(3/3)- Toxic West Virginia

[SereneiBE]

We arn't against mining, even renewables like solar and wind, to get the rare earths to build these solar and wind turbines, we will need to mine.

What we are against however is 'BLOWING UP MOUNTAINS"

there has been much more eco-friendly way to mine things. its called "Underground"

[SandyzSerious]

Doesn't this cause a large amount of flooding? Any way you look at it..........my famous last words are "Don't ya think we have about PROGRESSED ourseleves......TO THE END?"

[glhshelby]

all of these mountaintop areas could be places for windmills to help for power stations,so it could be a win

[MusicOfAdam]

"We sent Meredith and VBS correspondent Derrick Beckles to the hills and hollers of West Virginia to show us what the end of the world looks like."

Are you implying that West Virginia is a hellhole? If so, New York is not much better. Their cities are nastier than ours.

[Rubenleesims]

Coal kills when and where it is mined, when and where it is burned, and when and where its waste is disposed of. The destruction of public housing is in large a result of coal ash waste used as fill dirt, dumps, and landfills from coal-gasification plants that operated throughout this country between 1880s and 1960s until natural gas put them out of business. Now coal-gasification plants are resurfacing as "clean coal." MY video shows coal waste in public housing.

[flyingpigstuff]

How big are the coal fired power stations?

How many wind turbines would it take to replace them?

How much is the mined land worth?

Miners should buy the land and build wind turbines they own, sell the energy and never did another hole again. Just buy the land first then form a Co Op. Job Done!

[FranklinAyers16]

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY ARE COALMINERS. MY DAD WENT UNDERGROUND IN 1975 AND WAS CRUSHED BETWEEN TWO SHUTTLE CARSAND DIED 5 TIMES BEFORE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL. NOW HE IS 60 YEARS OLD AND HAS LOTS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS. MY HUSBAND IS A ROCK TRUCK DRIVER THAT WORKSON MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL. HE HAS ME, AND THREE TEENAGERS. DO YOU THINK IF HE HAD THE MONEY TO GO TO COLLEGE HE WOULDN'T DO WHAT HE DOES? WE BARELY MAKE IT NOW. WHEN YOU USE YOUR LIGHTS, STAY WARM IN THE WINTER THANK COALMINERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jemalacane]

@FranklinAyers16 Look, we people who are against mountain top removal are not against mining. Nor are we against miners. We are against a practice which is fucking things up. People have died due to mountain top removal. When the "overburden" is dumped into headwater streams, it dams the streams which causes terrible problems with flooding. Also, there is no more vegetation to prevent landslides and floods. MTR also hurts the logging industry.

[ForTrueHealth]

I don't like the I gotta eat comment because the mountains they are leveling could provide more than enough food if these people knew how to utilize it. And no they're not evil but you shouldn't continue to do something if it feels wrong, sorry thats just hideous, whats happening to the land. Money wont mean shit when theres nothing left.

[gryfnsroost]

wow! and it was the watershed award winner in 1999?!!! wow! makes me think about how i use electricity!!!

[shittrav]

man vbs always finds relevancy in these type of issues.. i wish more people could tune in...

[PsychoWV]

Tina M YOST IS A LOSER AND A DYKE!

[The1dawnipoo]

Deep coal mining is the way to go!! Not mountaintop!!

[WV24985]

I have a lot of respect for underground miners...However there would never be enough of these brave souls to supply all the energy America needs. Not everyone would be in a hurry to go a mile underground, and crawl around in a 3ft. coal seem. They can have it...I'll just take it from the top, where the mountain can't kill me.

[hermes2501]

what I can't get over is that here we are in the year 2009, and we are still using coal? What happen to alternative forms of energy? Maybe we can hire the coal miners to pedal bikes hooked up to a rig to generate energy.. its better than blasting the earth.

[WV24985]

The reason it's 2009, and we're still using coal, is that the anti-coal people have big ideas, but no action...except maybe harrassing coal miners. I'd say if the alternate forms of energy were developed, put in place, and proven to work to the capacity needed, at a price we could all afford, then we could make the change. Can't shut down the nation's power without the alternate power working.

[colange]

Maybe instead of all the money coal companies spend on lobbying efforts that slow down the debate in Congress they could put this money to research for alternative energy. People who are anti mountaintop removal are not anti miners. Miners do the work that is available. If we are to move to alternative energy there will be jobs in that sector. I can't blame a miner for doing his or her job, but I can blame a corporation for their impact on the enviornment.

