I Luv Mountains rally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9oBX_D5IpI (this is a film I took and edited of highlights of the afternoon}
Kristi and I went to Frankfort, Kentucky and participated in the I Luv Mountains march and rally. The rally's major sponor is the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and the purpose of the rally is to bring opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining to the Kentucky Capitol.
It was especially poignant this year, because the Kentucky Governor, Steve Beshear, a west Kentuckian, who is up for re-election, recently criticized the US EPA for "overregulating" the coal industry in Kentucky, but he has authorized litigation against the federal government challenging that regulation.
In response to that, a number of important Kentuckians, not the least of which was poet and in many ways the conscience of Kentucky, Wendell Berry, held a sit-in in the governor's office, for the entire weekend leading up to today's march.
In the end, 14 people spent the weekend in the governor's office, coming out as a thousand protesters gathered about on the Capitol steps. Some, including Berry, addressed the crowd. Berry's words were as inspiring as one might hope they would be in such a situation. His tone was one of seriousness and reverence. He spoke on behalf of the earth and the people - including the miners. It was very moving.
Others spoke, including a very strong and inspiring talk by Teri Blanton, long time eastern Kentucky activist. The rally included a talk by congressman John Falmouth, from the Louisville area, the only Democratic congressman from Kentucky. He made a great talk.
As bad as mountaintop removal coalmining is, it isn't going to be enough just to stop it. We need wholesale change in our energy systems. That, in and of itself, is a path to a lot of employment. The fact that as a nation we can't get that done does not bode well on us.