Janet

A Statement from OVEC’s Executive Director about the ACHE Act, HR 526, introduced Congress, Feb. 6, 2013

 Health, Mountaintop Removal, News  2 Responses »
Feb 072013
 

The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) applauds the sponsors of the Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act, H.R. 526, (ACHE) just introduced into Congress and supports the ACHE campaign.  After nearly two decades of organizing citizens to oppose this brutal mining technique and after reviewing all the published, peer-reviewed studies, it is clear not only that a moratorium on mountaintop removal is needed immediately, but also that this is the right and just thing to do.  Until federal studies conclude that mountaintop removal does not contribute to a plethora of diseases, birth defects and cancer death near mine sites, this form of mining should be halted.  People living near mountaintop removal mines should not be paying with their lives and health for so-called “cheap” energy.

Our federal representatives in West Virginia have a responsibility to protect the lives of all citizens of the state, especially our children.

Baby

West Virginia children deserve a safe, healthy environment–free from mountaintop removal strip mining of coal.

While the silence of our elected officials around the findings of more than 20 studies on mountaintop removal is deafening, you can be assured that we will not be silent.

You can read more about the ACHE Act on Rainforest Action Network’s website here.

If your electricity is supplied by a coal plant, you, too are contributing to illness and disease in our southern mountain communities.  Please do your part.  Contact your representative in Congress and ask them to support the ACHE Act, HR 526.

 Posted by at 3:13 pm

What Took You So Long?

 Coal, Coal Dust, Health, Mountaintop Removal  No Responses »
Feb 012013
 

OVEC’s Vivian Stockman and I took a tour of the beautiful, new Marsh Fork Elementary School during the open house January 4, and on January 18 a formal dedication was held.

The new Marsh Fork Elementary School, built after more than six years of struggle.

A state-of-the-art classroom at the school. Shouldn’t all of West Virginia’s elementary school’s be like this, considering all the natural wealth that’s been extracted?

Not surprisingly, the media left out much of the back story. And politicians like Senator Joe Manchin didn’t utter a peep about all the rallies, protests and arrests that led to the construction of this new, state-of-the art facility at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Manchin sure didn’t mention Ed Wiley’s Herculean efforts as he and Coal River Mountain Watch lead the charge for a new school. If you only read or watch the reports from the media and politicians, one would get the impression that the school was constructed out of the goodness of the hearts of politicians and others who merely came up with a plan and found the money. Voila! A new state-of-the-art school! Nothing could be further from the truth.
So here’s a brief summary of the rest of story. Six years ago, the old school became a center of controversy—a “poster child,” regarding everything bad about coal. Ed Wiley, whose granddaughter attended the school, had a rude awakening when he picked Kayla up from school one day. She was feeling ill and told her grandfather that the school was making kids sick. Ed was well aware of the mountaintop removal, the 2.8 billion gallons of toxic coal sludge and dust, the coal silo and processing plant adjacent to the elementary school. He and others at Coal River Mountain Watch began to demand that a new school be built for the community. They met with bureaucrats and elected leaders to no avail.

The old Marsh Fork Elementary School–too toxic for children! Photo by Vivian Stockman

When their efforts didn’t produce results, Ed and other folks came up with a brilliant campaign. Dubbed “Pennies of Promise,” the campaign’s aim was to generate public support and to draw attention to the issues and impacts of mountaintop removal by collecting pennies. These pennies would be given to the state to aid the funding effort. Their efforts captured the imagination of elementary school kids as far away as New York who collected and sent pennies for a new Marsh Fork Elementary School.
From the Associated Press:Coal River Valley residents launched a fundraising effort to build a new school in Raleigh County by presenting about 90 pounds of pennies and a piece of their mind to Gov. Joe Manchin on Tuesday. The residents say Manchin and his administration have ignored their allegations that Marsh Fork Elementary has a dangerous amount of coal dust in classrooms and that its location below a coal waste dam imperils students. The school abuts Goals Coal, a Massey Energy Co. subsidiary. Kayla Taylor, 11, gave Manchin her green piggy bank and her grandfather, Ed Wiley, laid several cloth bags filled with pennies on the floor of the governor’s reception room at the Capitol before confronting the governor…The bags of pennies, about $460 total, were donated by schoolchildren in New York City who heard about efforts to get a new school, Wiley said. Kayla added her piggy bank and others donated about $50 to the fundraising campaign called “Pennies of Promise.”
OVEC and other groups supported Coal River Mountain Watch and Ed’s campaign by sending out news releases of protests and other direct actions. We also sent Action Alerts like the one found here.

