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This Little (Coal-Fired) Light of Mine: Will President Heed 45 Million Prayers?
As the brilliant lights of the White House shine across Pennsylvania Avenue Monday evening, generated by a coal-fired plant that uses coal stripmined from devastating mountaintop removal operations in Appalachia, religious leaders and organizations representing over 45 million Americans from across the country will hold a special candlelight prayer vigil at 7pm in Lafayette Park.
"The purpose of the rally is to remember the nearly 500 mountains already destroyed by mountaintop removal mining," according to Jordan Blevins, Assistant Director of the National Council of Church's Eco-Justice Office, and the sponsor of the event, "and to have people of faith call upon the federal government to end this destructive practice."
This little coal-fired light of mine: Will President Barack Obama be listening to these prayers to end a mining practice that detonates millions of pounds of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil explosives every day in the Appalachian coalfields in order to scoop up only 5-7 percent of our national coal production?
The National Council of Churches is the ecumenical voice of America's Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican, historic African American and traditional peace churches, and represents over 45 million Americans in 100,000 congregations across the country. For more information on today's event, visit their Eco-Justice site: http://ecojustice.wordpress.com/2009/07/31/ending-mountaintop-removal/
August 3rd should be a national day of atonement for our sins against the American mountains and mountaineers.
Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in 1977, which President Jimmy Carter called "a disappointing effort" and a "watered down" bill, and unleashed one of the most egregious environmental violations in our nation's history. Carter's main concern with SMCRA's loopholes dealt with the atrocious political compromise engineered by Big Coal sycophants in Congress, which effectively granted federal recognition of mountaintop removal. Nearly four decades later, over 1.2 million acres of hardwood deciduous forests in our nation's carbon sink have been wiped, historic communities have been depopulated and left in ruin, and over 1,2o0 miles of waterways have been jammed with mining waste.
For more history on Carter, SMCRA and the last 38 years of regulatory machinations and mountaintop removal mayhem, see:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/jimmy-carters-next-urgent_b_2...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-biggers/dear-mr-president-declare_b_2...
Religious leaders and ecumenical organizations have been outspoken on mountaintop removal destruction for years.
Over the past decade, six major denominations have issued anti-mountaintop removal resolutions of faith, stating that "the sanctity and sacredness of human life and the natural environment should not be destroyed in the name of corporate profit," and "mountaintop removal coal mining is devastating the environment, economies, people, and culture in Appalachia." Similar resolutions have been passed by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church, the United Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Religious Society of Friends.
The Presbyterian Church of the United States declared:
"WHEREAS, mountaintop removal coal mining destroys both the beauty and productive capacity of the land thus eliminating future or alternative economic opportunities for the families of Appalachia WHEREAS, God instructs us to "not defile the land where you live and where I dwell" (Numbers 35:34) [...]It is resolved that the 217th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA, urges state and federal agencies that regulate mining practices, as well as coal companies themselves, to abandon the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining and work to meet our nation's energy needs in a manner that is just, sustainable and consistent with Christian values."
For more information on the resolutions, see:
http://www.ilovemountains.org/resolutions
Last spring, the West Virginia Council of Churches published a book of personal narratives about the human costs and human rights violations of mountaintop removal on coalfields residents. The booklet, "Mountain Tops Do Not Grow Back, Stories of Living in the Midst of Mountain Top Removal Strip Mining," can be read at: http://www.wvcc.org/docs/MountaintopsDoNotGrowBack.pdf
Two years ago, the Catholic Committee of Appalachia and the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth sponsored a tour of mountaintop removal sites for several national evangelical leaders in the United States, and announced their intent to "pledge voice and vote against mountaintop removal. Our voices will retell the testimony we have heard and the destruction we have seen through our sermons, writings, and conversations." More information on the tour can be found here:
http://www.kftc.org/our-work/canary-project/people-in-action/religious-l...
