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Question Dear Umbra, I noticed that several of the presidential primary debates were sponsored by clean coal. This was announced during breaks and several commercials aired. I have since seen several more commercials and online advertisements. Is clean coal an oxymoron? Is this a PR stunt or are there any real environmental benefits to clean…

Until the mid-twentieth century, Ansted, West Virginia was a bustling coal camp. In 1950, the coal company that operated the local mine pulled out, leaving the community with a sense of economic depression. In the years that followed, residents banded together and re-inspired a pride in their mountain region, eventually rebounding the local economy through…

Monday June 23, 2008 Protect the coast but not West Virginia? Offshore regions were sheltered, but this state was not The year was 1981 when Congress decided to save the U.S. continental shelf by declaring a moratorium on offshore gas and oil drilling and exploration. The moratorium has protected virtually the entire Atlantic and Pacific…

“Mountaintop mining is an atrocity. It is an outrage. My wife Tipper and I give out an award at the Nashville Film Festival every year for best documentary on these environmental issues. This year’s winner was called “Mountaintop mining” (actually, Mr. Gore, that is “Mountain Top Removal”). I learned more about it from that movie.…

JOIN US for the launch of Muddy Water Watch in the High Country! The first MWW meeting will be held on September 8 in Boone at the Ag Conference Center on 252 Poplar Grove Road from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Call or contact Donna Lisenby, the Upper Watauga Riverkeeper at 828-262-1500 or donna@appvoices.org for more…

Via the Energy Information Administration this morning, we have gotten the shocking news that central Appalachian coal is suddenly pushing $140/ton. This is a tremendous jump of 350% in just one year. While we see a long-term skyrocketing of central Appalachian coal costs, production has decreased dramatically over the last 8 years. For perspective, central…

Welcome to Mountain Monday, spreading the word about mountaintop removal, and celebrating the best Appalachia has to offer. Take a look at the region carrying the heaviest load for American coal production, and you’ll see that we are definitively beyond “peak coal” in Appalachia. The US Geological Survey, and other crazy assorted “experts” on “science”…

(h/t wvblueguy over at WVaBlue)

Hope everyone is having a fabulous summer! The wytheconservnet.org website will be up and running in August, until then we wanted to let you know about an event this Sunday. Please consider attending the Blue Ridge Forest (www.blueridgeforestcoop.com) Co-op’s Field Day and Annual Meeting in Wythe County on July 20th. This is a casual event…

March on Zeb Mountain! STOP STRIP MINING TENNESSEE’S WATERSHEDS! United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice and Three Rivers Earth First! ask you to march with us for Appalachia. This is a call for you to take a Sunday out of your life to help preserve some of the oldest mountains and watersheds on Earth. March with…