into the coal river valley

It's true! I live in WV these days. I've been pretty dang busy... and haven't had much time for things like a blog post- but it seems well overdue! So, since I've been living here for about 2 months, there are photos from all sorts of things- an exact flow and time sequence doesn't really apply here... but here goes! The past 2 months of my time in WV....

First things first, new house! I live up Rock Creek holler with 5 other delightful people. We rent our house, and it sits on 178 acres of land on the side of Coal River Mountain. It's incredibly beautiful- with trails that lead all over the place in our back 'yard' (is a mountain a backyard? i guess so...), lots of random little out houses, a cemetery, and a stream that ranges from a trickle to a roar (it's a small little one- but sure does sound nice!)

two of the little out houses on our property- there are hopes and dreams of fixing them up enough to provide seasonal housing--- but... for now that's just a dream.

William (housemate!) showing the watershed of the coal river valley to a passerby at the capital building in Charleston--- perhaps my least favorite place to be in WV (well, next to going shopping in Beckley... maybe)

And even tho I live and work in WV these days- I've remained pretty connected to things happening in Ohio. I've been in WV for... 2 months or something now- but have spent many many of my weekends away. One of those weekends I went up to Athens for help facilitate OSEC meetings. The first night, we had a packed house as folks crammed together to hear mattie share the history of osec.

Besides having a ton of people come out for the retreat and seeing people i care about- there is one really rad thing that sticks out from the weekend- OSEC took on the 'Don't Frack with Ohio' campaign! Hells yeah! Folks spent several hours in a break out group (above) trying to figure out how OSEC can help create an Ohio movement to stop fracking.

On sunday, we finished the weekend retreat strong with a moment for closing thoughts. And as extra bonus- we were able to do it outside (mind you- this happened in... early feb... so being outside was particularly exciting)

Group photo- osec Streeting retreat Winter 2011, Athens, OH

And then there was our households valentines day celebration--- which mostly consisted of EK writing beautiful poems for everyone and hanging them in our dining room (plus- some baked goods... duh)

I went with Rooster and William to see the Edwight permit-- a MTR site. We made it up the mountain side (on a very small, very bumpy road) just before 4 pm. Which is when we heard the alarm go off and moments later heard an explosion, felt the ground move a bit, and watched as the mountain was thrust into the air. It was the first time I saw a mountain actually get exploded. As it settled, you could smell the air-- it smelled a bit like matches. Here, you can see the dust settling after the explosion. It makes it look almost small, but it's not. Oh, and that little patch of trees in the upper left of the photo- is a family cemetery.

That same day, we went for a hike on the side of Rt 3 to look at some drainage that... well... shouldn't be there. It's funny how beautiful it can look and peaceful it can feel, just moments away from the active destruction of these same mountains.

The not-so-natural drainage coming out of what we think is an old mine... it was called in to the DEP, but I don't know that anything has really been done.

This is Frankie- Beccas new teacup pig. Frankie lives outside in a pin (tho, they sure do escape alot), loves apple cores, and hates being picked up. Unless its by Becca- on a good day.

The incredible exploded flat tire- that resulted in an eye opening and incredibly awkward experience for becca and i. Long story short: after several failed attempts of changing this flat into a doughnut (think: jack falling over twice, then falling over again and getting stuck under the car... fail), we knocked on a the door of a near by house-- which was home to what turned out to be perhaps the friendliest person.

So, I found myself sitting in a strangers home with becca drinking bad coffee with even worse powdered creamer, and trying to make small talk. As one can assume- what we do around here was a question- and after trying to beat around the bush- the real answer came out- we work with CRMW. i could barely say it, as i was afraid she'd know what that meant and she'd... i'm not sure... react strongly- be angry, kick us out, not help us with our tire? the woman had never heard of it before, and i was able to talk up projects that dont directly address mtr. But the fear of how she may have responded had she known, was very telling to me- and emphasized my role... as an outsider. A radical. An environmentalist. I am those things- and there's no denying it (nor would i want to), but the combination of the 3 creates a heavy challenge- and it's not a new challenge. it's not something i didn't realize before this, but--- it made it hit home and realize exactly who i am in this story.

