Green Begins in America: Ending Mountaintop Removal

by: wvblueguy

Sun Aug 16, 2009 at 21:13:45 PM EDT

A key part for participants at Netroots Nation are panels covering a variety of topics ranging from political issues as well as how to get it done presentations.  I attended many panels, but the one that hit home the hardest for me was the one held Saturday afternoon mentioned in the title of this diary above.  More than once I heard folks that attended that panel state that "it was the most meaningful panel held at the 3 day conference", and I agree with them.  It most certainly was for me.  

Last year at Netroots Nation Vice President Al Gore referred to mountaintop removal as "an atrocity."  It is an atrocity and a crime.  A crime perpetrated against the citizens that live in the hollows and towns where the mountains are being blown up and raped as well as our entire country and our planet that is losing these grand mountains every day.

The Obama administration's EPA has continued to allow offending companies such as Don Blankenship's Massey Energy to continue with existing mountaintop removal projects as well as issuing new permits at an astounding rate.  Here in West Virginia our politicians listen politely to the plight of those that live near mountaintop removal sites, and then turn a deaf ear to what is undoubtedly one of the greatest crimes against our citizens and our environment.

Over the next few days I will post videos of the other speakers at this very important panel.  Watch and then pass them on to others. This first video has part of the presentation made by Jeff Biggers the author of The United States of Appalachia as well as a contributor to The Huffington Post.  Jeff moderated the panel.