West Virginia’s New State Rock: Coal
source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/west-virginias-new-state-rock-coal/
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- captainplanet71
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Last week. Gov. Joe Manchin signed a resolution (text) giving the rock its new status, and declaring that the bituminous coal industry “remains essential to economic growth and progress in West Virginia and the United States.”
The resolution, which passed the state’s house of delegates 96-0 and was approved by the State Senate in a voice vote, also traces the noble history of the rock, from the time George Washington noted a “coal hill of fire” in what became West Virginia.
The Mountain State joins Kentucky and Utah, both of which have had coal as their state mineral and state rock, respectively, for more than a decade.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/west-virginias-new-state-rock-coal/
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This is ridiculous... 29 miners just died in a coal mine explosion in April 2010 and these people elevate coal to the status of "state rock"? Our use of coal has been, at best, a mixed blessing. At its worst, coal industry operations have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people and continues to pollute our planet at a disturbing, and inexcusable, rate. We must move beyond coal!
Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels and the largest single source of global warming pollution in the world. Currently one-third of all CO2 emissions comes from burning coal. To curb global warming pollution to the levels needed to minimize the risk of catastrophic global warming, we must end our use of coal in the U.S. within the next 30-40 years.
Unfortunately, governments around the world are allowing, and in some cases subsidizing, the construction of hundreds of new coal-fired power plants. If these plants are built, CO2 emissions from coal are expected to rise 60 percent by 2030, severely undermining efforts to tackle climate change. Here in the U.S., according to a Coal Moratorium NOW! survey, nearly 100 coal plants are currently under construction or in the planning process.
Bottom-line: King Coal must be dethroned!
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Omnomynous
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West Virginia is a trip, it's almost amazing you've got parts of it being destroyed by mountaintop removal (blowing the tops of mountains off), and all the damage that brings.
You've got the pharmaceutical industry pretty much owns I think it's Charleston (not exactly sure don't care to search, just know Big Pharma owns a chunk of W.Va), so that whole area is nasty they make dope there.
You've got what's known as "the hotel to presidents" The Greenbrier Hotel, which has literally accommodated every president since it's existence, most on several occasions. You can bet anything the whole area around there is pristine, it is.
It's sad I feel guilty when I visit, I've seen documentaries, I'm well aware of the pollution due to the coal & pharmaceutical industries, but where I always go it's not there. It's one of my favorite places, and it's beautiful. I hate it, couldn't imagine them destroying the parts of W. Va I know so well, and can't excuse them destroying the parts I don't know so well.
- 1 year ago
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Omnomynous
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