In 2004, Catholic Bishop Emeritus Walter Sullivan from Richmond, Virginia, the corporate home of mountaintop removal giant Massey Energy, toured the coalfields and released a statement:
"The Church needs to stand with those who live lives of hopelessness and helplessness. The mountain culture and its way life are being destroyed. Thankfully, the Catholic Committee of Appalachia (CCA), under the direction of Sister Robbie Pentecost and the many Church workers in the area, are willing to stand up and be counted. "Mountain top removal" is just another example of profit taking preference over the lives of people, where the powerful wage a different kind of war against the powerless."
The Christians for the Mountains (CFTM) organization was founded a few years ago as a a "network of persons committed to advocating that Christians and their churches recognize their God-given responsibility to live compatably and sustainably upon this earth God has created." CFTM has been active in organizing in events and campaigns in the coalfield region. See: http://christiansforthemountains.org/about/
Here's a clip from the Christians for the Mountains role in "Mountain Mourning," in the "Mountains Don't Grow Back" film documentary by B. J. Gudmundsson:
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19 Comments so far
Show AllThank you Jeff Biggers. Real leaders are huge right now, we have to be represented and those leaders must make a stand.
People have a right to life. Life. No ands, ifs or buts.
Corporations have no such right.
There is a terminal disease afflicting civilization, and it is centered in Washington, D.C.
Excellent oppurtunity for right and left to realize their mutual struggle, aspirations and oppressor.
And to build a populist anti-corporate pro people party upon it.
Hows that for a party title PRO PEOPLE'S PARTY ???
There is no greater greed than Christianity.
No doubt these same people used to make fun of tree-huggers and dirt-eaters.
And elected those who told them that greed is good.
And make fun of evolutionists.
Have they had a change of heart? If so, welcome!
If all they're doing is complaining because they got screwed but are still going to vote for the two parties
and the only reason they're upset is that they didn't get rich off of it
then they'll knife us in the back again on gay rights... the environment... civil liberties... reparations to Native and African Americans... corporate power...
I hope they have had a true change of heart. But listening to them sing Hallelujah doesn't reassure me.
Wanderer~
You and Henry 8 and others of your ilk....
...later, okay?
We've got more important issues. Kill the corporations!
C'mon, guys.
Wanderer,
The christians you stereotype are not those Biggers is writing about. Mainline Protestant sects like the Presbyterian and Episcopal chirches - especially in urban areas, are often progressive and supportive of the things you list. Churches are the most common meeting place for a lot of activist organizations.
There a quite a few Catholic activist organizatons that take progressive positions too. Bishop Sullivan and the Dioscese of Richmond have als otaken a lot of progressive positions.
I concur. There is one HUGE problematic divide, above all other divides in humanity right now, and that is the rich (filthy rich) vs. the poor (the 98 per centers). Certainly we have other problems, but: I will love the Satan worshipper, the atheist and the Christian (even pseudo-Christians) equally if they all hate Wall Street! Get rid of Wall Street, the massive corporate killing machine and then we can go to work on our lesser divides...
It's that simple and that critical.
There is no greater ignorance than agnostics or atheists.....doesn't sound or look any better when you say it way this does it.
Personal attacks on me and other Christians aren't entirely welcome.
Perhaps you could rethink?
August 4th and the rest of the year should be a national day and national year of atonement for the murder, torture and theft of the Iraqi, Afghani, and Pakistani men women and children who have been victims of the illegal invasion and war conducted by the US. The majority of church going christians, in a resent pole, said that they approved of the torture policy of the Bush/Cheney regime!! Naturally they would, as the christians have been murdering and torturing innocent women , men , and children since Constantine made the Roman Catholic church the state religion back in the fourth century AD. It is the religion of the Imperial war machine! And most of these fundamentalist christians would have me tortured and murdered for exposing this basic fact!