Ed, Day 19: Over 250 miles into the walk, at Bulington, West Virginia (near Romney) on Sunday, August 20.
–Photo by Abbey Chapple

When Ed decided in 2006 to walk the 450 miles from Charleston, WV, to Washington, DC, to talk with Senator Byrd about his concerns, we helped keep the public informed about his whereabouts in daily “Where’s Ed?” posts.
Fast forward to September and Ed arrived in DC, joined at a press conference by numerous supporters after his long, hot, arduous walk.

Ed Wiley at press conference in DC on September 13, 2006. Photo by Vivian Stockman

As a result of Ed’s staggering efforts, Senator Byrd met and prayed with him. But no new school was promised. Byrd indicated that such matters were left to the state. (Really? The esteemed Senator who had building after building and other multi-million dollar complexes in West Virginia named after him because he regularly brought home the bacon, couldn’t shake down the state or feds for the few million dollars it would take? OK. He’s passed on and can’t defend himself, so I’ll let that go for now.)

But Ed and others would not give up. They shook things up by paying then Governor Manchin a few visits in his office at the state Capitol. Who will forget this video where Hillary Hosta was handcuffed and brutally taken away? Many courageous people, including some OVEC folks, were arrested that day. Tears came to my eyes, just watching this again. So the road to building the new Marsh Fork Elementary School was not the walk in the park that present-day politicians and others might have you believe.

Another milestone moment occurred at the school in 2009, when actress Daryl Hannah, climate scientist Dr. James Hansen, former Congressman Ken Hechler, Judy Bonds (deceased) and many others were not only arrested at the mine site, but also were confronted by hundreds of angry miners and their wives. Although Coal River Mountain Watch had reserved the school grounds for a rally, the WV State police allowed the counter-protesters to disrupt and invade the site.

The real turning point came after the tragic Upper Big Branch mining disaster where 29 miners lost their lives as a result of a violent explosion at a Massey Energy mine. The national media flooded into the Coal River Valley, setting up shop on the grounds of the old Marsh Fork Elementary School awaiting word of the miners’ fate. It just so happened that Charles Annenberg, of the Annenberg Foundation was in the Coal River Valley at that time, looking for a project where his foundation could make a difference.

Before he arrived, efforts of the Pennies for Promise campaign had managed to amass a commitment of couple of million dollars from the state and even Massey Energy had agreed to provide a million or so—but that fell short of what was needed. Fortunately, during Mr. Annenberg’s time in the valley, he ran across the good folks of Coal River Mountain Watch. That was when a plan was hatched. Mr. Annenberg would ask for a meeting with the governor to see if the state would match the foundation’s gift of $2.5 million. How could the state and the governor say no?

And so, the deal was done. After six years of struggle, activists like Ed Wiley, young people from Mountain Justice, and too many more to name, could finally declare victory! Endless pressure, endless applied. It took courage and sheer determination and lots of heart.

I can’t help but wonder what positive changes could take place in the Coal River Valley, or anywhere else in West Virginia, if people living in communities actually worked together.

 Posted by at 6:09 pm

OVEC Celebrates 25 Years of Organized Voices and Empowered Communities!

 Cemetery Protection, Coal, Mountaintop Removal, News  No Responses »
Oct 302012
 

Wow! Happy 25th Birthday OVEC!

Let’s all eat cake!

 

Who would have thought that OVEC would still be going strong considering our humble beginnings—a small committed group of people that stood up, spoke out and said “NO” to a major polluter? But here we all are, together celebrating a significant milestone in OVEC’s life— 25 years of hard-won successes.

Photo

Crystal Good’s reading of BoomBoom wowed the crowd.

 

We want you to know that we couldn’t have done any of this important work without the thousands of supporters who have been standing with us—and if you are reading this, you must be one of them. We hope you know that you, our members, volunteers, sustaining members, major donors and foundations share in every victory—both large and small. You are the life-blood of OVEC—generous, heart-centered, and committed to environmental justice, as well as clean air, water and land. Thank you!

We know that the only way to overcome the power of organized money is through the power of organized people—a core belief that has been the basis for our many real-world victories. In our early years, with OVEC’s assistance, citizens took leadership in their communities and successfully prevented major new toxic pollution sources in the Huntington Tri-State area and forced dramatic pollution reductions at the former Ashland Oil refinery on the Kentucky-West Virginia border. For 5 years, OVEC organized and led a coalition of groups, as well as hundreds of OVEC members which prevented the construction of the biggest dioxin-spewing pulp mill in North America in Apple Grove, West Virginia.

