We can change the world
The Blue Marble - NASA photo
So much to do, so little time. We don’t just mean this in the sense of being busy in our lives; more importantly, it is about how little time we have to change the course of human life on this planet so that the Earth may continue to live and breathe and support abundant life for future generations.
Below are some suggestions for actions you can take, and ways to be involved, that can truly make a difference. There are many things we can do, and every action counts. We hope you will find your own path into this great work of our time.
Stop Mountaintop Coal Mining
Regular visitors to this blog know that we have rather strong feelings about the coal industry, and most especially its practice of blowing up mountains in the Appalachian Range to get at the coal buried within them. Put ‘mountaintopping’ into our search engine to access lots of information. Here we want to call your attention to some of the organizations we continue to monitor.
Mountain Justice Summer: Besides their very good info, this group carries out training camps in coal country that provide information and organizing skills to help folks become active in the struggle to end this egregious practice.
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition: Out of Huntington, West Virginia, the site has photo galleries, action alert, newsletters, press releases, and more.
Coal River Mountain Watch: “Remembering the past, working for the future.” Photo gallery, updates, info on energy alternatives.
Ilovemountains.org: This active and intriguing website, full of photos, videos, campaign info, and news updates, is produced by Appalachian Voices. We are joining in their bloggers challenge and urge your support by adding your voice to the campaign to stop mountaintopping coal mining.
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Action on Capitol Hill »
It is crucial that we constituents communicate regularly with our Representatives and Senators about our concerns for our planet, our energy future, our Earth community. We have to make our voices heard over the din of the big lobbyists and monied interests. Echoing Al Gore’s campaign, we are not asking, we are demanding action — things like carbon taxes, caps on greenhouse gas emissions, sharp controls on development, eliminating tax breaks for the fossil fuel industries and industrial agriculture and putting those funds towards alternative energy sources and small-scale farms, preferably organic, and preservation of ecosystems around the country. This is about the future of our children and grandchildren — and theirs, too.
Organize community discussions in your places of worship, union halls, community organizations, and then join together to visit your representatives and their staffs, to organize letter-writing campaigns, to participate in town hall discussions, radio talk shows, and community events around specific issues related to your ecological concerns. To get ideas, visit our links and resources page and visit some of the organizations listed there.