Posts Tagged ‘Coal’
Susan Lapis, Volunteer Southwings Pilot, Given Prestigious Aviation Award
Earlier this month, Volunteer Pilot Susan Lapis was awarded the 2012 “Distinguished Volunteer Pilot” award from the National Aeronautic Association and the Air Care Alliance as part of their Public Benefit Flying Awards Program. For over a decade, Susan has been giving flyovers of mountaintop removal coal mining sites through her work with Southwings where…
Read MoreUpdate: House Passes Dirty Coal Package
UPDATE: Last Friday, the House passed the Dirty Coal package, H.R. 3409, by a vote of 233-175. Thirteen Republicans, led by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8), crossed party lines to oppose the bill and stand up for Appalachian communities and public health. The three parts of the bill not related to mountaintop removal mining had received…
Read MoreComing Soon: 5th Annual Weekend in Wise
The 5th Annual Weekend in Wise County, hosted by the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition amid Virginia’s treasured Appalachian Mountains, is just around the corner. October 12 through 14, experience the beauty and culture of southwest Virginia and learn about mountaintop removal coal mining. Participate in tours of mountaintop…
Read MoreAfter Coal: Welsh and Appalachian Mining Communities
What happens to a community historically centered around coal mining when the coal runs out? The story of fossil fuels is a story of booms and busts, and reports indicate that Central Appalachia is on the brink of the greatest bust yet. Central Appalachian coal is running out — the U.S. Energy Information Administration anticipates…
Read MoreLooking Beyond November
Last week, Appalachian Voices was on the front lines of our democracy at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. Our “bourbon and bluegrass” reception for our friends and allies was a smashing success, with impassioned calls to end mountaintop removal coal mining and rousing endorsements of our work from Sen. Ben Cardin, Van Jones and…
Read MoreMoving Our Energy Policy Forward
Appalachian Voices’ Director of Programs Matt Wasson addresses a live and online audience about mountaintop removal and coal waste. Tennessee Director JW Randolph and D.C. Director Kate Rooth greet EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the DNC. Last night, it was great to see our Director of Programs Matt Wasson, our good friend from Tennessee, Ann…
Read MoreDNC Dispatch: Key political players attend App Voices party
Greetings from the DNC! We had an absolutely fantastic evening at our “Bourbon, Bluegrass and a Better Future for Appalachia” reception in the heart of the convention area in uptown Charlotte yesterday. A full house joined us to celebrate our work protecting the environment and communities of Appalachia. Van Jones speaks to a crowd of…
Read MoreTen Years In, the Clean Smokestacks Act Continues to Benefit Us All
Right now, members of Congress are at home hearing from their constituents about the issues they most care about. In this spirit, we joined residents of North Carolina working on water issues to visit the Charlotte office Sen. Kay Hagan. It was exciting to be in the Queen City, as it gears up for the…
Read MoreA Summer of Resistance: Civil Disobedience and the Barriers to Progress
Photos of RAMPS’ “Mountain Mobilization” courtesy of documentary photographer Mark Schmerling. On July 28, an action planned and carried out by RAMPS — or Radical Action for Mountain Peoples’ Survival, a group based in West Virginia — led a large group of mostly young protesters to march up the entrance of the Hobet surface mine…
Read MoreAnother Setback for the Much Needed Cross-State Pollution Rule
A critical clean air rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which would help provide cleaner air for an estimated 240 million Americans — including Appalachians — was dealt a setback today by the U.S. Court of Appeals which rejected the rule 2-to-1. Finalized in August 2011, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule would help prevent…
Read More