Where, oh where, is Mr. Concerned About Climate Change/Global Warming, namely Al Gore and when, oh when, will he show up to walk his talk. After all Tennessee is very near the disaster area of mountain top removal activity. Perhaps he could use his political standing to arrange and get a meeting with Massey Coal Co officials. And then report to the people what he learned: stonewalling, lies and deceptions, or some room for change? Or go to Washington, where he has recognition and standing to open doors and have direct meetings with decision making members of Congress and a Democratic administration on MTR issues. Ordinary people do well to get a meeting with Congressional staff members, maybe just interns, let alone anyone someone in actual decision making in the Bureau of Mines or other relevant agencies. Or he could make a speaking tour of the West Virginia area and show his film and continue his educational efforts right in the belly of the beast of coal fed global warming. Or perhaps he could provide some of his ample wealth to help with legal defense and bail for those who commit civil disobedience, putting their safety and freedom on the line in attempting to stop this insanity. There are no doubt other possibilities, but silence and AWOL are not among them. Ostensible leaders who will not stand and be counted when the chips are down should be recognized for what they are and abandoned.
I thought you knew. The voters of Tennessee and West Virginia repudiated Al Gore at the polls in 2000. They perceived him as a tree hugger and an environmental nut. Now these same people want Al Gore to come in and save them. Al Gore doesn't owe them a damn thing. Not to mention the majority of those same voters went on to vote for Mc Cain and "drill baby drill" Palin. You say that Al Gore doesn't walk the walk. Well how can he if the voters of Tennessee and West Virginia ridicule and ostracize his concern for the environment and won't give him the time of day? I agree that what is going on in West Virginia and the appalachians is a tragedy, but it doesn't help when the local people aid and abet their own destruction through the voting booth.
Actually from what I recall Gore made empty promises running for VP such as as the plant in East Liverpool, OH (at the WV border I believe) and then out of embarrassment didn't campaign in the area in 2000. Not to mention he let the Bush crew steal the election. He's no Zelaya, Al Gore!
People tend to forget that while in Congress Gore never saw a nuke weapon or bomber program he didn't love, and cast a late grandstanding vote for our Iraq oil war. He spent the 70s-90s trying to blow up the planet. Only recently has he been Mr. Save the World, in a non-binding, "save the legacy" fashion.
More accurately rendered, Appalachia owes Gore nothing!
"He's no Zelaya, Al Gore!" I won't disagree there.
"Not to mention he let the Bush crew steal the election." You won't get any argument from me.
"More accurately rendered, Appalachia owes Gore nothing!" You are probably correct, but that doesn't excuse the people of that area for electing these Sarah Palin types and then want the government to save their mountains. There is a real disconnect (but what the hey, America is full of disconnects).
Anyways, I appreciate your civil and thoughtful response.
Let's not wait for people who have managed to do one thing to do everything - let alone Al Gore.
Making destructive MTR practices into a religious issue will not yield any results.
The population's perception, inside and outside of Appalachia, rightly or wrongly, is that more electric production is needed to cure the nations economic woes.
They are indifferent as to whether such production comes from coal, nuclear or renewable resources, or how much carbon it produces, as long as is doesn't cause a major increase in their electric bill and produces a few jobs along the way.
Their "economic horizon" is a decade away, at most--AGW is not on their radar screens.
Look into your souls and tell me I am not right.
Then, read about and support "Plan B" the technology that promises, and can deliver upon, electric production far cheaper than coal, nuclear, or many competing renewables.
Power producing devices could be installed on what's left of mountaintops that have been "removed" creating local jobs. No adverse health effects would occur as they do in conventional "wind farms"--they would produce fewer decibels of noise, and any sound produced would be directed upwards.
Ref: http://vortexengien.ca --Plan B.
correction: http://vortexengine.ca
Jesus was a Commie, so when he comes back, Look Out!
The article choked me up, and it's been a long time since I called myself a Christian. Still I thought of that verse, Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."
Yes, the sins of man against this earth, in our hubris to believe it was ours to use, have been backlashing on us for some time now. Most christians that I know, however, have no problem whatsoever with mountain top removal mining. I've heard them say things like "well, nature blows the tops off mountains too!"
Answer: no because he is too busy praying himself;in fact, all day long according to his own statement.
Just to correct an error, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition published the booklet of interviews with coalfield residents referred to in this article, "Mountaintops do not Grow Back."
It was posted on the Council of Churches' website with OVEC's permission.