Appalachia Rising: The power of organized people!

In our quarter of a century life, we’ve learned that major victories are not won overnight. That’s why OVEC also believes in “endless pressure, endlessly applied.” Major pollution reductions at the Ashland Oil refinery took over twelve years of citizen organizing and toxic tort litigation. Standing with impacted communities, OVEC has been fighting mountaintop removal mining and other abuses of the coal industry for fifteen years. While we haven’t won yet, your loyal support has allowed us to stand our ground against injustices perpetrated by a politically powerful coal industry.

Bottom right is what remains of Jarrell family cemetery. Flight courtesy of Southwings (www.southwings.org).

A story aired on MetroNews radio prior to our celebration.  You can read about it here:

http://www.wvmetronews.com/news.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=55884

You can read more about our celebration here:

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features/x746103258/Huntington-non-profit-OVEC-celebrates-25-years-this-weekend

Today, while we continue to grieve and stand with those who still suffer the day-to-day assaults of mountaintop removal mining, we can take some solace in knowing that without our efforts, there would be many more active mountaintop removal mines now operating in West Virginia. Again, we want to express deepest gratitude to all of you— our faithful dues-paying members and hard-working volunteers, our board members and partner organizations, and all the attorneys who work with us providing significant time, energy, and resources to help save our precious mountains, streams and communities.

Blackwater Canyon

 

None of us knows what the future holds for OVEC, but we can all reflect with satisfaction knowing that OVEC’s presence in West Virginia has made a significant positive impact on the quality of life and the environment. We know with your continued support, we can forge a new vision for the state’s future—a future where all people are respected and valued, that preserves our mountain ecosystems and unique culture, is truly democratic, inclusive and, sustainable. That’s a tall order, but with your continued support, we can do this together.

Onward and upward!
Janet Keating, Executive Director
Dianne Bady, OVEC Founder and Co-Director

Rescue Warranted for the WV Supreme Court Public Campaign Pilot

 Clean Elections  No Responses »
Aug 272012
 

More and more these days, I’m beginning to believe that I live in “upside-down” world, the Bo-Zone Layer (thank you Far Side cartoons) or some other convoluted universe. And West Virginia may just be the center.

I’m trying to wrap my mind around the fact that the Michael Callaghan, former chairman of the Democratic Party and former Director of the WV Division of Environmental Protection, is suing WV Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant (Democrat) and the state Election Commission in federal court, claiming that the matching funds provision of the Supreme Court’s public campaign financing pilot program is unconstitutional. (Matching or “rescue” funds allow a publicly funded candidate to receive additional funding for his/her campaign once a participating candidate passes a spending threshold or is targeted by an independent campaign.)

Capitol Dollars.

Callaghan’s reasoning? He says since he supported both Democratic candidates for office that he filed this case to keep West Virginia taxpayers from financing a candidate he opposed. He also pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has ruled that matching funds provisions are an unconstitutional infringement of the First Amendment rights of candidates and contributors. His arguments are based on the Supreme Court’s 2011 ruling that said Arizona’s public financing system substantially burdened the free speech of privately financed candidates and independent expenditure groups despite evidence to the contrary. I could rant about my view of the twisted logic that led to that ruling, but will save it for some other time.

Regarding the Arizona Free Enterprise ruling, SCOTUS held that the triggered matching fund provisions of Arizona’s public financing system substantially burdens free speech of privately financed candidates and independent expenditure groups without fulfilling a compelling government interest. In an amicus brief we signed on to in a similar case in Wisconsin, one argument stated that judges, unlike other elected officials, have a duty, under the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, to be impartial. Therefore, reforms to prevent the appearance of courtroom bias represent a compelling government interest.

Of course, the court’s ruling said the anti-corruption interest wasn’t furthered because candidates couldn’t be corrupted by their own money (which is I guess someone could argue in this case since Davis and Chafin are largely self-financed). However, the ruling also said that independent expenditures were not corrupting because they were not coordinated with the candidate. Please! This is the bizarro world we live in.
My initial reaction: “You, too, Democrats?” For years, the effort to enact a bill for public financing of elections in West Virginia has largely been impeded by Republicans in the legislature — though fortunately, some in that party saw the benefits of “voter-owned” elections. Now, it appears that Callaghan’s smarmy action was taken on behalf of a few Democrats’ special agenda. The lawsuit by Callaghan reeks, especially since it was filed by the attorney for a current Democratic Supreme Court candidate.

