W. Va. editorial says mining coal should be easier 7

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1. 

   wildleaf Posted 8:32 am
   01 Sep 2007

   West Virginians' aren't to blame.Don't knock West Virginians. I was born in Kentucky then lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia most of my life. West Virginia is a fine and beautiful state that isn't inbred at all. In fact jokes like that allow large coal companies to take advantage of the rural folks by dehumanizing them.
   I don't support coal production but editorials aren't written by the people but by the business interests. If you want to make fun of the poorest people of the US and degrade them you will also make it impossible to bring change to the region because they will reject you. Blame the industry representatives, these are carpet baggers from the North East. Blame crooked politicians, they stay in power because the poor people of Appalachia can't stand up to the influence of business on them.
   WV has a lot to offer our country. Their crafts are beautiful and show a level of sophistication that can't be found anywhere else in the US. Those mountains are beautiful and kept that way by the proud people who live there. There is wonderful tourism opportunities to see the best aspects of one of the oldest mountain chains in the world. There is history, a history that includes rebelliousness. A state that serves as a home for people who want to get away from the rest of the US.
   Be kind to West Virginia they are our friends. They deserve our respect and help. If you don't like coal there then do something good about stopping it, look up the artisans and buy their goods online. Contact the many coal opposition groups and send them a donation. Just don't ridicule good people.
   
   
   
   The Black Car Project
   
   

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2. 

   Bart Anderson Posted 9:08 am
   01 Sep 2007

   Environmental justiceGood point, wildleaf. I think JMG's post is really about coal producers, and the remark was an ill-considered aside.
   I second everything you say about people from West Virginia and Kentucky. Good people, for whom the legacy of coal mining has been mostly unhappy.
   By the way, there is a great article about pollution and environmental justice by Grist's Amanda Griscom Little that will appear in Sunday's New York Times: Not in Whose Backyard?.
   
   Bart
   
   
   Energy Bulletin

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3. 

   JMG Posted 9:39 am
   01 Sep 2007

   Hmmmm, yes, but ...Who cast all those votes to give West Virginia to Bush in 2000?  Seems like I recall the UMW endorsing a Republican for the first time ever that year ...
   
   Save the world: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5% annually.

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4. 

   GreyFlcn Posted 10:35 am
   01 Sep 2007

   At $2200+ per KW, No we don't need Coal

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5. 

   drfrances Posted 11:20 am
   01 Sep 2007

   Instead of insultsNot all of us West Virginians are in love with coal. It might be more useful to learn about and support the efforts of many West Virginians and others in the Appalachians to stop mountaintop removal and other environmental damage from coal mining. A good place to start is this page from iLoveMountains.org, http://www.ilovemountains.org/about.
   Frances

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6. 

   NFJM Posted 12:16 am
   02 Sep 2007

   HelloHi, I am from Lorraine, an old coal mining area. I am horrified by the statement for coal but can understand the problems of WV.
   If you want to know what coal has brought us:
   
   
   more death than WW1 and WW2 combined (although we paid a high human cost in both
   
   a depletion of forest due to the need of supporting beams for the mines
   
   an old outdated heavy industry sector which is a major handicap for the economy
   
   the greediness of countries competing for the control over our resources (I would have been better never to have had the resources since they do not contribute to local wealth anyway)
   
   the migration through centuries of poor and uneducated laborers from other provinces
   
   a coal intensive energy mix (with all NOx, SOx and other pollutants related)
   
   a handicapped job market since a lot of people here are blue collars and don´t have the qualifications required in a post-industrial economy
   
   

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7. 

   Delay And Deny Posted 7:16 am
   02 Sep 2007

   Press Conference
   
   The Governor of West Virginia makes his statement:
   http://d94132.u23.simplenet.com/images/Lockheed_U-2/deliv ...
   
   John Bailo
   
   
   Sutext:

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