(anyway... back to photos of what i'm doing these days...)

In late Feb, the CRMW office hosted the March on Blair Mountain:Appalachia is Rising general meeting. About 50 folks came from all over Appalachia to jam together about the march. It was a pretty amazing moment, where I was able to put names to faces, catch up on the current permits (there are currently 7 permits that are of eminent threat to the historical site of the Battle of Blair Mountain), see the incredibly beautiful color prints of the poster (photo!), connect with the media working group, and generally feel a part of something big.

Outreach break out group for the march... And just as a bit of back story for why this March on Blair Mountain is happening (and why you should totally come...) : Remember those 7 permits I mentioned? Well those are permits that are planning to blow up Blair Mountain- a mountain where in 1921, thirteen thousand miners came together to take up arms against the company and fight for their rights to safe working conditions and collective bargaining. It was the second largest armed insurrection in Unites States history (second only to the civil war), put down only when the coal bosses brought in federal troops. The battle proved to be a landmark fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to unionize. The Battle of Blair Mountain set a powerful precedent for the rest of the country that resounds today in the continuing fight to defend collective bargaining. Now, that mountain is set to be blown up by the coal companies- an attack not only on the mountains but also an attack on the history of WV and of labor on the whole. Guess we better stand together to protect it, eh?.

A group sing along of Solidarity Forever... with the totally awesome DustBuster Sisters from Sylvester, WV (just up the road from where I live now). If you're not familiar, check out their story (or ask me about it!)

Coloring together at our dining room table. Awww ethanpants!

Baking in what appears to be a totally crazed kitchen. Since then- improvements have certainly been made and it's less of a crazy place (tho- still not what I would call 'fully functional') Either way, getting to bake and cook food for my housemates is still an enjoyable break

Ethanpants, becca, and EK in the back seat- heading up to kayford mountain. Crossed eyes may or may not be a major part of the way we communicate with each other...

We headed up to kayford to show beccas father- Leonard- the site. We went to a viewpoint I had never seen before, which took us by this giant crack in the earth--- it's hard to see how big and how deep it is- but it's huge. Just imagine if you're house was built near where the land just broke apart like that from all the blasting happening on nearby mountains...

Becca and Leonard... looking over the eerie green hills, large roads, and moonscape that was once kayford mountain. heartbreaking- no matter how many times i see it.

Meal sign up for the collective dinners ... sat night... awww!
(also notice: Friday night reads: '{Cookies} or burritos')

Dropping Ethan off at the train station in Price, WV. That morning- the morning we HAD to be on time, I woke up late and it decided to randomly snow- making rt 3 a scary drive. We got there just on time-- to learn that the train was going to be 3 hours late (that's just the way it is... doo do doo do doo do...). After that- Becca and I headed to Wise County VA to do a beehive presentation and the VA Mountain Justice Spring Break, where I got to meet some of beccas friends and see a lot of folks who are joining the movement, as well as some old timers who were putting the week long training camp together. it rocked.

And then there was the week we all spent doing support work (cooking food!) for a group of about 40 folks, who were in the valley working with Restoring Eden, doing research for a health study. The kitchen work was stressful, but the study went really well, getting more participants than expected, and the group of students was really appreciative and nice.

One challenge of the week, was making 'normal food' (what does that even mean???)- which included packing 40+ sacked lunches everyday (sandwhich meat anyone? barf!) On the bright side, Dave now feels prepared to have 40 children....

Cole slaw for everyone!

EK eating a chocolate glaze doughnut off a string- hands free- at a birthday party. I would share the post game photo of EK but that just feel cruel....

Oh just... you know... loving each other a whole lot in the E council....

While shit got real- and then got bad- in Ohio... and while things continue to rage in WI... a whole lotta folks in West Virginia attended a solidarity action. On the down side, it was a lot of politicians encouraging people to act with their vote (only), but on the bright side lots of folks came out, Nick spat a mean game about acting beyond your vote, Brandon rallied for the march on Blair, and we passed out lots of fliers for the march. So---- win win loose?