Here’s where I’m further stymied. Since 2000, when a bill for public financing of was introduced in West Virginia, the Democrats have been primary supporters of this concept — in fact they were the champions of this measure when the pilot project passed in 2010. What a way to breathe fresh clean, air into the WV Supreme Court after the two black eyes it received!

I’m referring to the Court’s appearance of corruption when former CEO of Massey Energy Don Blankenship personally funded, to the tune of about $3 million, the campaign of then no-name candidate, Brent Benjamin. Benjamin unseated Justice Warren McGraw thanks to a shadowy “And for the Sake of the Kids” independent ad campaign funded by Blankenship.

You can read more details about that nasty judicial campaign here:  http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/judges/

Then, photographs of Blankenship and then-sitting Chief Justice, “Spike” Maynard vacationing in Monaco appeared as front page news in a national newspaper at a time when Massey Energy had a $50 million judgment before the Court brought by Harman Mining Company. (Just rehashing these incidents makes me want to run for the shower!)


In all this political confusion, where do West Virginia voters stand on this issue? A 2010 poll of likely voters in West Virginia conducted on behalf of Justice at Stake and the Committee for Economic Development showed that over two-thirds of voters see contributions to Supreme Court candidates as a serious problem and more than three out of four believe that these contributions influence a judges decisions. These sentiments cut across party lines. In addition, the poll revealed strong bi-partisan support for public financing of West Virginia’s Supreme Court elections. If ever a state and an office needs of a campaign system that reduces the appearance of influence or worse, it’s the West Virginia Supreme Court. This pilot project was open to all political parties in the state — Democrats, Republicans and Mountain Party candidates, although only a Republican took advantage of it.

On the brighter side, the West Virginia Elections Commission unanimously decided to defend the “rescue” funds provision in pending state and federal lawsuits. Stay tuned. Maybe, just maybe they will save this much needed public funding system and help restore some voter confidence in the election process and the West Virginia Supreme Court.

Do you support having impartial judges sitting on the West Virginia Supreme Court or just more of the same “bought and paid for” politicians sitting on the bench?  Thank Natalie Tennant, the West Virginia Secretary of State, for defending this much needed pilot project by calling 304-558-6000. 

All That and Mountains, Too

 Faith, Mountaintop Removal  No Responses »
Jul 202012
 

A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined going to Rio de Janiero, Brazil, let alone going there to participate in the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, known as Rio+20. But it happened this June, and I did it. While I have many reflections on the city and the numerous events, one experience I want to lift up is my journey up Corcovado to see the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue which watches over that marvelous city. My travel guidebook, tells me that Corcovado is the name of the mountain on which this remarkable monument resides—named after its shape (corcova) which in Portuguese means hunchback. I learned that in 2007, this art-deco style monument was named one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World.” My guess is that nearly everyone who travels to Rio makes the pilgrimage to this mountaintop to take in both the impressive statue and the view.

From the taxi ride to my hotel upon arriving in Brazil, until the last ride back to the international airport, I could see the 98-foot tall statue of Jesus with welcoming arms outstretched. I saw it first from the window of my fellow-travelers’ hotel room from downtown Rio and then again, out my hotel window a twenty minute taxi ride away from the central part of the city— bathed in green light at night, most likely in deference to the U. N. Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20. Ubiquitous, beckoning, and somehow comforting, it seemed.

For me one of the best parts of Rio is its imposing mountains, next to my second favorite habitat—the beach. Those mountains were giants against the sky, towering over the city, its inhabitants and visitors. Some were totally forested; others were almost completely covered with small houses—the colorful small homes of those of lesser means—neighborhoods known as the favelas. People living in the favelas were generally employed to serve those more fortunate, who lived adjacent in the newer high-rise apartments. Some served tourists in the hotels, restaurants or bars while others depended on warm sunny days on the beaches of Copacabana or Ipanema to sell their wares. And all of these little houses were electrified—a constant reminder to me that the influence of the developed world. Technology in our modern American culture, whether good or bad for the planet, has become a yardstick for progress for much of the rest of the world.

Sally Dunne from the Loretto Community NGO at the United Nations, her intern Emily Thenhaus and I took the opportunity to head to Corcovado the day after Rio+ 20 ended. A long taxi ride across town took us past Lake “Rodrigo de Frietas” and eventually to the streets of Cosme Vehlo, the neighborhood where “pilgrims” to the mountaintop catch a little tram to the summit. Upon arrival, we did what we had grown accustomed to doing during most of the conference—we waited. Our tram wouldn’t be leaving for about an hour. But waiting for anything in this new-found, fascinating place, would be nothing but a pleasure for me.

