Heart attacks, lung cancers, and strokes. All three cause debilitating wounds both physical and mental in thousands of humans every year. In many, its worse. They are killed either outright, or through a slow and horribly painful process. Many of these damages or deaths of humans are perpetrated by other humans.
In many of those deaths, we are fully aware of the perpetrator. There is a known connection between the poison that is spewed from coal fired energy plants and the afflictions presented above. It's been known to all for many years.
So why, if the origin is known, would anyone continue to push a technology that causes such terrible ends? Why would anyone claim that there is anything safe, or clean about something that brings such harm and suffering? How could anyone knowingly participate in the death and injury of so many?
Easy answer. Profit. Longwall mining generates huge profits for Consol, Massey, Peabody and other mining companies. The damage they do is of no consequence. Whether it's loss of water for farm animals, a home, or the lungs of another human, none of them have more import than profit.
It will be a long time before we have all of these killing machines shut down. It will be even longer before the damage they continue to cause will be mitigated in any meaningful way.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Farm Fields
Most people in this country, certainly me, have no experience whatsoever, save as consumers, with farming. So, there are things that are passed to me in one form or another, that go right over my head.
In this case it is about farm fields. Some of us have seen what is called "subsidence" in the longwall mining industry. Essentially, that means that your land caves in. The effects of that can be devastating. Your stream can suddenly be "dewatered." Your farm can suddenly become useless for that purpose.
But, even having seen what can happen, it just did not occur to me that it could actually cause the opposite. If the subsidence were to occur under a farm field, what happens? One of the things that can happen, is that the field, now lower than the surrounding land, will become a catch basin. All of the rain that should be beneficial, now runs from the higher ground down into the lower land and that land now becomes a pond.
If a farmer's livelihood depends upon that land being usable, what is he to do? Certainly, when he purchased the land it was farmable. But, now as a lake, it has become useless to him. He cannot now support himself and his family. Or, supply food to those who depend upon him.
One of the arguments for longwall mining is that it creates jobs. How then would those mining companies explain the destruction of someone else's job? Are mining jobs more important than jobs that grow the food eaten by not just some, but all? And, if those mining interests decide that mining jobs are indeed more important than farm jobs, how are the farmers to be compensated for the loss of their farms? And, not just as cheaply as they can. But, fairly.
The longwall mining industry spends a lot of time whining and complaining about how unfairly they are treated. But, I have yet to hear the first member of that community, or any of it's supporter's, explain how they are more important than farmers. Or, for that matter, the people who are dependent upon what that farmer produces.
In this case it is about farm fields. Some of us have seen what is called "subsidence" in the longwall mining industry. Essentially, that means that your land caves in. The effects of that can be devastating. Your stream can suddenly be "dewatered." Your farm can suddenly become useless for that purpose.
But, even having seen what can happen, it just did not occur to me that it could actually cause the opposite. If the subsidence were to occur under a farm field, what happens? One of the things that can happen, is that the field, now lower than the surrounding land, will become a catch basin. All of the rain that should be beneficial, now runs from the higher ground down into the lower land and that land now becomes a pond.
If a farmer's livelihood depends upon that land being usable, what is he to do? Certainly, when he purchased the land it was farmable. But, now as a lake, it has become useless to him. He cannot now support himself and his family. Or, supply food to those who depend upon him.
One of the arguments for longwall mining is that it creates jobs. How then would those mining companies explain the destruction of someone else's job? Are mining jobs more important than jobs that grow the food eaten by not just some, but all? And, if those mining interests decide that mining jobs are indeed more important than farm jobs, how are the farmers to be compensated for the loss of their farms? And, not just as cheaply as they can. But, fairly.
The longwall mining industry spends a lot of time whining and complaining about how unfairly they are treated. But, I have yet to hear the first member of that community, or any of it's supporter's, explain how they are more important than farmers. Or, for that matter, the people who are dependent upon what that farmer produces.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Coal Kills
Coal is not clean. Coal kills. No matter how many commercials for clean coal appear on the television, radio, billboard sign, or internet, coal kills. No matter how many green fields, blue skies, wind turbine's or rosy cheeked children they parade through the scene, coal kills. Everyone knows that. It kills those who do the mining. It kills fish. It kills trees and bushes. And, it is choking the life out of our planet.
The CEO's of the longwall mining companies know that what they are doing is destroying entire ecosystems. Lakes vanished. Creeks and streams that disappear, with fish left gasping for breath and flopping in the sun. Farms left suddenly without water for the animals that are entirely dependent upon it's existence.