And now--- I'm sitting on the porch (where it is a lot warmer than in the house), listening to our little stream roar, catching glipses of Frankie running by, preparing myself for delving back into my to-do list (and thinking about how things on my wish list- like spend time outside and post blogs 2x a month, seem to be the first to fall off), being excited spring is here (to spite not getting in a sledding adventure), and getting excited for a quick weekend visit to columbus of a statewide fracking strategy session (plus- seeing Mattie, Megan, Mom, Ian, Bobb, Erin...).

(oh and trying not to think about what seems to be the apocalypse just around the corner...)

abandoned

after several hours of discussion with a dear friend this weekend, some things have really been on my mind. mostly, what i see as the impending doom that is our future, globally but also in the united states. i'm no 2012 believer, but all signs are telling me, life as we know it is on its way out.


the international energy administration (iea)- which from my understanding is a fairly conservative international organization- has changed its expected global peak oil date from 2020 to 2012 this past winter. we are so far from any sort of post oil consumptive society, and remain so dependent on oil for our basic needs (like food), that a steady increase in oil prices really will likely have detrimental effects on life as we know it. on security, well being, our ability to survive.


we've seen more and more extreme natural disasters. like the 8.8 earthquake in chile, or the 7.0 in haiti. we're had volcanic ash turning europe into a tunnel of darkness (yet, the only discussion about it is the ability to fly. why is that?). flooding, drought, heat waves.


man made disasters. like the oil spill in the gulf of mexico that will undoubtedly contribute to the unreal rate of extinction we're currently seeing across our world.



all of this to say, it's scary. we've been raised our whole life being told if we go to school, get an education, a job, a house, a steady income- that we'll be fine. we'll have everything we need. we'll be comfortable and never hungry. in fact, we'll need a membership to a gym because we'll be eating so much it will make us ill. but what happens when that isn't true? when a college degree won't mean anything (does it now?) other than 4 years spent learning things that won't help me and those i love survive. what good does learning about microbes or the history of the environmental movement do if i can't grow my own food and preserve it? if i don't know how to fix a whole in the roof, or build a house without store bought oil made products (or with them, for the matter)? if i can't take care of my basic needs (which, i can't) what can i do?


and in a way, what am i doing working on coal issues? i feel like we've already lost the battle. i feel like it's too late. while i do believe we should still try, try for sake of that chance i'm wrong and things will be fine, fight to preserve our dignity, fight because we don't know what else to do. but in that process, are we also failing to prepare for this impending doom? this apocalypse? if folks (like me) in the valley can't provide for themselves, then to what effect is it to stop exploitative coal mining practices? i fully intend on doing everything within my power to improve this world, and the world to come, and feel like my future endeavors are part of that. but is it short sited to fight coal issues? are we so far gone that we should work on food security? (i'm not sure).

feeling pessimistic on this raining may day (the day after the under celebrated may day), i'm preparing to delve into studying. to spend several hours of my day, and days to come, preparing for a multiple choice test that will give me access (or prevent access) to a piece of paper that society has placed so much value on (a diploma). the expectations are telling me, get your degree. and get it with a high gpa. higher education is the cause we're fighting for. you need it to get by. but now that i've spent (wasted?) four years working towards this piece of paper, was it worth it?



'the schools we are going to are reflections of the society that created them. nobody is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowlwdge will help set you free. schools in amerika are interested in brainwashing people with amerikanism, giving them a little bit of education, and training them in skills they need to fill the positions the capitalist system requires. as long as we expect amerika's school to educate us, we will remain ignorant'

(Assata: an autobiography- by Assatta Shakur)

29

a recent mine explosion killed 29 miners in wv, and the two that survived were horribly injured. it's the worst explosion in the coal fields since 1970, and the horrible thing is, both massey and the government knew that mine was unsafe. the mine had been cited many times, yet it was never shut down. miners still had to show up to work, even though they knew it might not be safe.

risk their lives or risk their livelihoods.

in a recent article, which also said massey did not give fellow miners time off to attend the funerals of their deceased co-workers, had this quote from a an unemployed underground miner:

“Everybody knew that mine was about to blow up,I told my friend not to work there. That was three months ago; he worked two months and quit. If you check the work records, you’ll see that a lot of experienced miners left the mine because the conditions just got worse and worse as they ramped up production.”

