I like green efforts as much as any one else. My wife & I recycle, I drive a PZEV Subaru Outback, I am all for farm to table local stuff. I love forests, national parks and the mountains. However, as a guy that grew up in Southwest Virginia, I have a strong opinion on a "non-green" subject... Coal.
There are numerous groups out there trying to beat down the coal industry. You may see them at political rallies, see commercials on tv or numerous others places. They want to stop coal mining, especially mountain top removal. I understand that coal burns dirty and mountaintop removal can scar the Earth. My question is this, if there's no mining, what are those thousands of people going to do for work?
I challenge any of these college kids, radical environmentalists or anyone who has voiced opposition to coal to travel to the heart of Appalachia. Visit Buchanan County Virginia or McDowell or Wyoming County West Virginia and imagine what these people would do without coal. There is not an abundance of flat land to develop to bring other jobs. I have yet to see any of these groups offer an alternative to provide jobs if there was no mining. I guess they never thought of that. Coal is not just a mineral from the ground. It is the heart & soul of many communities throughout central Appalachia.
I am not some right wing person who believes that environmental issues do not exist or that they are not important. I am as a proud Democrat as you will ever find. I think the three best elected officials are the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, the former President Bill Clinton and the former congressman Rick Boucher from the 9th congressional district in Virginia. I do believe that it is possible to be too green when it comes to people's jobs and lives as they know it.
Later people.
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