West Virginia Blue
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First of all, a big shout out to our fiends at Future Majority ("blogging progressive youth politics") for linking to our CTL coverage. This well written diary (and informed comments) speaks well of their community.
Speaking of well informed comments, there are two lengthy comments here at West Virginia Blue that could easily be their own diaries. First, lifelong resident of Appalachian Virginia va dare shares her valuable perspective in "[http://www.wvablue.c... Repeating my e-mail from last night". Welcome, va dare!
Question. I'm looking for a membership list of the House and Senate CTL Fuel Caucus. Has anyone seen one?
Finally, our dailyKos diary on CTL/MTR has clocked in with over 500 comments! There's the usual chaff with the wheat, but the process of engaging with commenters there (plus commenters here!) really helped distill the key message. Below the break, a first draft:
The proposed coal to liquid fuel legislation is a massive government investment that will make two large-scale problems much worse instead of better.
First, it escalates demand for coal and, therefore, the ruinous Mountain Top Removal (MTR) coal production practices. Mountain Top Removal is a human, societal, and environmental tragedy. In the areas around Southern W.Va. MTR is poisoning water, fouling air, and driving people from their lifelong homes. We need policies that end MTR, not policies that further render southern Appalachia as a national sacrifice zone for cheap fuel.
Second, coal-to-liquid fuels is the wrong solution for global climate change. We need to make coal consumption cleaner by mandating usage of the cleanest possible technology for existing coal-burning electrical plants first. We need working carbon sequestration technology first. We need renewal energy sources replacing carbon-based fuels first. These are the ways to start addressing the effects of the global climate crisis.
The citizens of Southern W.Va. have been ill-served by a coal-based extraction economy. Money, resources and people are leaving the region. Mountain top removal leaves behind a waste land. We need a new vision: lets create a Sustainable Enterprise Empowerment Zone in southern Appalachia to replace lost coal industry jobs with green collar jobs. That's a far more positive, productive way to invest the billion dollar subsidies proposed for CTL.
What's your reaction? What parts do you disagree with? What needs to be amplified? Any room to make it tighter?
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