Last week Maria and I had the opportunity to attend the Kentucky Premiere of a film called "Coal Country" at the Kentucky Theatre. It is a film about the implications of mountaintop removal coal mining for the people, ecosystem and economy of Appalachia. It is a good film that should be watched by all in this region; and the event was really nice and gave us an opportunity to meet a lot of people who are working on this issue (One Horizon helped to sponsor the event). With even Kentucky Utilities highlighting in its lastest bill mailing Kentucky's terrible carbon footprint, we know that this is a serious issue for our region, as the burning of coal is one of the primary reasons for our uneviable position. According to a NOAA study cited by Kentucky Utilities, Kentucky's 4.3 million citizens produce 92,320,191 metric tons of co2 annually, while the 36.8 million citizens of California produce only 62,780,179 tons. So, we produce almost one-third more co2 while having a population that is over 8 times smaller-incredible. Also at the event, there was a local Kentucky artist (Jeff Chapman-Crane) who has created a brilliant piece of art called "The Agony of Gaia." It is intended to illustrate the impact of mountain top removal mining on the earth. The piece depicts a woman (Gaia-mother earth) lying on the ground, her body being torn asunder and stripped away as the dynamite, bulldozers and dumptrucks dismember her. The tears falling from her eyes form a mountain stream that is in defiance of all the headwater and other streams being buried by the "waste" from the mining. It is a really incredible and moving piece of art-these pictures do not do it justice.
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