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Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson, John Slattery, Wendell Berry, Leilani Munter, and more join Appalachian heroes and American public in standing up for mountains, communities, and water

Over our years of working to stop mountaintop removal mining, we at Earthjustice have met so many brave and dedicated people fighting for their communities, mountains and waters. In 2010, Earthjustice launched our “Mountain Heroes” campaign to share their inspiring stories and show that this is not just a fight for the environment—it’s a fight…

A Solidarity Day at White House and historic photo petition delivery to save communities, public health, and mountains

Daryl Hannah is best known as an actor in films such as Splash, Blade Runner, Roxanne, Wall Street, and Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2. But outside of the studio, she is a vocal environmental activist who dedicates herself to raising awareness of climate change, sustainable farming energy solutions, and of course, mountaintop removal. For…

The next artist is My Morning Jacket, a band from Louisville, KY. They have been outspoken environmental advocates for many years, working hard with partners such as Rock The Earth to educate their fans and concert-goers about critical environmental issues, and have played at festivals such as the Forecastle Festival, which promotes sustainability and conservation. In 2010, lead singer and guitarist Jim James collaborated with other Kentucky musicians to release Dear Companion, an album that draws attention to the problems caused by mountaintop removal coal mining. It’s amazing to have him join our Mountain Hero cause!

As we were working on our new campaign ("Mountain Heroes") to stop mountaintop removal coal mining, many of the folks who shared their stories told us they felt bashful about being called "heroes." In our society today, when we talk about a hero many of us imagine a caped figure flying through the sky, lifting…

New federal protections secured through Earthjustice litigation will help ensure that wolverines, a snow-dependent species, can survive a warming world.

This is the story of a man who fell in love with a mountain and his struggle to keep it and all mountains from being destroyed by coal mining.

Today’s the day that we deliver our Mountain Heroes photo petition to the Obama administration! This massive photo petition is historic—it includes photos and personal messages and stories from more than 13,500 people across the country who wrote to President Obama and his administration for an end to mountaintop removal mining. It’s the largest photo petition ever to be delivered to the president, and it’s all about ending the nation’s most destructive mining practice, protecting Appalachian families and communities, and standing up for clean water, healthy communities, environmental justice, and beautiful mountains and wildlife.

Fighting against mountaintop removal, this week we’re proud to announce the support of an incredibly strong woman: writer and activist Terry Tempest Williams. We know our supporters care deeply about the welfare of animals in the wild, and saw this vividly on our Facebook page when we highlighted the animals of Appalachia in a photo…

Imagine for a moment that you live in a beautiful forest. Your home is on the side of a big mountain. All around it are tall trees and elegant flowers. After a long day of work you come home. You are tired. Dinner smells delicious. You smile at your family. Everyone sits down at the…

Junior Walk is not a celebrity. He grew up in Whitesville, West Virginia, born into a family of coal miners and workers. When he was just a kid, the water in his family’s home became contaminated with coal slurry. Though it was blood-red and smelled like sulfur, Junior, who was just a child at the…

Big news today in our fight to end destructive mountaintop removal mining: 13 congressional leaders joined to introduce legislation to protect communities and families from the dangerous health effects of our nation’s most extreme form of coal mining—mountaintop removal mining. The Appalachian Community Health Emergency Act is the first federal legislation to address the human…

Court rejects coal industry’s challenge to Obama Administration’s effort to rein in mountaintop removal mining

ACHE Act calls for scientific studies on health impacts of mountaintop removal mining

The fight to end mountaintop removal will not stop until mountaintop removal stops, but yesterday we lost one of the most beloved heroes and leaders of the movement. Larry Gibson, the Keeper of the Mountains, died on Kayford Mountain, a sacred place he fought for three decades to save. He recalled how, 30 years ago, some…

In this line of work, we are lucky to meet and work with a lot of heroes, people who stand up against all odds for the health of their communities, who sacrifice for the greater good of their brothers and sisters. Judy Bonds of Marfork, West Virginia was a hero among heroes, an extraordinary leader…

Mountain Hero Larry Gibson’s courage to stand up against mountaintop removal mining inspired and gave voice to countless other Americans who live with the injustices of environmental pollution and destruction.