Sally and Emily decided to explore the local neighborhood. I chose to stay nearby and watch for any new birds I might see. Interestingly, one of the first I saw was the House Sparrow. Yep. The same alien weaver finch that we have—having made its way from England to Brazil—a common city dweller, a generalist that can adapt to most places, and eats all kinds of junk food. I strolled down to the little park beside the tram station and settled in. I kept hearing new bird sounds and was surrounded by so many interesting people—some locals, others obviously tourists like me. Satisfied with identifying a Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, I made my wait back to our appointed meet-up place.

Soon we were in line for our ride up the mountain. The little red tram had two cars; I estimated about 40 people fit in each one. We scrambled onto a nearly full car and took the first available seats. Most of the window seats—premium for catching the views of Rio below—were already taken. As the tram began to wind its way slowly up the 2,000+ foot mountain, I found myself overwhelmed emotionally by feelings of grief. I fought back my tears. Why was all this emotion welling up in me?

Then it dawned on me. What a contrast to West Virginia! How could it be that our mountains at home were being tortured and obliterated via mountaintop removal strip mining of coal, while this mountain, Corcovado, was so venerated? I’ve not checked it out, but I suspect there’s no coal under the summit of Corcovado. As we chugged our way to the top I thought about why it is that we are we drawn to these high places—places with expansive views. Beyond their incomprehensible beauty, mountains are magical. Can the human heart be transformed by such a pilgrimage? Do we sense that they are they sacred places? Is it only for the view or could it be a place to gain greater perspective on our own lives? When a person can see for miles and miles, when this god-like perspective makes miniatures of everything below, do we unconsciously and simultaneously experience a sense of being finitely small yet somehow great? Indeed, when I reached this summit, I was overcome by wonderful emotions—joy and peace. Although Corcovado is crowded with sight-seers, alone in my thoughts, I was awestruck by this great geologic monument—a fraction of God’s Great Opus.
I descend with only more questions: Who calculates the intrinsic value of a mountaintop? And who, with any self- examination, could destroy one?

If you’re reading this and love mountains, you can do something to help save some mountains in southern West Virginia.  Contact President Obama here:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/write-or-call and tell him he needs to place an immediate moratorium on mountaintop removal in Central Appalachia.

Corcovado as seen from Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Blame it on Rio

 Climate Change, Mountaintop Removal, News  No Responses »
Jun 252012
 

I’m still amazed after all these years the number of times that I seem to be in the right place at the right time. That was the case on June 21st at the UN Conference, Rio+20 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. I was sitting in the Women’s group office hand-writing some notes for the presentation I would be giving later about mountaintop removal and the Central Appalachian Women’s Tribunal on Climate Justice.  That was the recent event that OVEC helped organize in mid-May.   While sitting there, Rosa Lizarde, the global coordinator for the Feminist Task Force, introduced me to Claire Greensfelder,a lifelong environmental, peace and safe energy activist, educator, political campaigner, and print and radio journalist, who lives and works in California.

What a small world we live in.  When she found out that I was from West Virginia, working on ending mountaintop removal coal mining, she asked me if I knew Mike Roselle.

And of course I do!  His group has done so much to raise public awareness about this extreme and highly destructive type of strip mining.

She went on to compliment Mike and his work with Climate Ground Zero.  Rosa then told her that OVEC had been the primary organizing group on the ground for the Women’s Tribunal, at which point, Claire asked if I knew that the U.S. EPA’s Administrator, Lisa Jackson was speaking the next day at Rio Centro (where the UN plenaries and most of the side events were held for the conference).  She gave me the time and place, and I knew then what my work for Friday, June 22nd would be:  try to find a way to speak with her about mountaintop removal.

The next morning, I made my way to the Marriot Hotel located at Copacabana beach–one of the many designated bus stops for conference attendees.  Organizers of this gargantuan event ran buses to and from Rio Centro throughout the day from June 20-22 for the UN Conference, Rio+20.  People from throughout the world, women, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmers, indigenous people, UN delegates and world leaders had been meeting formally since June 20.  An undercurrent of dissatisfaction surfaced in many conversations and circles in which I found myself.  Major concerns seemed to be a lack of political will on the part of developed nations to assist  developing nations with technology transfer and women were upset that the phase “reproductive rights” no longer appeared in the final document.