[WV24985]

Well, coal companies putting money into research for other forms of energy, would be like EXXON putting money into building cars that do not use gas...not going to happen. I am not against developement of alternative energy, but if there was only a way that coal miners would be guaranteed jobs in these new fields when they arrive. I worry that there wont be near as many jobs in them. I wonder if all the anti-coal people would support us miners??? I will quit now, if anyone will pay my bills.

[pattywolford]

On a more personal note...I keep going back to visions of that girl in the bar (from Florida?) who was brought back to be the wife of the coal miner, who loves her for staying home and taking care of him...Hunny...get yourself out of there!

[pattywolford]

People who make their livings in MTR are militant about protecting their paychecks. That's all they care about really...making a living. On one level, it's understandable, but on a higher level, they care nothing for the environment in which they live. The history of coal mining is one of subjugation of the people of Appalachia for over a century, and MTR is the final devastation icing on the cake and no amount of protests will stop it, unfortunately.

[murphyhurtme]

fuck coal mining, fuck the people who do it, and fuck the environment

[oldtrucker63]

OH you missed one And FUCK YOU

[esca8652]

@pattywolford Unless if alternative jobs were created and offered in place of them.

[blasterswife]

Prove you don't like Surface Mining

Turn off you lights

[Snipedanwo]

how does it feel to be the wife of a man that blows shit up, and puts poison into the groundwater and streams.

You meathead assholes really do kill the people in your community, with berillium, mercury and god knows what else you assholes put into the ground I hope your kids get Lukemia like the poor bastards down the road that got it from their wells

[blasterswife]

Well aren't you just the sweetest thing from here to California. I love being married to my blaster. He is AWESOME he is a hard worker who supports his family. And let me tell you something if someone as stupid as you has kids I wish your kids the best in life because they sure have an asswipe as a parent and they need something to go well in their lives. How dare you wish anything so cruel on anybody my husband might be a blaster who blows up stuff but at least he is not a PURE JERK.

[01psd]

Snipedanwo you are beyond a shadow of doubt a paranoid piece of shit.

[blasterswife]

Amen

[Snipedanwo]

i'd rather be paranoid than apathetic

mmmm... big word

[01psd]

Did the aliens forget to remove your anal probe?

[thager11]

apathetic is a big work to you? Hmm.

[felixomai]

In Northern California we think we've got it bad with lumber clear-cuts.

This even worse.

A 1,000 curses on the companies.

[30alexn]

You huys need to come back down to Boone County now. All the coal mines are laying off or closing. Get the opinion of the miners now.

[Snipedanwo]

And what is the problem with being critical?

Oh that's right, independent thought,

it's anti-establishment to THINK and form your own opinion counter to the

Status Quo/Corporate bought Media !

Your a Goon !

[Snipedanwo]

Just because I don't know your personal credentials, or care , that makes me clueless to the world, Riiiiiight dumb ass,

So do tell , are you a Danny Cline wannabe?

Livin high on the hog,

while your neighbor is poisoned?

Apathy, The NWO's Trademark!

You wear it well. sweet cheeks~LMAO x'2

[Snipedanwo]

THEY HAVE THE BALLS TO GO GET A REAL MANS JOB! NOT SIT AT A DESK AND GETTING PAID

OK so sitting behind the wheel of an Eco Rape machine is real work?

Maybe your family should get off of Don Blankenships Rape Machine! I know it pays well, and lets you live in a double wide, not a single, And YOUR fat, dumb, slob, kids can get mountain dew mouth, and die from Cancer wells, and have a nice Oxycontin addiction by the time they drop out of HS, LMAO!

You ARE one clueless human aren't you ?

[GaCrownVic]

Leave Kentucky out of this!

[Snipedanwo]

Oh I love it, you people get so pissed that I can communicate a thought without misspelling something, i mean , grab @ some straws! LOL

Well since you can't justify the rape you support , you have to come after me. That's fine,rapist, Your vein attempt @ deflection , that you are supporting and paid off by rape, that's fine.

2. I;m from Beckley and a product of said public school system, with a diploma.

3 Make a big long numbered list about the same thing to deflect the fact your a Rapist !

[RobbyL31]

greengenes1977, obviosly you're a FAGGOT that takes it up the ass on a nightly basis. You have no idea what it's like to have to provide for your family because you'll never have one you fucking pole smoker.

