Update on Mountaintop Removal

And then I read this, and feel hope.
Read more about mountaintop removal at www.ilovemountains.org.
Despite your politics, I think most Americans agree that we need to be looking for renewable energy sources that work and can sustain us while keeping our communities clean. This is a good step in the right direction.

End Mountaintop Removal-NOW

I have been trying to collect my thoughts and deep emotions about coal in this region for weeks. It is sometimes so difficult to put down in print, what you feel deep in your gut, but here goes. Over at Crunchy Chicken, the topic has been politics, and apparently the obvious choice for President if you care for the environment, is Obama. Yesterday Mr. Obama made a stop here in our small town. He stopped and chatted, drank a vanilla milk shake, shook some hands and then moved on to his scheduled stop in the next county over. The topic in the media today is his "lipstick" comment, and the sexist implications of it against Sarah Palin. Totally lost in the mix, was his obvious effort to win the votes of those in this community that are deeply tied to the coal industry. He spoke of "clean coal" technology, and how he believed in the good it would do for our economy and energy independence crisis. What I don't understand is why NOBODY is taking him to task on this issue. Coal is not clean, it can never be clean, and we need to run FAR from it. In fact, strip mining of coal, aka BLOWING UP THE MOUNTAIN, is the single most important environmental issue of our generation. Forget the polar bears, forget global warming. People are dying, children are wheezing, air quality is declining, and we are losing our mountains in Appalachia. The water, the forests, and the rich land are lost in and around the over 470 mountains that have been erased from the southeast mountain range in the last 2 decades. (imagine an area the size of Delaware!) If you think that this is only an extreme way to mine coal, and rarely used, you are dead wrong. In fact more than 70 percent of coal mined in the US comes from strip mining. It's cheaper, faster, and takes less man power. McCain is no different on this issue. The environment will suffer under either of these men as our President. Once these mountains are blown up to get to the coal seams, the extra rock and debris has to be disposed of. As a result, nearly 10,000 "valley fills" have completely buried over 700 miles of healthy streams have been and thousands more have been damaged. These headwaters are an intricate system, that lead to the ocean and provide the drinking water for millions of Americans, and yet so many of us have no idea what atrocities are happening.

The story that isn't being told is that these communitites that have been promised millions of dollars in taxes to enrich their schools, and 100s-1000s of jobs for their families, have been instead poisoned, watched their home values decline dramatically, and their schools and towns become the worst ones in the country. Coal Powered Plants are the single largest sources of the big four pollutants: 35% CO2 carbon dioxide, 37% Hg mercury, 23% of NOx Nitrogen Oxides, and 67% of SO2 sulfur Dioxides. The fact is that these rural peoples are under attack, but it affects ALL Americans. We almost ALL use this coal when we flip on our lights, heat our water, and read our emails. The link on my sidebar will show you how linked you are to mountaintop removal. Distance does not negate responsibility. To top it all off, this "clean coal" technology is untested, and is the "clean coal" plants are receiving air permits to pump out dozens of pounds of mercury into the air. Apparently our children are safe with a little mercury in their lungs and water.
Furthermore, the testing and regulation is often overlooked in our rural areas. I can attest to how under regulated this area actually is! My husband used to monitor ground water for gas stations and other petroleum sites to make sure they were up to federal code. When we decided to move our family to this area for the opportunity it gave us for sustainability and simplicity of life, he had an interview for a similar job, and we assumed that he would be able to find another job in this specialized area. After all, these are FEDERAL regulations. Unfortunately, the truth is that no one regulates this area, so no one complies. No regulation means no one is paying for monitoring, because they don't need to be accountable. This is notoriously true as well for these coal companies.

This is such an important topic, and our political system is stifling this extremely important issue, so we can sling mud about candidates, their misspeaks, and their personal lives. I challenge you all to take the pledge to end mountaintop removal. Blog about it, spread the word, and make it an issue you care about. I don't like either of our choices. I do believe I am voting for a third party this year.....

