Coal-to-liquids a shell game we shouldn’t play

Your article on Sunday, 22 July, is an example of the bad choices being forced on West Virginians in the name of “economic development.” Coal-to-liquids is one of the most harrowing notions I’ve seen come along in a while, and the idea that Mr. Rahall and the rest of West Virginia’s congressional delegation might like to compel the Air Force to run its equipment on this vile fuel is appalling.

Do you know, does Congressman Rahall know, that coal-to-liquids is a technology pioneered by the Third Reich? Do we really want that to be a part of West Virginia’s legacy? Shall we spit in the face of the victims of the Holocaust in order to enrich the coal companies?

Add to this horror the fact that liquefied coal will cause more of West Virginia to be turned into a barren, desolate moonscape via mountain range removal. Thousands of West Virginians are already under siege from Massey and that ilk. How many thousands more cases of asthma, of autism do we need to create before we reach the point of “enough”? Are we so enthralled by monsters like Don Blankenship that we’re willing to trade off even more of our mountains, our children’s future, in the name of Holy Profit?

Finally, it’s worth noting that coal-to-liquids isn’t economically wise. It’s an energy-intensive process that consumes almost as much energy as it produces, leaving all of coal’s filth behind for our children and grandchildren to clean up.

Coal-to-liquids is a shell game we West Virginians can’t afford to play. Tell Congressman Rahall we won’t trade our West Virginia birthright for the thin, sorry gruel of “liquid coal.”



Bob Kincaid

Beckley

Thanks for support after daughter’s car accident

Our 14-year-old daughter was involved in a car accident which caused head trauma to not only her, but those in the car with her. Thankfully, all are doing well, with only cuts, bruises and a few broken bones.

I would like to give my thanks to those who tried to find us, her parents, to make us aware of the accident our daughter was in. Being new to the community, our neighbors were not fully aware of where my husband and I work, yet folks looking for us never gave up. My husband once worked for Schwan’s and someone remembered that and contacted them. Thank you, Mel and Schwan’s, for getting the message to me about our daughter. You will never know how grateful we are for you going out of your way to do what you did.

We moved here from just outside Atlanta and are still getting used to the fact that in a small community “we are all family” and we make sure all are taken care of. That is not something we are used to. Thank you so much for another reason to remind us of why we made the decision to move here and to those of you who were involved in assisting our daughter, we are deeply grateful.

We currently have a son, a lance corporal in the Marines, serving in Iraq. One child in danger is enough ... having a community help us keep an eye out for the rest of my family is a godsend.

There have been folks we have never met stop by to check on our daughter. That would have never happened in Georgia. I could run on and on about how grateful and appreciative we are, but I will close in just a simple thanks of gratitude for our neighbors, our friends, our employers and those whom we do not know who took the time to care. We appreciate each and every one of you.



Janet Crow

Cool Ridge