[greengenes1977]

You should probably come out of the closet, you'll be less angry and you may be able to think clearly as the fresh air permeates your tiny brain. It just so happens that I have a little thing called an "education" that allows me to support my family--get this--without shitting in my own water supply. Again with the homoerotic imagery? It's like that's all you guys think about or something. Weird.

[freebird51789]

some of you are against coal mining but think of these things: crack dealers, urbanization, and interstate road systems. you say "no" to coal mining but do nothing to enforce drug peddling laws? and urbanization: think of how many environmental issues that it poses: CO2, inhabitation, etc. think of how many mountains were altered to make way for our interstate system that make our lives better. i'm from wv and i KNOW that the railroad and interstate systems moved more than coal that powers us.

[greengenes1977]

Keep making excuses for raping the land and poisoning valley-dwellers. It makes you look like a real hero.

[slyslus]

Bunch of losers...hicks..waste of life.

[mountaineerfan94]

how about you just go fuck yourself okay?

[clarkd75]

WE LOVE WEST VIRGINIA COAL MINERS!

[wvubaby0818]

ok all you fuckin ppl talkin shit on wv need to keep your fuckin cock suckers shut. Our men work harder than ne of urs will ever work; at least our men know what labor is! You worthless pieces of shit that just sit in offices with your thumbs in ur asses dont no what real work is. Your not real men at all! At least our men have a dignity and dont take hand outs like your pussy asses! so before u even think about talking about wv coal miners why dont you wake the fuck up and realize what work is!

[greengenes1977]

Plenty of people FROM WV are against mountain top removal. Are they cocksuckers too? You seem obsessed with homoerotic imagery. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Free country and all.

[m301]

Why is it that a Democrat of a governor comes on TV and preaches to everyone that they should be proud that coal is number one in WV!? Does he not know that the crime rate of his capitol city is higher than that of New York City? Could someone be so ignorant as to promote his state product and not know whats going on in the hills? Come on folks. I love WV, but there has to be a better way. Who amoung us will be alive in the hundred years or more that it take for the trees to return?

[mountain19]

country would not fail due to the free energy found by Nickola Tesla kept by the gov. for when we are gone. no mountains means we have no place to hide. start growing food making cloths take care of each other hire each other be innovative not depending on gov. who makes plans to enslave your children knowing you would not go along.

[kwsswk]

by golly I'll tell u wut fer 35 an hour I'll mine my own ass yes sir ree I surely will.

[Neurovoyager]

COAL IS POLLUTION!!!

its an archaic way to have energy, most of that energy goes in heat and produces ammounts of co2 plus burning coal makes people sick!

[MyturBinisdrty]

a retard som people gota work to eat.

[BuckeyeBound07]

I love reading the comments from non-WV people. I'm a WV native who has moved away. You people who have never seen this men go to work with dignity should not have a single comment about them. You say they're greedy for taking money or getting paid the way they do. They deserve to be making half a million a year because of the risk they take everyday. And you wanna say they're greedy? um... try again.

[ohhhhhallibaba]

Don't even attempt to talk sense into people that aren't from West Virginia. They're too ignorant to realize that some of the very foundations of America were built here. Not to mention they take everything for granted, and don't realize how much coal does for them. If it's not coal, it's foreign energy, and nobody likes either of them. Just ignore them, and be proud to have been born in West Virginia. I am.

[greengenes1977]

So what about the people in West Virginia that are suffering because of these travesties? Are they to be listened to?

[Snipedanwo]

No they get the same hillbilly hospitality, they're proud of being stupid ignorant inbred mine boss bitches !

[Snipedanwo]

stupis is as stupid does , there Forrest !

[ohhhhhallibaba]

1-Uhm, if you're going to insult me for being from West Virginia, please choose a character that was actually from West Virginia.

2-Really? That's it? Of all of the insults that could have been thrown out there, you decide to play on the steryotype that West Virginians are stupid and uneducated. Original.

3-Next time you try to prove someone as being stupid, use proper grammar and--please for the love of God--spell something as simple as the word, "Forest," correctly.

4-Get a vocabulary

[dirtymodevils]

@ohhhhhallibaba unfortunately being from west virginia doesn't justify destroying our world for a cheap nonrenewable dirty energy source. Sure it's been a "tradition" for years but its a tradition that is stuck in a continual cycle of hopelessness. It's time to make a change.

