Gee, Think.

I have heard a lot about the practice of mountaintop removal for coal mining.  Apparently this is the preferred method for extracting coal from the Appalachian mountain range.  It is an ongoing issue in West Virginia, with many people from the affected communities speaking out against the environmental devastation that it causes.  This video from Yale documents the positions of community members, scientists, coal industry executives, and even the West Virginia DEP.

This video is shocking.  You’ll see just how much earth is exploded in a single blast.  You’ll also see the flat plateaus created at mountain top removal sites.  You’ll also hear the coal industry and DEP deny allegations of the environmental impacts and consequences.  I have to marvel at the greed and ignorance of this ‘industry’.   What could be more costly for future generations?  What could be less sustainable?  Will there be a point at which these people will finally admit the impact of their pollution?

So after watching this disturbing video, I thought to myself, what can I do about it?  It turns out that there are several sites that come up on a “mountaintop removal action” google search.  ”I love moutains” was one of the sites I visited today.  They really put the issue together nicely so that individuals can understand if they are some how tied into this issue.  You can check your power source by zip code, and see if your electricity is coming from a company that buys coal from mountaintop removal companies.  Our utility company happens to be PSE & G.  We also select their ‘green’ energy initiatives to support wind, solar, and bio-mass energy sources.  PSE&G offers a way of supporting those energy sources by paying an additional usage fee.  We’ve elected to use one of those options, but I digress.  The point is that the tool at ilovemountains.org told me that Jersey Central Power & Light buys coal from moutaintop removal companies.  They had attributed electricity in my zip code, 07063, as coming from Jersey Central Power & Light.  Here was the message:

You know, I guess that West Virginia really isn’t that far from here, but I’m still surprised that my power could be coming from West Virginia coal.  Perhaps I just have zero understanding of the coal & energy industry.  So I decided to check up on this power company:

Jersey Central Power & Light / First Energy

Judging by their coverage map, they do provide power in my area.  So am I not directly ‘guilty’ since my power comes from PSE&G?  Or does PSE&G also buy coal from mountaintop removal companies?  I’m sure that this question could be answered with a little digging.