I am channeling Teacher Ken today to urge you read Jobert Kennedy Jr.'s great Op Ed today in the New York Times entitled Coal: An Outlaw Enterprise. He links the arrest of Don Blankenship for masterminding safety violations leading to the Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion and the recent blockbuster findings (discovered by his Waterkeepers and other environmental organizations) of fraudulent clean water reports.
Please read this and take heart- The local folks are starting to organize and speak out about coal and its effects, even as the state of West Virginia changed its politics to Republicans from Democrats in a futile effort to stave off the future. This is the time to hope and organize to change to a renewed and cleaner future..
It is the grassroots that is organizing. In the coming weeks and months I am going to start a regular letter from Appalachia to share what is going on here- good and bad news. Here are some links to some projects and organizations working on issues of Appalachian coal, gas and water.
Show these folks a little love financially or just be their friends on Facebook and learn what they are doing.
OVEC: Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
Coal River Mountain Watch
West Virginia Rivers Coalition
Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
Kentucky Riverkeepers
http://Waterkeepers