[jefffurrow]

35 dollars an hour??? C'mon boys. Yer already makin' more than 3/4 of wv people make. If you don't like it, you know where the door is. I'm proud to be a coal miner. It pays good, and I love my job.

[mountain19]

love your children? love this land? want them to have a future?

[lustmaster505]

lalalalalala

[zazoolious]

You fight for what's yours and take care of your families the best you can. None can touch that. Unfortunately, the guys you haven't heard about, not only have us by the balls, but the country as well. Basically, it's called centralized banking, in which the countries that have that are in debt to the banks. Research more on this.

[mountain19]

OMG i just said that without reading your post. lol

[runicNomad]

Where is the rest of this series part 4+ ?

[dutchfarmer1]

yeah, they do a crappy job of making mountions. but once those roots start braking up the rocks, which there looks like like it will take a very long time, things will start to grow back. but look a volcanos and the rocky distruction they do.

[wvblonde615]

Yeah thats right...go tak to a filthy mouthed drunks about what coal mining life is about. I did agree with their pride but why use that launguage. We are a proud state and proud of our miners, because they are the bravest in the state!

[gingerpartington]

I guess they're not that brave, if they'd rather blow up mountains than go into the mines. That doesn't take any courage. You can't even rightfully call them coalminers now. they're more like mountain-terrorists.

[wvblonde615]

How Dare you even begin to act like you understand anything about coal miners. ALL of wv coal miners are brave and support their families everyday. Unless the computer you are using is running of solar power them you can shut your coal powered electricity using mouth! You just showed your total ignorance.

You work beside a 100 foot rock wall and see if you leave with any courage!

[gingerpartington]

no, you guys are scabs left behind after the unions busted and you're just happy to take what you can get. historically, the coal barons have never had the people's best interests at heart - whether the townspeople being poisoned or wiped out by floods or the miners put out of work by reckless and unprincipled land degradation. stripmining on steroids. that coal goes pretty quickly. then what will you do for work?

[gingerpartington]

this idea that only those who support environmental irresponsibility are entitled to electricity is ridiculous, too. I'm not a Luddite. I just believe that human safety, a decent way of life, respect for the land and turning away from a decadent, bloated lifestyle is more important than "cheap" electricity. it is naive to think these savings are passed down from the coal companies, anyway.

[wvblonde615]

Wv has plenty of mountains and beautiful scenery. The southern part of our state is called the coalfields which is where i live I can look out of my windows and see plenty of mtns untouched by man. There is so much coal in these mtns, they will never mine it all. Underground or above. Human safety-- you just called us terrorist. I can believe anyone would be so heartless to compare a coalminer to a terrorist. im not the one who looks evil here.

[wvblonde615]

You dont even have a clue as to how the mining is done- the only part of the mtn that is blown up is to make roads. The highwall miners go into the face of the mtn at ground level and drill holes to mine the coal, after that the holes are filled in with dirt.

As for the flooding here,they are not caused by the coal mining, they were caused by the logging industry taking the trees out of the state. No what your talking about before you run your mouth. Thats the least you could do

[gingerpartington]

you just described contour stripping, which is one approach. this video is about MTR which has leveled 500,000 acres of mountaintop in WV. both practices contributed to 724 miles of Appalachian streams that were buried by valley fills from 1985 to 2001.

[gingerpartington]

that contaminates your drinking water with toxic minerals like mercury, copper, selenium. it kills wildlife. the Buffalo Creek flood that took 125 lives was caused by a sludge spill. the sludge pond that sits above Marshall Fork Elementary is 21 times larger. I think you look evil and heartless, if you defend this. this is terrorism.

[wvblonde615]

Its Marsh Fork Elementary and guess what- we are all fighting for those children to get a new school some where else. WE live here and we mine the coal but none of us want our children sick. Everyone here wants that school rebuilt somewhere else. massey Energy is NT typical of every mining outfit in this state. They should do this for those children

[wvblonde615]

We ARE all gonna keep fighting for those kids, But if we are just stupid terrorist with no bravery, then why do you care? I dont know why you think that just because we support the coal of WV that we dont care about doing it as safely and cleanly as possible. I dont live near that school but I am a mother and I would never support a company that puts kids at risk.

[gingerpartington]

I just want to point out that you blamed the floods on the loggers, although the damage caused by strip mining is well-documented. everyone has to feed their families, I understand but don't defend these jerks. I grew up in WV. my family has been there for 300 years. what drew them was the mountains, and everyone in my family worked in mining or in hospitals.

