Stop Arch Coal from Mining Blair Mountain

Last Summer saw labor, environmental, and community activists rallying together for a week-long march to protect Blair Mountain from being mined for Appalachian coal. The battleground site that rests within Blair Mountain is rich with the bloody history of the labor movements that gave today's generations the rights we often take for granted. The battleground site now faces the possibility of literally being blown up in order to power some lightbulbs, maybe a mall, and THIS COMPUTER I'M USING NOW (just wanted to bypass the usual idiotic arguments used to avoid critically thinking about our dependence on coal).

Before the March on Blair Mountain I had been involved with environmental activism for some time and was well aware of mountain-top removal mining and its impacts on the environment and community of Appalachia. Knowing about mountaintop removal is one thing and seeing it is an entirely different thing, an opportunity I was provided while on the march to the battlefield. When you aren't afforded the distance provided by a photograph or video it makes the experience very visceral, urgent, and personal. For the Appalachian residents that I marched alongside with, dealing with the effects of being tied to an economy based on the dirtiest fuel there is, everyday their fight is visceral, urgent, and personal.

Arch Coal (whose CEO sits on the Board of Trustees of Washington University) has generally avoided much of the local environmental activist attention which favors its downtown big brother, Peabody Energy. This isn't always the case though, and this particularly egregious effort on the part of Arch Coal we hope will win your eye and your attention today. Arch and Peabody and their corporate lines are a perfect representation of our culture of exploitation, whether that is human or non-human exploitation, that we are all a part of. We hope you will take the time today to confront your friendly Corporate Neighbor Arch Coal today and have a friendly chat with them.

We urge you to call Arch Coal's headquarters (314.994.2700) and express your thoughts on any plans they have for Blair Mountain.

... and for those that feel that making a call on a Friday simply isn't enough for you then please feel free to keep this Sunday morning at 11 am free and contact us at stlclimateaction@gmail.com for fun fun fun.

Thanks so much from Climate Action STL, Green Action, and the folks in Appalachia.

for more info check these out:
Is Arch Coal About to Mine Historic Blair Mountain?
Action Alert: Call Arch Coal Today