Out Strong (Rhetorically) on Mountaintop Removal

Rob Perks | Posted 11.22.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

Interior doing its job by pledging to crack down on mountaintop removal? That's certainly welcome news. Aye, but there's a rub.

Country Stars Come Out Against Mountaintop Removal

Rob Perks | Posted 11.13.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

It is time to save the Appalachians from mountaintop removal coal mining. Music Saves Mountains just may mark the swan song for this horrendous crime against nature and our heritage.

Bomb Appalachia (and Face the Music)

Michael Gould-Wartofsky | Posted 11.09.2009 | Green


Michael Gould-Wartofsky

Theirs is a coast-to-coast campaign to save Appalachia's mountains and streams -- and Appalachians' homes, jobs, and culture -- from the devastating coal mining practice known as mountaintop removal.

Urge the Obama Administration to Save Coal River Mountain

Rob Perks | Posted 11.09.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

Rising above a picturesque valley in southern West Virginia, Coal River Mountain represents the last, best hope for a community resisting the legacy of dirty energy in this part of Appalachia.

Facing Coal Hard Facts at Interior Department

Rob Perks | Posted 11.05.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

The Interior Department could -- and should -- have published proposed changes right away and proceeded straight to public input.

Heads Up! Massey Energy Now Blasting Coal River Mountain

Jerry Cope | Posted 10.27.2009 | Green


Jerry Cope

The forecast in Coal River, W.V. now calls for heavy boulders and flying debris. Climate scientist James Hansen has declared it "ground zero in the fight against climate change".

It's Time For Mountaintop Removal To Stop

Gloria Reuben | Posted 10.27.2009 | Impact


Gloria Reuben

Big coal has busted up the unions, impoverished communities, and lined the pockets of state politicians and judges. It's time for this to stop.

EPA to Revoke Permit for Infamous WV Mountaintop Removal Mine

Rob Perks | Posted 10.21.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

The EPA is taking unprecedented action to bring to an end the saga of the infamous Spruce Mine, jamming a stake in the heart of what would have been the largest mountaintop removal project in the history of West Virginia.

Irreparable Damage: Senate Must Block OSM Nominee Pizarchik Today

Jeff Biggers | Posted 10.08.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

Given the irreparable damage of his mining record, Pizarchik's entrenched support of the coal industry suggests that the OSM would continue its decades-old tradition of lawlessness and betrayal of coalfield residents.

Big Coal Gone Wild Runs Bizarre "Bandits" Ad, While Appalachia Burns

Jeff Biggers | Posted 10.06.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

Who are the real FACES of the coalfield movement for a sustainable and diversified economy, clean energy jobs, and the preservation of the historic Appalachian communities?

Coal Slurry Smiles: NY Times Nails Clean Water Act Crimes and Punishment

Jeff Biggers | Posted 11.14.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

Duhigg's portrait of the Clean Water Act violations in West Virginia--and the indifference of state agencies--blew the cover on one of the worst kept secrets in Appalachia.

Boulder from Mountaintop Coal Mine Smashes Into Kentucky Home

Dave Cooper | Posted 11.09.2009 | Green


Dave Cooper

What happens when coal companies flatten the mountains directly above Appalachian communities?

Labor Day of Infamy: Who Killed the Jobs of Van Jones and Coal Miners?

Jeff Biggers | Posted 10.23.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

How easy to be cynical on this Labor Day, and declare it a day that will live in infamy for coal miners and coalfield residents and green job advocates across the nation.

Ted Kennedy's Legacy: "It's Wrong to Have Hungry Children"

Judi Jennings | Posted 09.30.2009 | Politics


Judi Jennings

If children were hungry or ill, Ted Kennedy wanted to know. And he wanted to do something about it.

Now is the Time, Al Gore: Coalfield Uprising and Heroes Need National Defense, Green Jobs

Jeff Biggers | Posted 09.28.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

Now is the time for all good greens, rednecks, social entrepreneurs, hellraisers, Repower America and Al Gore to come to the aid of their fellow citizens in the Appalachian coalfields.

Stop the Teabaggers, Give Them Green Jobs: Lessons From the Coalfields of West Virginia

Mike Elk | Posted 09.28.2009 | Business


Mike Elk

To know the story of West Virginia is to know why the progressive movement is failing to win over white working class voters. Because of their primary concern: jobs.

Outed! Will Obama Meet the Real FACES of Coal or Exposed Big Coal Front?

Jeff Biggers | Posted 09.27.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

From forged letters to fake rallies, the revelations over Big Coal's public relations machinations continue. Today's candidate for the "bogus coal front of the week" is FACES, the Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security.

Take This Mine And Shove It: India Fights Coal, As Tribe Fights Mountaintop Removal

Jeff Biggers | Posted 09.18.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

With the blessing of the Indian Supreme Court, Vedanta plans to launch its own version of Appalachia-style mountaintop removal on the Niyamgiri mountain, which the Dongria Kondh tribe worships as a god.

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

Dan Shapley | Posted 09.10.2009 | Green


Dan Shapley

Nowhere has the debate between the advocates of tourism and strip-mining been as fever-pitched as in Tennessee. Please plan a vacation there!

Defending Dolly from Big Coal Bullies

Rob Perks | Posted 08.30.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

This misguided boycott is akin to a neighbor refusing your dinner invitation unless you agree to let him burn down your house afterwards.

Coal Companies Destroying, Not Restoring Mountains

Rob Perks | Posted 08.28.2009 | Green


Rob Perks

Lax enforcement by state and federal environmental officials means that the mountaintop removal reclamation rarely results in reshaping the mountain to its approximate original state.

Letter From Europe: Foreign Disbelief of Topless America

Jeff Biggers | Posted 08.28.2009 | Green


Jeff Biggers

It's hard for any foreigner to believe that President Obama has quietly acquiesced to the marketing and machinations of Big Coal.

King Coal

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. | Posted 08.26.2009 | Green


Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The giant advantage of a quick conversion from coal to gas is the quickest route for jumpstarting our economy and saving our planet.