it just seems unfathomable that a company would put people, their people, at risk in order to get more coal. i guess maybe it shouldn't surprise me, the history of coal says that's exactly what coal companies do. and after all, history has a way of repeating its self. but why? why does such a horrible, violent, exploitative, deathly history have to repeat its self and how many times can it repeat before it stops happening?

i can't say i understand the struggles of a miner, and i won't pretend to. i also can't make claim that i understand what it means to have to work against so much in order to provide for my family, to risk my life in order to maintain a job that pays the bills. i'm fortunate enough to not know that first hand. but while i acknowledge that, i still cant come up with a situation in my head that i would risk my life in order to further the profits of some company that has been violating my people for generations.

i wish i could say their lives were not lost in vain. that something positive will come out of it, for other miners in the future. i wish i can say that people would begin to see the lives of miners as part of how we keep our lights on in this country, and acknowledge that to be priceless. beyond priceless. it's not even an externality really, it's so far beyond what you could ever think about including in the 'cost of business.' peoples lives.

but i can't. maybe this time it will be different, but in all likelihood, history will keep repeating itsself. companies, like massey, will continue to be able to murder their workers in name of profit and cheap coal, while 'our' government continues to look the other way, and let it happen.

it's well said that mine companies saw a mule as worth more than a miner. i guess that saying proves true today, but this time it's not mules, but pure profits that are worth more than miners.

you're killing me, ohio

literally. I love ohio. It's a part of me. I feel a real connection to this place, particularly these foothills.

Which is why, perhaps, it hurts so badly to know what Ohio has on it's plate. Ohio is dirty, and getting ready to be dirtier.

Energy- how much we produce and how we do that is what I'm talking about. While there are (sadly) probably more on the table, here's what I have caught wind of for what is has barreling down on Ohio. This is not what I know, but what I hear. Some of this is yet to be seen, just heard from people keeping their ears to the ground. Other things are well underway. And even more things are missing from this list completely.


Starting closest to me and moving clockwise around the state:

Meigs County (Purple dot): a potential expansion of carbon sequestration into Ohio from WV. This is particuarly bad news as it is creating new coal infrastructure and would likely pave the way for 'clean coal' plants to pop up in Meigs County.

Meigs County (Pink dot): the AMP coal plant has been stopped. But, plans to create energy at that site are still in the works, potentially has biomass or natural gas.

Middletown (green): a coke plant is there, with permits and all. Coke is a form of energy from coal, that is used to create steal. From my limited understanding of it, coke is particularly destructive and has a very high level of public health threat. Luckily, there seems to be local community resistance to the project that has been organizing against the plant.

Clyde (light blue dot): this one seems largely based in hear say, but from the sounds of it, there is a incinerator on its way for the Clyde.


Cleveland (yellow dot): another garbage incinerator, also based largely on what has been heard. The proposal is apparently a pyrolysis incinerator- a type of gasification. It's location inside of Cleveland increased the immediate threat is poses, as more people breath the air in an urban environment- but it's location also makes it accessible to organize against.

Alliance (green dot): another incinerator, with permits. There seems to be little local resistance. I don't really know too much about it.

Wellsville (blue dot): There are well established works for a coal-to-liquid plant there. I don't know much of what that means, bu apparently it is more harmful than a 'regular' coal plant, and the liquid energy goes to things like military jets (increasing the harmful effects no doubt). There seems to be little resistance from the community, and possibly even support, but the funding for the plant may not be there.

Belmont County (red dot): this one was sort of intentionally saved for last. This isn't exactly a dirty energy source, but a dirty energy result. A slurry impound to be precise. This is one I just heard about late last night, but want to give a little more information about what it is- from my current understanding.

The backstory: Murray Energy (Bob Murray) owns 60% of Ohio's coal production. Murray energy currently has a slurry impoundment near this proposed one, but come mid 2011, it will be full. This becomes problematic for Murray Energy, as they need a way to store all the nasty, toxic, dirty waste from cleaning our coal. These imprisonments contains heavy metals, like mercury and arsenic, which have a way of destroying water sheds. Of particular note is the clean, 'pristine' stream- casey run- is planned to be diverted (being a water source for people, and for an endangered species of salamander). In 2004, Murray Energy applied for a new impoundment and the EPA denied it, but basically formed a committee to find alternatives. From my understanding, this committee was highly political. Several alternatives were suggested, but Murray Energy said they were not economically feasible- with the exception of their original plan.

