Friday July 3, 2009, 6:11 pm

Stand up, America! (No further comment from me is needed.)

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:20 pm
Unreal. The people are crying, as well as the Nation of those who care. What a horrible disgrace! TY, Carole for this article. It's so sad. I'm passing this one one!!!

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:36 pm
Noted/Thank You Carole/ I saved the text of the article and will be raising h*** with President Obama, My Senators and Representative in Congress.

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:40 pm

HERE IS A PETITION TO SIGN:
 
STOP MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL MINING!
 
Feel free to add any others you about which you are aware! I've signed many more; help out!
 
 

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:41 pm
You go girl!! You always come up with the most important issues! Just "C", thank you so much for all You do for Our world/country!...blessings of peace.....Cathi

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:48 pm
62: 6:46 pm PDT, Jul 3, Rhonda Maness, Alabama
Thanks Just C

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:51 pm
Noted. Thanx Carole. Shouldn't they be exploring alternate energy sources as a replacement for coal? I hope this can be resolved. Besides the devastation to the natural environment, the mining companies are leaving behind an ugly wasteland.

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:52 pm

As long as WE LET THEM, Karen! (Thank you.)

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:54 pm
I definitely signed. I am sorry, but this truly doesn't surprise me. He's just another puppet of the Elites that control the whole world and is extra proficient at the new world order "Doublespeak", that so many of us refused to see.

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:57 pm
This President has got to get y'all to "go green" somehow ... did y'all wake up yet?

Friday July 3, 2009, 6:57 pm
Good - one on this I haven't signed. I'll sign them all.

Oh, no - it's not enough to drive more species than I can name into extinction. Even mountains can be murdered for profit. Mountains ! So much for our national sentiment of "mountains majesty" in "America the Beautiful".

And the people of Appalachia - disposable, it seems. Let them eat, drink and be dusted in toxins, get sick and have no health care ? It all makes my heart sick.

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:09 pm
This is the man Bo who said that he will make America 'green' well he certainly NOT DOING IT.But turning America into a desolate wasteland.Demand the prez do his job -hold him to his promises.He ought to know to take up resident in the w/h there are responsibilties and acccountabilties to the people of America and NOT only to serve a chosen few.

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:24 pm
Signed Thanx Carol....64
signatures!

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:24 pm

Just a (not-so-subtle) reminder:

TOMORROW IS AMERICA'S "INDEPENDENCE DAY."

(Did the forefathers have it wrong? Why were they more committed to freedom than Americans now?)

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:25 pm

Thanks, Jackie!

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:28 pm
It won't be too much longer before y'all are pre$$Uring your legi$lator$ to "go green" and the President will have accomplished his agenda ... sometimes it takes ... SHOCK VALUE!

or ... in Bu$h!t term$ ... $hock and awe ...

no one that I've ever heard of wants any member of their family or friends to go back into tho$e coal mine$ ... especially not after the fia$co we witn$$ed of a coal miner trying to e$cape blame for worker$' $afety during the Bu$h regime ...

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:32 pm
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men
who signed the Declaration of Independence?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,
and tortured before they died.

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons captured.

Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or
hardships of the Revolutionary War..

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
nine were farmers and large plantation owners;
men of means, well educated,
but they signed the Declaration of Independence
knowing full well that the penalty would be death if
they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and
trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his home and properties to
pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British
that he was forced to move his family almost constantly.
He served in the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him,
and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer,
Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that
the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson
home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General
George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed,
and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.
The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests
and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his
children vanished.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and
silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.

Remember: freedom is never free!

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:33 pm
How about forcing the mining companies to live there and the Appalachian residents can have the mining company homes. They made the mess, they should live in it!

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:35 pm
Here's some more to copy & paste

http://www.stopmountaintopremoval.org/
https://secure2.convio.net/sierra/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=911

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/stop_mountaintop_removal_now

Friday July 3, 2009, 7:35 pm
How about forcing RepubliCON$ and Libertarian$ to vote for "GREEN choice$!!!

