Comments on: Fossil Fool Don Blankenship Assaults ABC Reporter http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/04/12/fossil-fool-don-blankenship-assaults-abc-reporter/ Dispatches from the Youth Climate Movement Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:00:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU hourly 1 By: James http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/04/12/fossil-fool-don-blankenship-assaults-abc-reporter/#comment-68385 James Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:51:27 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.wordpress.com/?p=4584#comment-68385 To say that West Virginia cannot feed people is patently false. By the methods of modern industrial agriculture the statement is true. However, West Virginia is warm enough to grow a huge variety of plants, from annual vegetables to berry-bearing shrubs to fruit and nut trees that live hundreds of years, not to mention the livestock and wild game that can thrive in the region. Understanding of ecological realities and permacultural principles combined with an innovative, experimental approach to living in general would allow for a more locally supported society in WV. People and societies survived in great number there before Europeanization, and they had nothing but native plants and animals with which to work and only a fraction of our modern scientific understanding of nature. Blankenship's and others' worldview in which coal and nationalist industry are the only things that can sustain human life in WV is ignorant and simplistic. Human greed for power is the only thing keeping WV from being a self-sustaining paradise. In that case, though, perhaps Blankman and those who agree with him are right. The most detrimental force to earthly human happiness is often humanity itself... To say that West Virginia cannot feed people is patently false. By the methods of modern industrial agriculture the statement is true. However, West Virginia is warm enough to grow a huge variety of plants, from annual vegetables to berry-bearing shrubs to fruit and nut trees that live hundreds of years, not to mention the livestock and wild game that can thrive in the region. Understanding of ecological realities and permacultural principles combined with an innovative, experimental approach to living in general would allow for a more locally supported society in WV. People and societies survived in great number there before Europeanization, and they had nothing but native plants and animals with which to work and only a fraction of our modern scientific understanding of nature. Blankenship’s and others’ worldview in which coal and nationalist industry are the only things that can sustain human life in WV is ignorant and simplistic. Human greed for power is the only thing keeping WV from being a self-sustaining paradise. In that case, though, perhaps Blankman and those who agree with him are right. The most detrimental force to earthly human happiness is often humanity itself…

]]> By: David http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/04/12/fossil-fool-don-blankenship-assaults-abc-reporter/#comment-67411 David Mon, 25 Aug 2008 19:34:05 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.wordpress.com/?p=4584#comment-67411 In response to Mandy, I have to strongly disagree. Mountains do feed and employ people. Your state currently brings in millions of tourism dollars a year. How many jobs are created as a result of the tourist industry and how many more could be created if your resources were managed properly? Why do tourists come to your state? It certainly isn't to see ugly scars from mining. No, they come to enjoy your mountains and rivers and the natural beauty. What happens when the mountains are gone and the coal is gone? You will be left with ugly scars and not only will the coal be gone, but your other main resource, tourism, will not be there either. Instead, you will be stuck with ugly scars on the land, a landscape depleted of minerals on which crops cannot be grown, and a place that noone will want to visit. God created the mountains. What right do we have to destroy them? In response to Mandy, I have to strongly disagree. Mountains do feed and employ people. Your state currently brings in millions of tourism dollars a year. How many jobs are created as a result of the tourist industry and how many more could be created if your resources were managed properly?

Why do tourists come to your state? It certainly isn’t to see ugly scars from mining. No, they come to enjoy your mountains and rivers and the natural beauty. What happens when the mountains are gone and the coal is gone? You will be left with ugly scars and not only will the coal be gone, but your other main resource, tourism, will not be there either. Instead, you will be stuck with ugly scars on the land, a landscape depleted of minerals on which crops cannot be grown, and a place that noone will want to visit.

God created the mountains. What right do we have to destroy them?

]]> By: Mandy http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/04/12/fossil-fool-don-blankenship-assaults-abc-reporter/#comment-64161 Mandy Fri, 23 May 2008 14:46:51 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.wordpress.com/?p=4584#comment-64161 What was definitely not clear in the video was that Mr. Blankeship had already refused to be interviewed several times. He made an appearance on the local news that evening and explained that he did not even know who the man was when he made the comment about him getting shot; he was only warning him that if he shows up unannounced and starts taking pictures of people security may mistake him for someone with bad intentions and the security officer may end up shooting. Furthermore, you probably don't live in WV. You more than likely have no ties with WV. If you were born here you probably left because you could not find a job. So, if the majority of us have no issue with mountain top removal then who the hell are you to say what we do here is wrong - IT DOES NOT CONCERN YOU! In WV (especially rural) mining is not just a way life - it is life. It is the only means most of us have of supporting our families. Mountains do not feed people. They do not employ people. They are simply big mounds of dirts that make it impossible to build something that will be a resource for the people who live around it. Also, with the rising cost of oil and gasoline prices I personally hope that coal companies do whatever it takes to keep coal prices as low as possible. What was definitely not clear in the video was that Mr. Blankeship had already refused to be interviewed several times. He made an appearance on the local news that evening and explained that he did not even know who the man was when he made the comment about him getting shot; he was only warning him that if he shows up unannounced and starts taking pictures of people security may mistake him for someone with bad intentions and the security officer may end up shooting. Furthermore, you probably don’t live in WV. You more than likely have no ties with WV. If you were born here you probably left because you could not find a job. So, if the majority of us have no issue with mountain top removal then who the hell are you to say what we do here is wrong - IT DOES NOT CONCERN YOU!
In WV (especially rural) mining is not just a way life - it is life. It is the only means most of us have of supporting our families.
Mountains do not feed people. They do not employ people. They are simply big mounds of dirts that make it impossible to build something that will be a resource for the people who live around it.
Also, with the rising cost of oil and gasoline prices I personally hope that coal companies do whatever it takes to keep coal prices as low as possible.

]]> By: Søren Kjær Vestergaard http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/04/12/fossil-fool-don-blankenship-assaults-abc-reporter/#comment-62637 Søren Kjær Vestergaard Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:08:40 +0000 http://itsgettinghotinhere.wordpress.com/?p=4584#comment-62637 From the video presentation I can understand that this ought to be changed in the US justice system. There are many good people comming together making this change possible. It is nice to know that americans want a fair system of justice. I know of many countries around the world who envy the american justice system and knowing that many people want to fix the system leaves me with comfort that this will happen. When enough people want a change to become real it will become real in the end - this is how God created our great world. From the video presentation I can understand that this ought to be changed in the US justice system. There are many good people comming together making this change possible. It is nice to know that americans want a fair system of justice. I know of many countries around the world who envy the american justice system and knowing that many people want to fix the system leaves me with comfort that this will happen. When enough people want a change to become real it will become real in the end - this is how God created our great world.

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