[wvblonde615]

We are fighting Massey Energy everyday to rebuild that school in another location and there ARE sites to build on in that town. We are West Virginians, we are a proud, hard working people and we love each other and fight for each other while we work to raise our own families.

I am sure you can understand that in the pollution free bubble that you live in.

[gingerpartington]

Massey Energy doesn't run all the mines in WV, but Massey is responsible for the increase in srip mining. Don Blankenship spent millions getting his Republican cronies in the House and the Brent Benjamin on the State Supreme Court. they revised the Clean Water Act, because that was slowing them down. he doesn't care what happens in WV; he lives in KY. you can go on WV Democrats' website. they'll tell you which politicians are on Massey's payroll.

[wvblonde615]

I have to agree with you don blankenship is a snake, everything you said about himm is the truth! I am glad we (my fam) doesnt have to depend on him for a job.

[jnnfrbgly]

Democrats dominate the West Virginia state government and could stop any of this if they wanted to. They get their share of the payoff, also.

[gingerpartington]

I would not base my vote on strict party lines, either. Some of the southern coal counties have more registered voters than people, and a few dollars and a half pint of whiskey is all that's necessary to buy a vote. At least the cat is out of the bag: the Bush-led Republican Massey-bought House is responsible for WV's rampant MTR.

[adudley26070]

i'm a resident of west virginia and i have to agree with them, it's terrible what is happening, but with coal being the number on source of jobs in wv. you have to do it to support ur family.

[dollagon]

As a republican businessman who generally is skeptical about environmentalist's activities...I find this type of mining insane. This is a perfect example of wealthy businessmen raping a poor states land and people of its primary resource...coal. They pay these guys squat, and take the profits out of state. Robert Byrd should burn in hell for allowing the people he claims to protect and help be raped and pillaged without a care. Yet they keep electing this idiot.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

ITS TRAGIC.

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

I totally agree more research needs to be done on tidal power as for wave it is a viable solution with off shore colonies. i believe a company in scotland is coming close to a major breakthrough in this area though i cant remember there name. even though the generation IV will be greener it is still going to produce highly toxic chemicals and produce carbon emissions, it is a way off yet according to the sources i have read the earliest one that i have seen predicted 2021 for the technology

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

2021 for tech. Just like decent solar. What we really need to do is PILE money into energy research before we are in trouble.

[gingerpartington]

I vote on issues, and I am more politically inclined toward the traditional Republican party. in this case, though, it is a clearly partisan issue. the Republican-led Congress passed HR 2719, a reinterpretation of the Clean Water Act that helped accelerate strip mining in WV. the state went to Bush in 2000. Massey Energy paid to put Brent Benjamin on the State Supreme Court. this is beyond senator Byrd.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

Wow very imformed! TY!

[jefffurrow]

Do you know how much "paying these guys squat" is. Try 58 to 70,000 dollars a year...Not too shabby, huh? I'm a miner... that's what I make, and BOY DO I FEEL RAPED.(LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK)

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

We have the technology to run everything we need on renewable sources such as water, heat, light and wind its just that people dont want to spend the money to go out and buy solar panel's and they dont want wind turbines on there back doorstep they are waiting for the government to start doing something and they are going to be waiting a long time, cause as long as it is still viable to run a coal fired plant, open cast mining will still happen.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

"we have the technology" Thats so funny. Watch too much bionic woman or man lately? Hydroelectric power is a major environmental disaster or have you not read about the ecological disasters that have happened in the USA because of dam building. Just wait till China is done with their craziness. Wind turbines have similar impacts on wildlife. Turbines on every house? How about no birds and bees. No fruit or flowers.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

Don't be so ignorant. The solution is not another way to make power, it is simply USE WAY LESS POWER. And yes, solar panels are great but unless you live in Los Angeles like me, they sure as hell are not going to get you off the grid.

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

Governments have pumped $170 billion into nuclear power if they just got out of the way of solar power then it would be putting in 20% of the all the worlds power by 2040, which is what nuclear power puts in,also i was thinking more of tidal power and wave power,i know all about the damage hydro electric dams can cause mainly due to the state of china and the position that they have put themselves in.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

Tidal power could be a BIGGER ecological disaster than hydroelectric.  The RESEARCH is not done. The same can be said of wave generators (except high volume like in fast moving inlets). Nuclear power makes a mess because of 80s tech. Google Generation IV Nuclear Reactor and see a vision of the future.

