The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Our Readers Speak

July 25, 2008

Our Readers Speak - Saturday, July 26, 2008

Time is now to change vision on energy use



Al Gore has challenged America to generate 100 percent of our electricity within 10 years from carbon-free renewable energy. No doubt the first response from the coal industry will be that Al Gore is nuts and trying to take away miners’ jobs. But, before we all get hyped up by the coal industry spin, I urge everyone to read Gore’s speech.

Don’t rely on a coal executive to tell you what Gore said; read it for yourself. You can access the speech on the Internet at http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/07/17/climate.speech.pdf

Don’t be afraid of change. We don’t have to accept the status quo. Historically, change is necessary; otherwise, women would still not be able to vote and we would be a British colony.

There is nothing I can add to Al Gore’s clear vision of what is wrong with America and the world, but here on the local level there are other reasons to answer his challenge, and a way we can all be a part of answering this urgent call of action. There is something disturbingly wrong with anyone that would rather see a mountain obliterated forever, as opposed to being used to produce clean wind energy and jobs forever.

If you care about your kids and/or the future of mankind, get behind the Coal River Wind Project. The Appalachian Mountains abound with renewable resources, including wind, hardwoods, medicinal plants, wildlife and our most needed resource, water.

Let’s stop the insanity of mountaintop removal now. The only reason anyone works on these destructive MTR sites is because just like everyone else they need a job that pays enough to provide a decent standard of living for themselves and their families. If there were other jobs that provided the same, or more money, they wouldn’t be participating in mountaintop removal.

The folks working on these sites may make $45,000 to $55,000 per year, but they’re paying a heavy price. They’re working so many hours that there is not much time left in the day to spend with their kids and family. These are good hard-working people that pay their taxes and care about their family’s needs. I believe that if we can subsidize the coal industry with millions of taxpayer dollars and spend $10 billion a month on a fossil fuel oil war in Iraq, then we certainly can, and should, subsidize the strip miner with a paycheck while we transcend from mountaintop removal strip mining to “mountain wind energy,” and other good-paying jobs that will come with answering Gore’s challenge.

The time for change is now. The time for change is urgent. We have an opportunity to lead the way in proving there are alternative permanent jobs for our mountain communities that don’t require the destruction of this most beautiful place.

Learn more about the Coal River Wind Project at http://www.coalriverwind.org/



Bo Webb

Naoma

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