At any rate, I was on my way to Rio Centro with hopes of having a moment with Administrator Jackson.

Entrance for all the meetings at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio +20

When I arrived and while going through security (which was beefed up with so many heads of state in Rio), I spotted Emily Thenhaus, an intern with the Loretto Community UN NGO, on her way to a press briefing with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Coincidentally, it was in the same room where Administrator Jackson was scheduled to speak a little later.  Getting into these formal meetings can be tricky.  Fact is, had I not met up with Emily and trailed behind her and some other US women, I’m not sure I would have been allowed in the room.  I was stopped at the door. Emily looked over her shoulder, saw me stalled and said, “She’s with our U.S. delegation.”

Magical.  I was allowed to pass through the door.

We made our way back to the pavilion area where first Hillary and then Lisa were scheduled to speak.  The room was already crowded. In the back was a bank of reporters waiting for Secretary Clinton to appear; the walls were lined with people and most of the seats had a sheet of paper with the word “reserved” printed in big, bold, black letters.  I spied a single open seat on the back row and settled in for the wait.

Hillary arrived to a barrage of clicking cameras, gave her speech and left.  (I recorded it, but admittedly was preoccupied wondering about how I might be able to speak with Administrator Jackson).  The room emptied out, but I decided to stay put and assess a strategic seat where I could intercept her.  My goal was to thank her for EPA’s role to help rein in mountaintop removal and especially for appealing the recent DC district court decision on the Spruce mine permit and to hand her the summary proceedings from the Central Appalachian Women’s Climate Justice Tribunal and the recent Chicago Women’s Tribunal (which focused on coal plant emissions).

Event organizers asked Emily and me to move closer to the front, which we gladly did (3rd row on the end).  Ms. Jackson was going to speak about the progress of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a collaboration that works to decrease short-lived air pollutants like methane, CFCs and black carbon (soot).  To make sure that Jackson would know why I was there to see her, I wore my green “Abolish Mountaintop Removal” t-shirt, the most dressed down I had been for the conference.  Right on time, she arrived; I saw her standing on my left, chatting with what appeared to be some of her staff.  I waited until she was in the front of the room and finished greeting other speakers. Then I saw my opportunity. I turned to Emily and said, “I’m going to go speak to her now.”

Janet presents EPA Administrator Jackson with the report and recommendations from the Central Appalachian Women’s Tribunal on Climate Justice.

Below is a short debrief video that Emily did with me where you can hear how our encounter went: http://lorettoinrio.tumblr.com/post/25659308506/janet-keating-at-the-uns-rio-20-conference-on

And here’s a wonderful photo of Lisa Jackson as she spoke at this event.

I was actually in tears after accomplishing what I set out to do–not sure why, but felt like she spoke from her heart when she said that she appreciated our work and courage.  As I was walking away, she said something like, “I get to go home, but you…”

Admittedly Rio is a bit of a long way to go to get the ear  and attention of the EPA Administrator, but I can’t help but wonder what she was thinking when we spoke–to see someone concerned about mountaintop removal in that room so far from home, wanting to thank her for EPA’s efforts on behalf of the people and the land.  If I were she, I might be inclined to remember that someone representing Central Appalachian women made a big effort  to run into her and maybe in the future she might make a little more effort on behalf of her agency’s efforts to save our mountains.

And here’s a photo of happy me after the event and the brief meet-up with Administrator Jackson:

Janet pauses for a photo op after meeting EPA's Lisa Jackson, happy she accomplished her goal for the day!

You can thank Administrator Jackson for appealing the D.C. court decision by emailing her at:   jackson.lisap@epa.gov.

 

 

 


The Future We Don’t Want

 Climate Change, Mountaintop Removal, Sustainable Development  No Responses »
Jun 202012
 

Below is a statement from the Non-govermental Organizations (NGOs) attending the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.  Much frustration exists among ordinary people here over the fact that that 20 nations are deciding the fate of 195. Many have been saying that the current document is taking steps backwards from the agreement reach in Rio in 1992. Petitions are circulating today among NGOs asking leaders to take stronger measures to protect the planet and its inhabitants.

A primary ask is to eliminate ALL subsidies to fossil fuel development.   The people have voted that this concern is number one in order to protect our planet, in order to have a sustainable future–to have a future.  For the sake of all life, we must hasten the transition away from fossil fuel extraction to clean, renewable energy.

But there’s still time for leaders to hear the voices of the majority.