Currently, another (slightly tweaked) proposal for the impoundment is up. As I understand it, the Ohio EPA sees approving this permit to be outside the law, but they are up against significant political (financial) weight to approve it. If it gets rejected, Murray Energy has apparently said 12,000 miners will loose jobs in the area. It seems this is likely to be true. Which, is what makes this a hard and complicated issue.

There is a hearing scheduled for Tuesday March 30 in Clairsville. It seems it will be a very heated hearing, where both sides are likely to make a showing- and will likely see this issue as a concern of survival.

Here is the Sierra Clubs site with information about it.









I want to fight for Ohio. I want to fight for my right, for my nephews right, to be able to live here and to be healthy while doing so.

Impending Doom

I woke up today with that knot in your stomach that tells you something is wrong. It's not quiet butterflies, because I always think about that as a happy and scared feeling- like when you're nervous but excited- but it feels almost the same. Only it's not from happiness, at least I don't think it is. It's from something else.

I thought a good breakfast, a quick run, hitting the bags around a little and doing so without being late to class would help. Wrong. Still there. So, I've decided it's probably from a feeling of impending doom. Something is going to happen, I can feel it, and maybe it's terrible, maybe it's doom. Maybe it's from the stack of dishes in my kitchen sink or maybe it's the who-knows-when-but-its-for-certain Apocalypse. More likely it's something in between.

Like the fucking G20. After being arrested for walking through a public park at night, I've been dealing with what is often called 'the justice system' in Pittsburgh for several months now. After my December 29th arraignment, I found myself being offered an ARD with 50 hours of community service and 9 months of probation. Oh, that's if my background check clears- which is not super likely (thanks underage drinking charge I never bothered to expunge). Either way, I don't want to take the deal. That's no deal at all, saying 'yes- i am a bad person and i do deserve to have a cop watch over me for 9 months.' No thanks. So then, the simple question- if I don't take this 'deal,' what is the maximum penalty? Oh? I won't know that until my pre-trial, scheduled after I deny the deal. Perfect. Nothing like rejecting a deal when you have no idea what the consequences could be. Oh yeah, and it feels really great to be singled out by the police- as I and one friend are the only ones I know of who have misdemeanor charges and are still held up in court (without filing an appeal that is). Even if that's not true- it sure does feel that way.

Or maybe it's something like graduating. Come June, as I just confirmed with my adviser today, I will no longer be a 'student.' To say I am not excited by this prospect of doing something else with my life would be a lie. I can't wait. I am tired of the way we are taught to learn, what we are taught, and the fact that learning and doing apparently do not co-exist within the 'higher education' system here at OU. But, none the less- I've been in school since I was... 4 or 5. Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle, High, College. That is the past 17 years of my life or more I've spent doing this. Studying. Reading, writing, listening, 'learning.' Even if all my intentions for the year or so after graduation work out to a t, it's still scary. What if I find out, being a student is what I'm good at, that doing things and learning from reality is not something I do well. What then? Grad School? PhD? Become a teacher? Shit.

Or maybe it's the fear of loosing people- which no doubt is closely attached to graduating. But graduation or not, this is the longest time I've gone without speaking to my best friend since grade school- it's been months. Since the summer. I miss her, and on top of that I think I miss that feeling of 'no matter what.' My family is no matter what, but can you get that without being kin, without being tied to someone through blood? Can there be people in your life, that no matter happens, they will be there for you and you will be there for them?

Perhaps it's something else that I can't even name. Maybe it's just that the future is unwritten and for the first time, I'm really believing that saying. The only thing I am certain of, is right now. And maybe that isn't even so certain, I don't know. And if tomorrow, a year from now, ten years from now is completely unwritten, then that means someone has to write it. I guess that means me. Which, gives me that feeling in my stomach. I guess I don't know if it's butterflies or impending doom. Maybe both?