Below are some websites, and well written essays on the environmental plight connected to coal. Read them, and be outraged.
http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2006/02/16/reece/
http://www.coalriverwind.org/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022903390.html
http://www.samsva.org/?p=80#more-80
http://www.ilovemountains.org/
http://www.appvoices.org/

Effective Eco Actions-Laundry

Our next most frequent chore is Laundry. Some of you nuts out there enjoy laundry as some sort of therapuetic excercise...I do not! However, I will say that after we purchased my ultra energy and water effecient front loaders, it is somewhat more tolerable:) The rule of thumb here is that if your washing machine is less than 10 years old, do everything you can to make it eco friendly until you're ready to purchase a new one. For example, if you have a top loader that is in working condition, keep leaks in check, wash with cold water, and use only the amount of water you need per load. If, however, that washing machine is older than 10 yrs, you will save a significant amount of money, water and energy by upgrading to a front loader. Recycle your old one, and move to the green side! Use an eco-friendly detergent, wash in cold water, and line dry when possible.

Photo taken by elaine a

Appliances that get recycled at a scrap metal place, are going to be fed to a giant shredder large enough to shred a car into small pieces . The pieces are then run through a magnet to pull out iron-containing metals, while the non-ferrous metal, such as aluminum, is separated out by an eddy current (the wonders of science at work). If there is plastic insulation, it is not recyclable, but you don't need to worry about removing those parts; they will become the shredded "fluff" left over after the metals are separated. Refrigerators, or appliances with coolant in them, need to be handled by a liscensed handler, check Earth 911 for someone in your area.

Green Tip of the Week

Now that we are all in summer mode, energy efficiency is key! To help keep your cooling bill down, make sure you cover your windows and french doors with heavy curtains, to help keep the sun out during the hottest part of the day. It really makes more of a difference than you think! I just finished making mine:

See! Going Green is fun and can be stylish:)!

Spring is here!

I was so excited to find these at Lowe's! Solar lighted endcapes. They just fit right on top of our posts beautifully! They automatically light up at night, and they look great! No electricity used!

We also went about planting 6 trees last weekend in our yard. 2 are dogwoods to block the view from the sidewalk to our bedroom window, and the other 4 are fruit trees. Peaches and pears mmmmm!

And this is where my 4 raised beds will be for our Square Foot Gardening adventure. Let me tell you, I have never even kept a houseplant alive! A dear friend of mine is growing many organic and heirloom plants from seed to sell. Better her than me this year! I am a bit overwhelmed at all there is to know! Tomorrow is an Organic Gardening class at our town Garden Festival, I'll blog about it! Enjoy your weather, it's almost time to plant!

Our car is dead

Well, it had to happen sometime. Our '91 Honda Prelude is dead. The timing chain has broken and bent a valve in the engine and is no longer cost effective to fix. What should we do? Well, we would love to buy the Prius, but since a car payment is not in our budget or our ideals, we will have to find a new/old car. We will sell this one for parts, to ensure most of it is recycled and salvaged. But in looking for a new/old car, we'd like to find one we could use biodiesel fuel with. Does anyone out there do this? We are just starting to research this option, any suggestions?

Mountain Top Removal

This is an issue, that hasn't been widely covered in the media, but that is one of the major environmental issues of our time. Coal is a dirty, dirty reality in our energy use, and we have to start demanding different energy sources, and using less of the harmful ones. This affects us all, take a look.

Green Tip of the Week

Green Tip of the Week: Buy renewable energy from your power company!

Not everyone has this option. Here in SW VA, it's seriously limited. Check out your power company, and see what options they have. This power may not be much more than what you are already paying, and when demand goes up, these companies will hurry to keep up the supply! We, as consumers, have POWER when it comes to our dollar! If you don't have renewable energy options...demand them! Write to your power company, your state senators, your local officials, your Congress and the White House! There is no reason any new coal plants should be built. Our energy consumption, and the way it is produced is the biggest environmental dilemma of our age. If we can stop the coal burning plants, demand renewable energy, and fight with our monetary choices, we can help solve the global warming problem. This is a great feeling! You don't have to be Brad Pitt and donate $5 million dollars! All you have to do is vote with your money, and you will make a difference! Check out this site for more info on renewable energy and fighting new coal plants scheduled to be built near you.