More to come…

“We – the civil society organisations and social and justice movements who have responded to the call of the United Nations General Assembly to participate in the Rio+20 process – feel that the current state of negotiations severely threatens the future of all people and undermines the relevance and credibility of the United Nations.

After more than two years of intense negotiations and millions of dollars invested on the UN CSD 2012 Rio+20 conference, governments are unable and unwilling to reaffirm the commitments on fundamental principles they made in Rio in 1992.

Governments must realise that they receive their mandates from their citizenry people and that they must act in its best interest. They must be imbued with a long-term vision, an environmentally-informed mind set, so as to guarantee the sustainable development of civilisations and the best future for all, the future we all really want.

Although governments are apparently unable to resiliently deal with the current global economic crisis (a problem confirmed in the G20 meeting in Mexico this weekend), we believe that this is the perfect moment, with potentially cathartic momentum, to embrace sustainable development, social and environmental justice. This is not the time to abandon it on grounds of austere fiscal policies or allegedly pro-growth pressures in the North. We urge the Government of Brazil, the UNCSD Secretary General and all Member States to stop negotiating their short-term national agendas and to urgently agree now on transitional actions for global sustainable progress.”

We want governments to deliver the people’s legitimate agenda and the realisation of rights, democracy and sustainability, as well as respect for transparency, accountability and the honouring of promises and accomplishments already. Sadly, time is running out. A rushed and weak agreement will be neither acceptable to us nor representative of the future we all want.

We urge our fellow 99% citizens of the world to stand up for the future we really want, and not this one, imposed by a few: the 1% negotiators and their elite constituencies.

For all, let their voices of the majority finally shape the future.

Locks Sheared for The Mountains

 Mountaintop Removal  No Responses »
May 312012
 

Marilyn Mullins had a dream and then she acted on it.

Via Facebook, to call for an end to mountaintop removal, she organized a Memorial Day head-shaving event for women at the State Capitol. What a deeply personal sacrifice these beautiful women (and some men standing with them in solidarity) made on behalf of the mountains and people! Mullins said this act of protest was meant to symbolize all that has been sacrificed and forever lost by Appalachians fighting mountaintop removal — barren moonscapes instead of lush mountains, poisoned water, obliterated communities, and people stripped of their homes and health.

I read that ritual head-shaving, a fairly ancient ritual, is part of many religious traditions —Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Jain and Hindu. In some religious traditions, head-shaving is an act of devotion or it symbolizes renunciation — renouncing the world for the love of God. In Hinduism, the underlying concept is that hair is a symbolic offering to the gods, representing a real sacrifice of beauty, and in return, those who shave their heads are given blessings in proportion to their sacrifice.

For more than a decade, so many have already sacrificed too much in their efforts to bring mountaintop removal to an end. For some women who led the efforts, like Judy Bonds or Laura Forman, it was the ultimate sacrifice. But neither of them was thinking about or focusing on their own well-being. One of my favorite quotes by Forman still is: “West Virginia is truly almost heaven. She has given so much to my life. How could I not try to help save her?”

At the Funeral for the Mountains in 2001, I remember hearing Bonds say that every mining law in West Virginia had been written in blood, a sad truth. Without dying miners and community members in our southern mountain communities, laws like Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) or the Mine Health Safety Act, would never have come about.

It seems most politicians are moved by either by hefty campaign contributions from the coal industry that insure their re-election or shame when a preventable disaster occurs during their term of office. The 125 lives lost, thousands of homes destroyed and lives disrupted because of the Buffalo Creek disaster shamed Congress into passing SMCRA. The 29 miners who died because of Massey Energy’s negligence and a lack of state and federal regulatory oversight at the Upper Big Branch mine in 2010 has prompted greater scrutiny of underground mines. Bonds, of course, was right; it took blood on the coal and ultimate sacrifice.

I, for one, believe that this self-less, spiritually powerful act of head-shaving has already had a positive impact on the struggle to end mountaintop removal. A news agency reported that the West Virginia Coal Association had no comment. Was that a calculated non-response or was the spokesperson just unable to come up with pithy sound bite?

You don’t have to shave your head to take action to end mountaintop removal. Write a letter to the editor. Sign up for our action alerts. Check back to this blog next week (the week of June 4, 2012) for actions you can take in solidarity with The Alliance for Appalachia’s End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington.

What’s up with a Central Appalachian Women’s Tribunal on Climate Justice?

