Lights out … for a local protest
Brian July 10th, 2006
Today, it seems members of Earth First gathered over at the AEP plant near Carbo in Russell County.
The AP reported:
More than 50 environmental activists blocked access to Appalachian Power Co.’s Clinch River plant for several hours Monday to protest its use of coal to generate electricity, state police said.
The demonstration began about 9 a.m. when members of Earth First! and Rising Tide North America used ropes, chains and a human chain across a bridge to keep traffic from entering the southwest Virginia plant site, state police Sgt. Michael Conroy said. One man attached to a rope that was stretched across the bridge dangled about 25 feet down, he said.
The demonstrators also let the air out of the tires on a parked coal truck and one locked himself to its axle.
I am surprised, after hearing they let the air out a trucker’s tires, gun shots were not fired. The trucker must have already met his haul quota for the day or something.
I am glad to see that you can take cheap shots at coal truck drivers. Just remember that your beloved town was financed by those very people that work their butts off in the coalfield.
Cheap shots? Are you kidding or something?
That is hardly a cheap shot. In fact, I would bet if you had been listening to the CB today, you would have heard a few say it themselves.
P.S. for the record, one of my first jobs was greasing and washing my neighbor’s coal trucks. And during the summer months, when school was out, I used to get up at 4:00 AM to go riding with him. Ah, the good old days….
Oh yeah, and you said “[j[ust remember that your beloved town was financed by those very people that work their butts off in the coalfield.”
Well, RT, you should remember that my family (and formerly myself) ARE “those very people.”
Since you didn’t say I was just curious of what your opinion of Earth First is?
By the way I never intended for that statement to somehow imply that you or your family are not hardworking. I was simply trying to make the point that SW VA would not be the place that it is without hardworking coal miners.
I do not know much about them, but I certainly hate to see any group sabotaging other people’s property.
The truckers are just hauling coal to feed their families.
What about you, RT? Do you have an opinion of Earth First?
For the record in my first post when I stated “your” beloved town I should have stated “our” beloved town.
I went to the Earth First website and found them to be a self proclaimed “radical” enviromental group. I would classify them right along the lines of ELF, PETA, etc. They will destroy personal property, place peoples life in danger, and will stop at nothing in order to attempt to draw publicity to their “cause.”
I have no problem with someone standing up for what they believe in. In fact, I strongly support it. The problem that I have with most “enviromental” groups is this: they drive gasoline powered vehicles, use electricity which is powered by coal, and enjoy all the luxuries the rest of us do. They enjoy all of these luxuries, yet they have the audacity to place the people that provide these luxuries lives in danger by having no limit to what lengths they will go to.
The way I see it is, if you drive a hybrid car, use solar power, and grow all of your own food organically then by all means “peacefully” protest. If not then please spare me your holier than thou rhetorict.
The actions taken by Earth! First were not against the blue colar workers of AEP, but rather directed towards those in the company that make the six and seven figure salaries as well as all the major decisions. The fact of the matter is, AEP has the financial means to make their smoke-stacks cleaner and to update this 50 year old coal burning facility, yet they refuse to do so and continue to allow unecessary levels of pollution to fill our lungs and contribute to global warming.
Coal by the way, is one of the dirtiest forms of electricity available, and its ridicilous knowing that this day and age we still have to “burn rocks” to get energy, when there are numerous different and cleaner ways we could be doing it. The technology is there, and someday I believe cleaner forms of power will permantly replace coal as a source of energy, but until then we must live with whats available. The coal lobbists in D.C. have too much of a strong hold for any form of energy transition other than one which is gradual.
In addition to polluting the air, the coal industry continues to level mountain tops, pollute streams, creeks, and rivers, and make the land they destroy extremely prone to contamination and flooding, putting lives in danger everytime hard rains come. At least its somewhat comforting to know there are people out there willing to take and stand and expose the truth.
It is sad RT, that you are putting down Earth First!, an organization you obviously don’t know anything about. Earth! First has never put anyone’s life in danger, and I commend them for taking a stand against these powerful coal companies that continue to profit off the poor people of our region. I visited with one Earth First! group of of Knoxville at High Knob a couple of years ago, and was very impressed on how organized and dedicated they were to their cause, as well as how much of an emphasis they put on NON-VIOLENCE in their demonstrations and activities.
And by the way, every Earth! Firster I have ever met does grow or buy organic food, use solar power, and drive fuel efficient vehicles when they can. Of course they can’t be doing these things 100% of the time, because our culture is not that environmentally friendly (yet). So unless you are Amish and drive a horse and buggy, or make enough money to afford a hybrid car, you do the best you can. For example, I would love to own a Toyota Prius, for both economic and environmental reasons, but until I either start making a lot more money or the price of the car is lowered significantly, I’ll continue to drive my Suburu.
One more thing, no “cheap shots” were taken at any of the truck drivers. Just like the American soldier in Iraq, coal workers are just following the orders handed down to them because its their job and its what puts food on the table.
Best quote I’ve read from this event:
“I was born here in southwestern Virginia. The mountains here are part of my soul. They are sacred to me, and also to God” said Ernest Wayne Cantrell of Clintwood, Virginia. “I fight back because I can’t continue to watch the world’s oldest mountains be leveled forever” he continued.
I heard from an eyewitness to the event that Earth! First members offered the driver of the truck 100 bucks to pay for his missed day at work, but the truck driver declined the money, and told the protesters to use the money for their next event. How great is that?