Would you knowingly exchange some of the oldest mountains in the world for electricity? Sadly, that’s exactly what’s been happening in the United States! It’s estimated that 50% of the electricity in American homes comes from mountaintop removal… yes, the Appalachian mountains ARE being removed, literally blown up and removed from the landscape to extract coal for electricity.

What bothers me most about this practice is that the Appalachian mountains are some of the oldest mountains in the world, older than the Himalayas! The Appalachian mountain region is home to the largest plant and animal diversity in all of North America.

Global health rests in our hands.

In the southern parts of the Appalachians the ice age did not come down this far. That meant that plant and animal species who could travel during the last ice age made their way to this area and there they stayed until the massive ice sheets receded, this allowed many species to venture back out. However, I think the fascinating part of it all is how these mountains even today are home to species of plant, insect, and fungi that are still undiscovered.

My entire life I’ve lived in the Appalachian mountains, from North Carolina to New York. It is thought among native Americans that these mountains were the first land above water  and they were named, Turtle Island.”

When the Europeans first came to North America and saw these mountains they were in awe. The old growth forests of the mountains boasted trees so huge that it would take up to 10 men, with arms out-stretched and fingers touching to circle a single tree. These trees were chopped down, hundreds of millions of them, the forests were clear cut and the old growth timbers were used for building houses, furniture, and ships. What took nature millions of years to create, was gone in fewer than 100 years.

What was left was completely barren soil. Which meant when it rained the rich topsoil was washed away and into the ocean. Many farmers gave up farming because the soil, hard clay and rocky, was unsuitable.

Today, we are doing something that I find equally appalling… entire mountains are being blasted to smithereens the coal removed from the ancient soil and what remains is literally hauled into valleys. So what essentially is happening is the landscape is being leveled. The now leveled mountains and once deep valleys are beyond restoration, nothing grows on them because the soil is such poor quality, and oftentimes toxic… you just cannot go down that deep into the earths surface and not stir up all kinds of natural elements and not expect big trouble. And that is precisely what is happening.

If you want to see someone snarl the most wicked snarl imaginable, you should see me when those “clean coal” commercials come on TV. The fact is… there is no such thing, nor was there ever, as clean coal. It IS by far the most filthy thing we do every inch of the way to our lovely planet.

The coal industry thinks it is perfectly fine to remove these mountains and fill in the valleys and then by plane spread “grass seed” (of all things!). They think it’s ok to remove the forests and cover over streams, in forested areas and replace them with flat land and lawn grass! Even in a thousand years, these destroyed areas (which are now extremely polluted and basically worthless) the landscape will not be able to restore itself, and it’s quite likely it never will.

Right now, as I type this article, we – YOU AND ME, have the opportunity to make this appalling nonsense STOP. There’s a non-profit organization called, “I Love Mountains” that is devoted to stopping this catastrophe.

We’re NOT talking small land areas here… we’re talking millions of acres of mountains being literally removed.

I Love Mountains has set up on their website a page where you can so easily obtain your local Senators name and phone numbers so you can call them right now – and DO call them now. Because as I type this there are hearings taking place to determine if Mountaintop Removal should be in compliance with clean land and clean water regulations – currently, they are NOT, thanks in large part to the Bush administration.

Please click on this link now to go to the I Love Mountains website where they have set up a database where you can obtain (literally within seconds) your Senators names and phone numbers and call them immediately and simply say… “I’m calling in regards to the Mountaintop Removal Act number S 696 and the Clean Water Protection Act and I want you to know I am against Mountaintop Removal. I want the mountains to stay intact and the dumping of mining waste to be outlawed. Please make sure my Senator knows I want a stop to this immediately!”

It will take you LESS THAN 2 MINUTES to call your 2 Senators – I did it just before writing this. It is one of the most significant things you can do to help keep our earth “Green.” Please call, don’t sit there thinking… oh, many other people will call… when everyone thinks that someone else will do it we end up with what we now have, a mess.

Above and beyond that, what can we do?

• Encourage and demand truly clean and Green energy and practices.

• Get canvas tote bags for shopping.

• Go further than simple recycling, when possible avoid buying products and foods in plastic and other types of packaging.

• Buy and eat local foods.

• Turn off lights when leaving a room.

• Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use.

• Carpool, walk, ride a bike, use public transportation, buy a Smart Car or a Prius (I have a 2003 Prius, I absolutely LOVE it, and I get 50 mph or better, so don’t let them trick you into thinking 25 mph is really good milage! It’s NOT. If I were them I would be embarrassed to advertise such poor milage – demand 100 mpg or more!)

• Trade in consumer habits (the buying of stuff) for habits that foster community. New shoes and stuff will NEVER fill the space of having meaningful relationships.

• Plant a garden and compost. In a pervious article I shared some of my gardening resources and in another I sketched my compost bin design (super cheap and easy to build), be sure to follow the tips I provided too as it will add to your success – and – you won’t be buying compost starter either! I want YOU to save your money for more important and meaningful things!

• Educate yourself and those around you, know what’s going on and what you can do. Watch this enlightening and empowering 20 minute video, the Story of STUFF.

• When you do buy, buy used.

• Fix things that are broken, rather than disposing them. Tell companies you want repair parts that are reasonably priced so we can  eliminate this disposable nonsense.

• Get a water filter and filter your own tap water rather than buying bottled water. The bottled water is tap water anyway. And use glass bottles to store and carry your water – they don’t leach poisonous toxins into the water you’ll be drinking, which will save your health and money on medical expenses.

• Avoid these very toxic products like the plague: air fresheners, dryer sheets, personal care products that have ingredients that you can’t pronounce easily, processed foods (70% contain Genetically Modified crops and hidden sources of MSG – YES even those sold in health food stores), household cleaners (I use pure organic essential oils and Thieves Household Cleaner from Young Living for creating my “Green” and eco-friendly home.)