Mountaintop removal is a tough issue these dayshitting close to home for anyone east of the Mississippi when West Virginia was targeted this year. What is mountain top removal? Mountain Justice website defines it as strip mining on steroids. Mountaintop removal /valley fill mining annihilates ecosystems, transforming some of the most biologically diverse temperate forests in the world into biologically barren moonscapes.
It this is an issue that might interest you, there is a movie that has been produced and is receiving international attention that you should check out. The movie is titled Mountain Top Removal, directed by Mike O’Connell. You can check out a trailer of the movie Mountain Top Removal. And also a link to one of the awards the movie has already received, presented by Al Gore.
On a personal note, Mike OConnell, Mountain Top Removal director is a long-time personal friend and an influence on me early on in my paddling. He plucked me out of the Potomac River after a dramatic swim through S-turn back in the late-80s! Like many paddlers, somehow that experience was super- impressionable for me and got me totally hooked on kayaking (saving me from a life of wind surfing!!).
Following up with a great movie is the organization of the 1st annual Mountain Aid Festival featuring Grammy award winning artist Kathy Kattea, Donna the Buffalo and Ben Solle. The festival will be held June 20th at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival Farm. The festival promises to be a good time for a good cause!