April Fools: Tearing down mountains for coal
The industry funded National Coalition on Mountaintop Mining is no joke.
Wed, Apr 01 2009 at 5:24 PM EST
The headline at NRDC Switchboard was spot on- "Fools on Mountaintop". The mining industry has funded the creation of the National Coalition on Mountaintop Mining, an organization in favor of blowing up mountains and dumping rubble into streams so mining companies can have better profit margins.
I actually called up the organization to confirm that it isn't a joke. My suspicions were raised- it's April 1st, and the organizations FAQ is beyond bad:
Q: What is a FAQ?A: FAQ is an acronym for "frequently asked questions."Q: What is mountaintop mining?A: Mountaintop mining is simply coal mining that occurs at or near the topmost portion of a mountain.Q: What is a valley fill? A:A valley fill isQ: What is an intermittent stream?A: Mountaintop mining is simply coal mining that occurs at or near the topmost portion of a mountain.Q: What is meant by "alternative land use?"A: Mountaintop mining is simply coal mining that occurs at or near the topmost portion of a mountain.
Seriously, that's the FAQ.
Or you can sign up for their "Mountaintop Mining Newsle". They're so cutting edge, they don't need to use the rest of the letters.
Their idea of defending blowing up mountains for cheap coal is pointing out the new malls that are built on top.
We're trading our ridgelines and valleys and their rich biodiversity for stripmalls and golf courses. That's progress?
I'd be smiling if I wasn't so mad. They have the gall to claim that mountaintop removal mining is good for habitat.
Far from the destructiveness portrayed in the mass media, mining operations have actually helped improve habitat for wildlife in Appalachia. Today, we are once again seeing elk and wild horses on former mountaintop mining sites.
Gah!
There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...
Doh. I was hoping I'd wake up in a world where the idea of mountaintop removal mining was left to clever green bloggers making deadline on April 1st.
Candyman...
Candyman...
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