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

Do you actually realize how long it takes to build a nuclear power plant and how much it costs? From the word go till finishing it would take approximately 6 years being optimistic if nobody opposes it in courts as it is a two step process and in both of those steps it can be opposed, the last one they built in the states took 25 years!! To replace all of the coal power with nuclear it would cost somewhere between $1.2 and $2 trillion dollars in construction fees alone,

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

A paltry sum compared to the amount of money we flush down the drain here in America on military funding! Seriously. 30 BILLION dollars for an Osprey that doesn't work for the military and our children can't find IRAQ on an unmarked world map. HAHAHAHA. Want to be American? I'll trade you nationalities (not a fair trade for you I'm afraid)

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

then there is going to be shall we say 4 to 5 years to construct, again providing it doesn't get opposed in planning stages but by that time solar power should be well within reach of a 30% generation of the worlds power on its own steam! if it had government backing i have absolutely no doubt that within 7 to 10 years it would be totally viable to replace nuclear and start replacing fossil fuels

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

Government backed? ARE YOU KIDDING? You do realize that in California they DEREGULIZED power and now we have rolling blackouts and all kinds of problems. The gov't wants capitalistic private business to fix it. Crazy. Need allocated gov't grants I think really.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

I hate to say it but as for right now, Nuclear power is the best viable alternative to our current power consumption issues. A sustainable environment sucks ass. I want a good environment. Hey man, how's your home? Oh, its sustainable. Ick. Any thoughts?

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

lol nuclear power yeah ok, produces one of the most toxic and unstable substances known to man, yeah lets use more of that instead of investing in solar power, wind farm can be placed on coastal areas. As for your comments on "no birds and no bees" should we not take down all of the power lines and telephone wires that kill so many birds every year.

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

Absolutely we should take down the lines. They should be buried like they are in all "nice" communities with plenty of tax money. As for solar, absolutely, we should do as much as we can, but current tech will not replace coal power. Period. Invest in solar research sure, get the tech together, THEN and only THEN

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

To be totally honest i would rather live happily knowing that we have done everything we can to help our children i would gladly and lovingly make sacrifices for my children. I live in England where believe it or not the weather isn't so good and my solar panels work fine on cloudy days. in 5 years its going to be cheap enough to compete and in ten years its going to be undercutting fossil fuels, there is an article in the times that will explain all about it if you want any more info

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

You can't tell me much I don't know. I helped to convert my mothers house, here in Santa Monica and it is totally off the grid except for water. It is a green house model in Santa Monica. Giant banks of batteries in the basement, controller, etc. Very fly. Upright solar panels that move with the sun. Will send a video.

[TheOriginaMightyQuin]

Take a look at stormsmiths website, it has some very strong facts in there for the total CO2 emissions for a nuclear power plant and how they can be more harmful that gas plants, lol don't worry so long as you have some intelligent people there you have a chance, at least your not taxed to buggery, im off to new zealand next year so you can take my place over here if you want lol well im off to bed take it easy

[ProductionDesignrMAX]

Stormsmiths, not heard of it. Will check it out.

[gingerpartington]

WV was bought by the Republicans. Don Blankenship spent $6 million to get his cronies in office, and they kept up their end of the bargain by passing a rule change to the Clean Water Act which redefined "waste." now toxic heavy metals such as mercury, copper, arsenic, lead and selenium are dumped into your fresh water by the tons. the Bush administration did that for you. keep voting Republican; your children will thank you for their cancer.

[420961984]

why do you all talk shit coal is what runs the computer you use right now to watch this!

[krAzEEreD]

if rednecks were on mtv, most of you would have five flannel jackets and a pair of overalls. if you seen a bunch of people diving off a hundred foot bluff, would you follow? don't listen to all of the yammering fools. watch videos like this and form your own opinion!

[stitched83]

haha! Word.

[jessystr22]

Wow!

[smokeysbestfriend]

The people who do the mining are trying to feed their families and pay their bills. The guys in this video are drinking SO WHAT! People don't go out after work and have a drink every where else in the world? Coal companies get away with this crap because they see that no one outside of WV cares because everyone outside of WV thinks that we are all hillbillies and rednecks. Well, I am proud to be from WV. Love it or leave it

[psobecke]

Let's interview a bunch of drunks and call it the truth!

