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Judge Holds TVA Liable For Kingston Disaster
In a stunning victory for victims of the 2008 Tennessee Valley Authority coal ash disaster, a federal judge in Knoxville, Tennessee ruled that TVA is responsible for damages caused by the massive spill. U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan ruled that TVA’s decisions concerning the location and design of the Kingston Fossil Plant’s enormous, six-story coal…
Read MoreMusicians Join Hit Parade As Mountain Heroes
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!
Read MoreUnplugged: Stop Energy Hogs At The Border
In June of 1976, the country had not yet marked its bicentennial. Gerald Ford was still president, Wings’ “Silly Love Songs” was topping the charts, and the customs service had not yet been transferred to the Department of Homeland Security. Point is: June 1976 was a really long time ago. And yet, one thing that…
Read MoreAge Of Extreme Energy Needs Extreme Caution
In April 2010, a national nightmare began with a blowout into the Gulf of Mexico. But the hundreds of millions of gallons of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill were just the beginning of the disaster. We are still learning about the real damage, which is much more insidious than tar balls and slicked beaches.…
Read MoreSmokey Loves Coal, Not Forests
The Forest Service finally admitted it. It took the agency two environmental assessment drafts and a draft and final environmental impact statement, but they admitted it. The agency finally admitted that it would be “environmentally preferred” to protect the wildest, most pristine part of the Sunset roadless area in western Colorado from bulldozing for road…
Read MoreFeds About To Toss Wolves To The Hunters
The Associated Press reports that the federal government will abandon its protections for Wyoming wolves by August 31—if not sooner—leaving the wolf’s fate in the hands of the “Cowboy State.” This has wolf supporters worried. The state plans to immediately allow wolves to be killed at any time by most any means in about 85 percent…
Read MoreUnplugged: Happy Motoring!
If you say the word “motor” to most people, they would probably think first of the motor in their car. Many people understandably take a great interest in the gasoline or diesel engine that gets them around. But while amateur mechanics across the country may spend their weekends fussing over these motors, I’ve yet to…
Read MoreQ&A: Frank James, M.D., Whatcom Docs
(Editor’s Note: This is the fifth blog post in an ongoing series about proposed coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest.) Dr. Frank James is a member of Whatcom Docs, a group of medical doctors in Whatcom County, Wash., who are concerned about the health impacts of a proposed coal shipping terminal in Bellingham, Wash.…
Read MoreKayford Mountain, Prettiest Lady I've Ever Seen
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.
Read MoreWinning The Debate On Fracking
Earthjustice attorney Deborah Goldberg came out victorious in a recent Intelligence Squared debate over whether the natural gas boom in America is doing more harm than good. Arguing against the super intensive development of natural gas, she targeted the reckless, breakneck speed at which the industry is progressing. She asked, “So, what characterizes a boom?"…
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