Friday July 3, 2009, 8:15 pm
where is the clean energy wind power

Friday July 3, 2009, 8:56 pm
To so honest with you I cry for when I go home to see my mom I go through thoese Mountains, I was born and raised in Ohio the Mountain are ever in view. to behold such beauty to now to nothing but, mere coal dust, which brings lung cancer, and many other lung problem all yp and down the mountains not just there, It will effect people all the way to the coast into the Ohio river even now the can't eat the fish for they are full of Mercy . This to comes from the coal mine in West Virgina and Virgina. I know its a way of life for a lot of people. But there life is going down the river with it. Thanks a lot Obama for nothing again you have failed to show respect to our land and so many animals and ther homes being torn from them and people's lives all wraped up in a nut shell. Wow!!!how it angers me to give such power to someone who does not know compassion, to his own family of chourse, but to other people lol!!! that a joke he does not care and people are going to see more of this, Its ging to be a long 3 and a half years to go, but he won't make it the second time. 2bsure. Note with anger lots of it

Friday July 3, 2009, 9:14 pm
Living here in Appalachia, this breaks my heart too!! However, I still feel there are others involved pushing Obama into doing this stuff, and I place the blame at their feet! It makes me crazy that Dems are supporting this mining BS!!!

Friday July 3, 2009, 9:14 pm
Go gree at what expense.... The demorat$$$$ think the taxpayers have deep pockets with a neverending supply of money for them to waste.... LOL... the wind power is Obama talking about all the jobs he will create and all the money that will be saved.... Where is he plan getting the money for all these so called green ideas???? Hope he can't count past a trillion.... Thanks Carol....

Friday July 3, 2009, 9:15 pm
LOL.. go green that is

Friday July 3, 2009, 9:20 pm
On taxes: We cannot have good healthcare, good infrastructures, agency reforms, and assistance for the elderly, the disabled, and the disadvantaged, without paying taxes!!! Millions have lost jobs and need assistance now, but too many folks complain about paying more taxes!! I get really miffed also when folks vote down taxes for schools, too. It is all extremely illogical, despicable, and simply mean to ignore compassion for others!!!!!

Friday July 3, 2009, 9:45 pm
Definitely noted and action taken, thank you.

Friday July 3, 2009, 9:45 pm
I signed it dear heart and I am beyond words for the arrogance and stupidity of the greed that let this happen

Friday July 3, 2009, 10:33 pm
Rafael, thank you for signing "STOP MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL MINING!"

and sent on-

Friday July 3, 2009, 10:51 pm
They mess with our food and water, they mess with our health, they mess with our wildlife and mess with our land.
What EXACTLY are we paying them for?

Saturday July 4, 2009, 1:23 am
Obama has really come out on the wrong side of this issue and I am so disappointed in him:

"In an extraordinary move to disregard a 38-year rap sheet of crimes of pollution, harassment and forced removal of some of our nation’s oldest and most historic communities, and the destruction of over 500 mountains and 1.2 million acres of deciduous hardwood forests in our nation’s carbon sink of Appalachia, the Obama administration has decided to “regulate” mountaintop removal mining operations, not abolish them.

During the election campaign,presidential candidate Barack Obama called mountaintop removal an "environmental disaster."

But now, rather than put an end to this disaster, his administration has green-lighted the issuance of permits for mountaintop removal in Appalachia while simultaneously promising "to ensure mining activities will occur in a more environmentally protective way in or near Appalachian streams."

But as the authors of the Center for Biological Diversity petition say: "There's no environmentally protective way to blow up a mountain and then dump it into a stream."

If the Obama administration truly wanted to “enforce” mountaintop removal regulations and protect American watersheds, drinking water, and communities from catastrophic flooding and toxic blasting, it would simply reverse a 2002 Bush and dirty coal lobby manipulation of the Clean Water Act and restore the original definition of “fill” material to no longer include mining waste.

Please go to this Action Alert I made up!

There are 3 other petitions to sign on it to abolish mountaintop removal coal mining by overturning the Bush 'fill rule' and then supporting legislation to this end (the Appalachia Restoration Act/S. 696 in the Senate & the Clean Water Protection Act/H.R. 1310 in the House, which would prohibit the dumping of mining waste into streams — effectively ending mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia!) And one, 'Support Wind, Save a Mountain,' to get wind turbines placed on Coal River Mountain.

There are also links to view 'America's Most Endangered Mountains' video series.

