My friend Mark stopped by tonight things are going AOk with the new baby. I was about out of my crutch - pepsi - and he volunteered to take me to the store. It was already after dark and when he turned on his headlights I saw the neighborhood deer herd bedded down less than twenty feet behind my house. I just can’t describe the peace that settled over me just from seeing such a peaceful picture.
Lately I’ve had a one track mind seemingly hell-bent on doing what seems to me to be the right thing. If I get something in my heart and it screams something is not right then every thing I do after that is beyond my control. I’m guided purely by what I think is the right thing. I guess seeing the deer at such peace and calm - the whole group sleeping right behind me - I felt, I’m doing the right thing.
Since this post is random thinking, I’m going to talk about the OBS a little bit. When I started this single minded obsession - I, like most others facing MTR, felt totally alone and facing a mountain of information (pun intended). How was I going to do it? So much - so many aspects. I decided to just dive in and do the best that I could.
The OBS is a group of outdoor bloggers that saw the potential environmental impact right away. It makes sense they would. At any rate, the point I am trying to get to is since the Outdoor Bloggers Summit started the Blogging For Appalachia challenge I feel it takes a huge load off my shoulders and I can discuss the issue from a more humanitarian standpoint. I’ve already seen some great posts generated from their members and they do quite a good job of covering the outdoor enthusiast aspect of MTR and even the humanitarian aspect. MTR affects many families in the mountains. I just think they need to be heard. The impacts of MTR to residents doesn’t get anything even remotely familiar to attention - until now.
Go over and visit the Stop MTR site. I have links there and videos from mountaintop removal sites all over the internet. Come and see what they are doing to our mountains.
Thanks OBS…
Burning The Future: Coal In America
Taking It To The House - Support Clean Water
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February 5th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I’m glad the OBS has been able to help. I had a feeling this was one challenge a lot of our bloggers would embrace. Once you see the devestation and read what has been happening, it is hard to just sit back and do nothing.
I’m guessing we’ll be seeing a lot of posts about MTR from OBS bloggers, and not just during Challenge week. This is an issue that seems to have grabbed a lot of people.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
i agree with kristine…. when you find out about it, it’s almost harder to NOT speak out, than to take action. even though i live in WV, i only found out about MTR a couple of years ago b/c we are not right in the coalfields. that’s crazy since it’s been going on for almost 2 decades. that’s how secretive the whole process is. they don’t allow you up on the sites and surround them with security. even local residents can’t travel on roads they once used b/c they are blocked off.
February 5th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Kristine - I am so happy for the help of the entire outdoor community. It definitely feels like I’m not under quite so much pressure.
Blue - You are exactly right, a secret kept from everybody. They know what they’re doing is wrong.