 Health, Mountaintop Removal, News  No Responses »
May 012012
 

On May 10, at the West Virginia Woman’s Club in Charleston,  OVEC and our partner organizations, the Loretto Community at the United Nations, the Feminist Task Force of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, and the Civil Society Institute, are organizing and hosting the first ever U. S. Climate Justice Tribunal. Women  throughout Central Appalachia — from southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and eastern Tennessee — impacted by mountaintop removal and other mining abuses will raise their voices, exposing the impacts of mountaintop removal on their lives, their families and their communities.  And their voices will be heard and amplified beyond our borders: we will present findings from the tribuanl  at the Rio+20 at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil this June.

Right now, please stop reading this and register to atend this event by clicking here.

Someone I know, when hearing that OVEC was organizing a women’s tribunal remarked, “A women’s tribunal?  That sounds kind of dangerous!”  Well yes — it’s likely to be a room full of very fired-up women.  If you’ve been involved in the effort to end mountaintop removal at all, you know that much of the early work to end this outrageous form of mining has been carried out by women (with many good men supporting them).  Not a big surprise, after all the issue is about destroying a part of Mother Earth.

Women in Central Appalachia have been raising their voices for more than a decade calling for an end to this extreme form of mining, yet most state and national decision-makers still turn a deaf ear.  We hope that’s about to change.  Women at this tribunal aren’t going to hold back.  They know that they are unfairly bearing the impacts from mountaintop removal — caring for sick children and other relatives.  How many more cancers, heart attacks or birth defects will happen in the hollow before this abominable mining is halted once and for all?

Women are hauling water because their well water is unfit to drink or poisoned, moving away from the homeplace when mountaintop removal makes life in their mountain community too untenable and dangerous, shoveling mud and cleaning up — again – -from a second or third “100 year flood” in the span of a few years, dodging overloaded coal trucks on a daily basis on narrow, winding roads, cleaning coal dust off the house, the car, the porch, and the furniture.  And then there are the daily blasts — bombing of the mountains, actually (except it’s legal, because the coal company has a permit…).  Shattering nerves and foundations and lowering property values. Then there’s also the incalculable harm to animal and plant communities.

Women have been ostracized and intimidated by mountaintop removal supporters for speaking out publicly, but they haven’t given up.  Some have even been arrested in front of the White House.  Thank goodness, they refuse to sit down and shut up.   And so far,  the mountain destroyers just keep tightening their leashes on their agency lapdogs and tossing campaign cash to politicians who do their bidding.

Can you even imagine the heartache of seeing the place where you were born, where  your mama and daddy were born, where your kids were born, destroyed — annihilated — entire communities wiped off the map?  Streams where you used to dip bare feet in on a hot summer’s day, sit beside for hours, turning over rocks just to watch the crawdads skitter backwards and quickly disappear, now fouled and polluted.  And the giant beech tree, the one where the grandparents carved the big heart to declare their undying love — now gone forever — another victim of “grab and go” coal mining.  A real-life tragedy is happening here — generations of culture and history erased — a nearly unbearable price these women and their families are paying for the nation’s so called “cheap” energy.

My guess is that listening to these testimonies will not be for the feint of heart.  There will be anger, and no doubt tears.  Not only do we (and anyone else we can get to listen) need to hear these women raise their voices of resistance, but also we need you to be in this room lending your support.  The women of Central Appalachia need to know that other people care about what happens to them here.  All of us should realize that this is not just an Appalachian cause, but a cause for national and international concern.  If mountaintop removal goes on unabated here in “the land of the free and the home of the brave,” is there any place on earth safe?

If you haven’t yet registered for the Tribunal, you can register here.

You can learn more about this and other tribunals here.  —
update: Video of Central Appalachian Women’s Tribunal on Climate Justice, May 10

OVEC Introducing Our Blog

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Mar 262012
 
Lovely West Virginia Mountains in early autumn

West Virginia's peaks: Raleigh County, USA. Photo by OVEC's Vivian Stockman.

As you probably know, the OVEC staff is opinionated and passionate about the environment and social justice. And now we are happy to share those opinions with you – as part of updating the OVEC website, we’re introducing OVEC’s blog, which we hope you will help us name. Suggestions so far include:

  •  Hoots and Hollers
  •  Creeks and Peaks (which is already a blog name)
  •  Voices of Change

Please send your suggestions for OVEC blog’s name to vivian@ohvec.org.

Beyond sharing personal opinions, perspectives, ideas and information, we will also be posting photos, sharing links, notifying you about special events and sending out calls to action.

We hope that you will join in the “conversation.” Tell us what you are thinking. And, if you feel that you might want to blog on OVEC’s behalf, please send your submission to vivian@ohvec.org.

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