Last week, I became reinvigorated about a cause I thought I knew a lot about: environmental justice. What is it? It's a framework for integrating class, race, gender, the environment and social justice concerns. It's a worldview that values the principle that all people have a right not only to be protected from environmental pollution, but also to receive an equitable distribution of environmental benefits.
The effects of climate change and the disparities between the global North and South highlight environmental justice concerns on a global scale, but last week I attended a lecture by Dave Cooper, who brought the issue a little closer to home. Cooper, a resident of West Virginia, helped me understand the true power behind a flick of a light switch.
In West Virginia, about 45 miles east of Charleston, there is a community that is asking itself: "Are they trying to bury us alive?" The "they" in question refers to businesses and corporations, who are tearing up the mountains in their search for coal; the government, which has turned a blind eye; and consumers, who are unaware that our addiction to energy causes an unimaginable level of environmental devastation.
When we think about where our electricity comes from, our first thought is not of a mountain in the Appalachians. But that's where we ought to turn our attention, because 50 percent of the energy used in the United States comes from coal. And when one pound of coal keeps a lamp burning for only three hours, you can imagine the millions of tons of coal Americans burn every year.
In the east, coal seams are found running along the coast underneath the Appalachian Mountains. To extract this buried coal, companies use a technique known as "mountaintop removal," or strip mining. It is one of the greatest domestic environmental issues of our time. The tops of mountains are filled with the explosive ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO). The explosives remove the tops of the mountains, revealing the seams of coal, which allows for easier access and a larger percentage of extraction.
The rock waste that is created from the explosions and unused by the coal companies is literally dumped into the valley below. This debris is euphemistically called "valley fill," and it creates problems for the communities living downstream of the valleys' creeks. Water slides off the mountainsides at an increased rate, causing flash floods and vast destruction to the people living below. Many community members see no way to fight back or express their concerns and are forced to move away. This chain of events has resulted in the destruction of mountains, rivers and communities.
The issues surrounding the use of coal for energy are many, and some are closer to home than we think: According to the Web site ILoveMountains.org, nearly every zip code has a connection to mountaintop removal. Medford is connected to mountain top removal by way of the Massachusetts Electric Company, operated by NRG Energy, which uses coal directly from mountaintop removal mines in Appalachia.
Coal is known as the "dirtiest" fuel because it creates the most carbon emissions, but it may surprise people to know that the dirtiest process involving coal is its extraction. "Clean coal" is an oxymoron. Residents in West Virginia know the truth: Coal waste and pollution from extraction, the burial of streams, the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains, the disruption of communities and the irreversible damage done to future generations are all on the laundry list of problems that locals experience due to mountaintop removal. These problems, as well as the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to climate change, begin with consumer demand and our desire to keep flicking that switch.
Although the state of the economy and environment are both very real concerns, I do not believe they are in opposition to each other. The best way to create economic stability is through ensuring that people live in a healthy environment.
Most people want to do work that has a positive impact on the environment, but it is also important that individuals are able to support themselves and their families at the same time. Green collar jobs are on the rise, and alternatives to the detrimental effects of mountain top removal are a reality in which we live. It is just a matter of connecting people to opportunities and the public to knowledge.
For example, every year West Virginia makes more money from tourism than from mining. West Virginia is called "almost heaven" for a reason: it is one of the most pristine and ecologically rich regions of the United States. World-class white water rafting and mountain climbing bring thousands to the "Mountain State." However, West Virginia can do far more to capitalize on its natural beauty - without destroying it.
They can build more tent platforms, expand hiking trails and create recreational opportunities that draw visitors from around the world. In order to have a viable future, West Virginia must diversify its economy and focus on the sustainable treasures it possesses. It must value the riches that will not despoil the land and endanger the people. There are many steps you can do to learn more about mountain top removal. You can see the mountains for yourself. You can write to the governor of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, and encourage him to oppose mountaintop removal and support renewable energy alternatives such as solar power and wind power.
Closer to home, you can make the choice to decrease your demand for coal by switching to renewable energy sources and by flicking the power switch to "on" a little less often. And you can hear Van Jones, an advocate for environmental justice, as well as the founder and president of Green For All, speak at 6 p.m. tonight in Cohen Auditorium.
Carrie Jones is a senior majoring in biology.