[blindingillusion]

... I love how they pick the most hick mining community in WV to analyze. Ha. I am done arguing about this. I live here, I have lived here for 21 years, and I know how this works. Some of my best friends are MINING ENGINEERS and ACTIVISTS. I know both sides of the story.. and personally, I choose the engineers.

[hearphoenix]

Good job on this film, I made me aware of something I wasn't aware of ten minutes ago. I'll try to do my part to conserve energy and keep my eyes and ears open for new groups/organizations that can offer a solution. Peace.

[lorennbelguim]

I feel so bad for them, They say they make good money while they live in double wides and shop at sears, Thats sad, Great bunch of folk to interview, To think they represent America, Did you hear that background music, Red Neck Anthems, LOL

[lorennbelguim]

LOL, I was totally into this video until I seen the local folk, LOL, I know there good people and all but there the same reason I moved from Illinoi to Belguim, ya I moved over seas just to exscape that mind set< LOL, brings back memories,

[stuffisthething]

Whats wrong with being a "red-neck hillbilly"?

[judychaz]

Since you can't spell Illinois, we're glad you moved to Belgium, even though you can't spell Belgium either. I'm sure they're going to love you. lol

[tammyisat]

well, this makes WV look bad AGAIN.... We can not get away from the HillBilly Imagine, because people they pick to interview....... If it was not for the coalminers of yesterday or today then where would United States be at NOW!

[patriotofusa]

i agree who you tammy. they interviewed some horrible people for this show.

[PainReaper]

You are lucky you went to boone county if you went to logan you would have not walked out.

[thereallurker]

I would be happy to give up electricity from coal. In Tennessee, it makes up most of electricity generation, but the power company does nearly nothing when it comes to green power. There are plenty of resources besides coal- wind, sun, methane, etc.

[Banjergreg]

Remember when you post your comment to this propaganda,you are doing it with a product of mountain top removal. Electricity!

[mouseturbator]

And also remember you could be generating all that electricity with renewable resources, i.e., water, wind, wave, geothermal, etc. instead of burning coal and smashing atoms. it's all about where the world puts it's research and development money.

[OldHeathen63]

Such a Shame.

" The love of money is the root of all evil " ..The Bible.

[pennilesscripple]

you don't need to cut the top off of a mountain to eat.

that is insane. destroy your food source so that you can eat.....

[Methadone4Life]

I was raised by a man who was a prep plant supervisor,so I am not an outsider and I do not hate coal mining. I hate STRIP MINING. I have watched my area have the largest 4 floods ever in the past 10 years. It floods almost yearly now! The beautiful hills that most of the people bitching about environmentalists actually hunt and fish in and around..are being destroyed!

[t6393a]

Coal mines do lie alot to. I live in WV and I can see what they're doing. They're coming through the town i live in and soon the whole town might be gone. And my teacher used to work for them and told us stories of how he had jobs like getting in the ohio river and putting mud in the coal so the person buying it would pay more.

[BfeoAdmin]

I'm that angel. stfu newb.

[uglyfacewiles]

if you take away coal mining then you take away ALOT of jobs in west virginia, dont hate on it unless you live here, if you live here then feel free to speak your peace but you f cking outsiders have no say in anything...

Sincerely,

The southwest of the F ck you state

HUNTINGTON AKA MONEYTON WV

[tallmandub]

It's everybody's world and everybody's responsibility to shut down these cartels and move our civilization forward in a self sustaining manner, which will create as many jobs as it will displace, but you'll cry your uneducated ass off when you have to try and read a book to keep up with society .

[tallmandub]

Instead you would rather keep on blowing up your habitat and living in a deranged futureless system of economic slavery. WAKE THE FUCK UP !!!!!!!

[ahanger]

i can relate to these guys..its the best paying job around and my wife doesn't have to work..but it destroys the mountains i grew up on..i work in a factory that is contributing to a fish kill on one of the rivers that i love to canoe on my days off. the sad thing is me and these guys can make more money doing the things we do than most 4 year degree jobs pay. 40 to 50,000!

[nosinod21]

Apparently you can educate yourself and understand the world, get a good paying job and save the environment or do the easier sad thing you mentioned.

[ginaisfunny]

COAL MINERS ROCK!!!

[gitnerd]

oollololol

[twigsta]

wrong. The Urals are the oldest in the world.

[junehelafine1978]

So what...

[jeevus]

i'm the first one haha