These same folks are entirely aware that the product they deal in is not clean. They know that it is killing us all. They certainly will not admit it. That would place them in the category of murderers. So they continue the game that was played by the cigarette manufacturers. They lie, they obfuscate, they deny, they hire professional liars (pr), they likely do not even admit privately that what they do is killing.
It is entirely possible that it will yet be a very long time before we end longwall mining and all that goes with it. But, I certainly hope not. For in the end, coal kills.
The CEO's of the longwall mining companies know that what they are doing is destroying entire ecosystems. Lakes vanished. Creeks and streams that disappear, with fish left gasping for breath and flopping in the sun. Farms left suddenly without water for the animals that are entirely dependent upon it's existence.
These same folks are entirely aware that the product they deal in is not clean. They know that it is killing us all. They certainly will not admit it. That would place them in the category of murderers. So they continue the game that was played by the cigarette manufacturers. They lie, they obfuscate, they deny, they hire professional liars (pr), they likely do not even admit privately that what they do is killing.
It is entirely possible that it will yet be a very long time before we end longwall mining and all that goes with it. But, I certainly hope not. For in the end, coal kills.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The Same Old
Interesting that those things which seem to be causing us the most problems are all supported by a group of the same folks, over and over. A case of the same old.
Remember during the cigarette manufacturer's face off with this nation's populace, that the CEO's denied and lied about the damage being done? Remember the pr that went with it? Full page ads. Television and radio spots. Highway billboards. They spent a lot of money lying to anyone who would listen that their products were safe.
Well, the folks in the longwall and mountain top destruction mining business are playing the same game. Hard to believe that they would follow a model that was disgraced and failed in the end. But, sure enough, the play is being acted out note for note.
First, we have the CEO's of CONSOL Energy, Massey and the rest, telling us that coal is not just important, but that we can't live without it. That the economy of the nation is dependent upon coal.
Second, we have the ads, the falsified letters going to Congressfolks, the tv spots for "clean coal," highway billboards and all the rest of the nonsense. They've even hired the very same people to do their overt lying as were connected to the cigarette fiasco.
Third, we have all of these folks claiming that coal doesn't do any damage to the environment. That coal isn't in anyway connected to the ice melting in the Arctic and the climbing temperatures around the globe.
The coal CEO's, just like the cigarette folks, are liars. And, they hire professional liars to assist them. Seems to work pretty well for awhile. At this time, there are people working against their own best interest to assist them. People who will suffer the most in the end, are paraded before tv screens and local meetings decrying the job losses that are surely coming. That, because there are those who want clean air and water for them and their progeny.
It is unfortunate for all on the planet, that the longwall mining CEO's and their professional liars will likely carry this out as far as they are allowed. Rather looks to be a case of the same old.
Remember during the cigarette manufacturer's face off with this nation's populace, that the CEO's denied and lied about the damage being done? Remember the pr that went with it? Full page ads. Television and radio spots. Highway billboards. They spent a lot of money lying to anyone who would listen that their products were safe.
Well, the folks in the longwall and mountain top destruction mining business are playing the same game. Hard to believe that they would follow a model that was disgraced and failed in the end. But, sure enough, the play is being acted out note for note.
First, we have the CEO's of CONSOL Energy, Massey and the rest, telling us that coal is not just important, but that we can't live without it. That the economy of the nation is dependent upon coal.
Second, we have the ads, the falsified letters going to Congressfolks, the tv spots for "clean coal," highway billboards and all the rest of the nonsense. They've even hired the very same people to do their overt lying as were connected to the cigarette fiasco.
Third, we have all of these folks claiming that coal doesn't do any damage to the environment. That coal isn't in anyway connected to the ice melting in the Arctic and the climbing temperatures around the globe.
The coal CEO's, just like the cigarette folks, are liars. And, they hire professional liars to assist them. Seems to work pretty well for awhile. At this time, there are people working against their own best interest to assist them. People who will suffer the most in the end, are paraded before tv screens and local meetings decrying the job losses that are surely coming. That, because there are those who want clean air and water for them and their progeny.
It is unfortunate for all on the planet, that the longwall mining CEO's and their professional liars will likely carry this out as far as they are allowed. Rather looks to be a case of the same old.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Bye, Lou
Lou Dobbs has departed CNN. Not really sure what happens to a bigoted racist when he leaves the stage. But, in this case, apparently even Fox doesn't want his sorry old ass.
