Having lived in Southern California for a good deal of my life, I know from earthquakes. Most of them are small and harmless. And, for the most part, those who have lived in the area for some length of time pay little heed to them. There are those, however, that crack walls, send fish tanks crashing to the floor, freeways crumbling and apartment houses collapsing like accordions. Think Northridge here.
But, supposing rather than having just the occasional tumbler that does damage of that sort, it were to go on every day? An unrelenting earthquake called longwall mining. And, at the end of it all, there was no FEMA. No, disaster declaration. No assistance from any corner. In fact, the news organizations don't even notice what has happened. No breathless reporter. No screaming headline. Nothing.
Pretty grim, no? Well, this isn't some nightmare dreamed up by RB just to amuse himself between motorcycle trips. Rather, this is everyday reality anyplace there are homes on the surface of the earth and longwall mining beneath. Places like Greene County in the southern most part of Pennsylvania. And, the outcome is just as described.
Earthquake disasters ongoing. Precious few pay any attention. How is it possible that real life drama is upstaged by fake drama? Wonder why that is? Maybe it's because coal industry folks like Energy Citizens are taking up space? And, since they have all of that coal and oil money behind them, they get more attention? Surely RB, you couldn't be suggesting that since those rich folks, read newspaper owners, oil/coal company big wigs and their bought and paid for politicians hang out at cocktail parties together, they could be more interested in money making than actual people?
Well...yes, I am. Politicians in both parties are locked in by the money of their contributor's. And, the fewer and poorer the people there are in the area, the more important that money becomes. Think Baucus here. Yep, earthquake alright. With those most affected also being those with the smallest voice in the shouting match.
2 comments:
Mr. Mike Maccanelli PE, President and I, Ronald Yarbrough, PG,
vice-president of ILLINOIS CITIZENS OPPOSED TO LONGWALL MINING, INC. wish to
thank Mr. Rusty Brown for his comments on Longwall mining and the damages it
is doing. Longwall mining under our prime farm land (160 to 200 bu. of corn
an acre) is a very destructive mode of mining, just like mountain top
removal. This style of mining leaves behind lakes 3 miles long and 6 to 6.5
feet in depth and 800 feet wide after mining. Our IL Office of Mines and
Minerals say that the land cannot be reclaimed so they let the coal company
put a big ditch down thru the lakes to drain them. The agricultural tiles
are broken and crop yields are almost laughable. The prime land is gone
FOREVER FOR COAL. The company takes out 80% of the seam but could take out
60% of the seam with room and pillar mining. So for 20% of the coal they
destroy our FOOD production in the Corn Belt. The farmers have no political
assistance with this disaster. Please see our web site---www.ilcolm.com for
more information. RY--ryarbrough02@charter.net.
Thanks for taking the time to stop and comment.
The idea here is to draw some attention to this very important and sad issue.
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