The war being waged in the coalfields of far southwest Virginia is not a war on coal but on our mountains, our communities, our people, our water and our health. Coal has not made us healthy. The science is in and doctors, nurses, and the American Lung Association tell us that human health is very much at risk. We are suffering from asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature deaths. Surely, industry could endorse a "well workforce" so that it can be more productive and less of a financial strain on society at large. Coal has not made us rich. The wealth that is created by this very finite resource has not been broadly shared nor laid a foundation to build a better future. The destruction it breeds instead ensures the keeping of a people bound in poverty forever. Every time we blow up another mountain, we blow up another future economic development opportunity. Coal is destroying a national treasure. The eradication of the forests, the flora and the fauna that are so unique to Appalachia has strangely been facilitated and approved by the clearing and grubbing process that occur before the explosions that destroy the mountain. We watch the destruction of one of the most unappreciated, bio-diverse places left on this earth.
Posted on: Fri, 09 Aug 2013 22:12:18 +0000
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