Lou has been railing against those who would move to another location to feed themselves and their family for many years now. Fortunately, many have finally banded together to send him, if not into retirement, at least off the huge platform that was provided by CNN.
Like others of his ilk, he has finally frothed at the mouth long enough that he has become a pariah, except to the Palins of the world. Now he can settle in with Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly and the rest to spew hatred to the like minded.
Bye, Lou...asshole.
Lou has been railing against those who would move to another location to feed themselves and their family for many years now. Fortunately, many have finally banded together to send him, if not into retirement, at least off the huge platform that was provided by CNN.
Like others of his ilk, he has finally frothed at the mouth long enough that he has become a pariah, except to the Palins of the world. Now he can settle in with Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly and the rest to spew hatred to the like minded.
Bye, Lou...asshole.
"We can't live without it."
Congressman Rahall of West Virginia says "... we are talking about the economic security of the nation." Brett Harvey, CEO of CONSOL Energy says, "This is red, white and blue energy." Senator Rockefeller of W. Virginia states, "...needs to be responsible mountain top removal." And, that "we can't live without it."
What is this collection of statements all about? Why, coal, of course. Hmmmmm. The economic security of the nation? Which nation? Where? It certainly isn't the United States. Politicians are prone to overstating, but the economic security of the nation? Hyperbole, much?
Red, white and blue energy? We will look a long time for that one. It turns out of course, that Mr. Harvey is talking about coal. You know. That black, carbon based stuff laced with mercury, cadmium and arsenic that is poisoning all living creatures on the planet...including humans. Color blind? Drugs? Hard to say. But, red, white and blue is most definitely is not.
Responsible mountain top removal? Just exactly, would that look like? Lifting it gently from it's base, removing the coal from within, then replacing it, ever so carefully back into place? This is certainly someone who is delusional. Or, has no clue whatsoever what mountain top removal looks like.
"We can't exist without it." Air? Water? No, planet killing coal. This is someone who has a very deep, dark problem. Very intensive counseling? Or, perhaps long term hospitalization? Unfortunately, this is a civic leader. Someone sworn to look after the larger issues of the people.
A recent Environmental Protection Agency study finds that roughly 49% of the lakes and reservoirs in the United States have game fish carrying mercury. Burning coal give us about half of the mercury emissions caused by human activity in the United States.
That doesn't sound like economic security to me. Neither does it seem like red, white and blue energy. And, it certainly does not seem like something that I can't live without. In fact. It seems to me that coal mining is as near to a criminal enterprise as anything that exists in society today. If the killing of mankind is not criminal, what then?
It is long since time to stop allowing these people to go about their business as if all was well with the world. These people are poisoning the planet. They must be called out in the loudest and harshest of voice.
What is this collection of statements all about? Why, coal, of course. Hmmmmm. The economic security of the nation? Which nation? Where? It certainly isn't the United States. Politicians are prone to overstating, but the economic security of the nation? Hyperbole, much?
Red, white and blue energy? We will look a long time for that one. It turns out of course, that Mr. Harvey is talking about coal. You know. That black, carbon based stuff laced with mercury, cadmium and arsenic that is poisoning all living creatures on the planet...including humans. Color blind? Drugs? Hard to say. But, red, white and blue is most definitely is not.
Responsible mountain top removal? Just exactly, would that look like? Lifting it gently from it's base, removing the coal from within, then replacing it, ever so carefully back into place? This is certainly someone who is delusional. Or, has no clue whatsoever what mountain top removal looks like.
"We can't exist without it." Air? Water? No, planet killing coal. This is someone who has a very deep, dark problem. Very intensive counseling? Or, perhaps long term hospitalization? Unfortunately, this is a civic leader. Someone sworn to look after the larger issues of the people.
A recent Environmental Protection Agency study finds that roughly 49% of the lakes and reservoirs in the United States have game fish carrying mercury. Burning coal give us about half of the mercury emissions caused by human activity in the United States.
That doesn't sound like economic security to me. Neither does it seem like red, white and blue energy. And, it certainly does not seem like something that I can't live without. In fact. It seems to me that coal mining is as near to a criminal enterprise as anything that exists in society today. If the killing of mankind is not criminal, what then?
It is long since time to stop allowing these people to go about their business as if all was well with the world. These people are poisoning the planet. They must be called out in the loudest and harshest of voice.
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