Abolish Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining - PetitionS to Your Reps, Congress, Obama, the EPA, More!

Saturday July 4, 2009, 2:00 am
Ashley Judd is the only celebrity I know that is speaking out againts this.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 2:08 am
It must be very frustrating for Bobby Kennedy Jr to see how Obama has refused to make the right decision on mtntop removal:

After all, Kennedy spent a lot of time and energy (along with Greg Palast) to prevent another GOP electoral fraud stealing the 2008 presidential election, and his whole family came out for Obama -- now the Obama adm is preparing to issue 100 permits to further blow the Appalachians into smithereens, many more than the 42 I posted about a while back!

This is really disgusting!

Kennedy's article is great because it shows how we have all been betrayed !
And he gives a lot of reasons to oppose coal, not 'simply' the devastating destruction of a beautiful mountain range and its streams and rivers, but the fact that this mining employs very few people in a region where unemployment and poverty are overwhelming. He says that the coal companies are responsible for only 2% of jobs in Central Appalachia and that WalMart employs more people in West Virginia than coal mining!

Not only doesn't mining create any wealth for the Appalachian states it destroys -few jobs; the wealth produced goes to Wall Street - but actually COSTS the states a fortune: He points to a major study that just came out last week which documents how coal imposes a net cost to Kentucky of MORE THAN $100 million a year!!

How can anyone justify this on any level whatsoever ??

Saturday July 4, 2009, 2:15 am
There are other celebrities - Actress Daryl Hannah, Climate Scientist James Hansen Among 30+ Arrested Protesting Mountaintop Removal in West Virginia

Saturday July 4, 2009, 2:15 am
noted&signed

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:21 am
Little disappointed this only has 79 signatures.
I will forward, thank you C.

Make a call also, please

Now, more than ever, it's absolutely critical that the Senate knows that the public -- including you -- supports ending mountaintop removal coal mining.

That's why I'm joining Maria and asking you to take action today.

Let your Senators know that you support the Appalachian Restoration Act. Please take a moment out of your day right now to call your Senators and urge them to support an end to mountaintop removal coal mining.

Use our toll-free online call-in tool to call your Senators now. Suggested talking points are provided.

Last week's hearing was a critical first step on the road to getting meaningful Senate action to end mountaintop removal coal mining.

Please, take a moment to let your Senators know that you support an end to the worst abuses of the coal mining industry.

Call your Senators now - http://www.ilovemountains.org/call-your-senators/

If you want to make an even bigger impact in the effort to pass the Clean Water Protection Act and the Appalachian Restoration Act, consider visiting your members of Congress in their local office when they return from DC during the August recess. We can guide you through the process to make your visit as easy and successful as possible.

For more information on visiting your members of Congress in August, click here.

Thank you for taking action.

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:22 am
C,
I am all out of stars this week for you my friend
You cannot currently send a star to Just because you have done so within the last week

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:27 am
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-mountain-top-removal-mining

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:32 am

Your strong words and support are gift enough, dear Birdie! *hug*

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:35 am
sorry to hear this very sad , bad news ; & know people's hearts will be broken about this . a broken promise by a govt again ....

Saturday July 4, 2009, 7:54 am
This is something that is very near and dear to my heart as I live at the foot hills of the Appalachian Mountains and consider them mine. It is unbelievable what mountaintop removal is doing to this country. I have fought and will continue to fight this. I am very disapointed in Obama on this and other things that I don't see him doing.
Thank you Carole for the PETITION I don't know how I missed that one.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 8:48 am
What moron thinks they can put back a mountain top having destroyed it? The morons must abound in this state for they apparently think it OK to put the resultant junk in the streams and valleys thus setting up further environmemtal disasters for a future generation. All in the name of greed and the almighty dollar, as I've said before these conglomerates won't be satisfied till they have concreted over the whole planet and destroyed every natural thing.What I really wonder is how do they think the supermarkets will fill their shelves then and what space will be left for the rich and powerful to build their mansions and who will build them? They would appear to have knoe idea of the interconnectedness of life and nature. No insects no pollination, no crops no animals, no people and the good bit no politicians or rich and powerful because there are no stupid workers left to keep them in power, all gone! Wake up America before you become a giant dustbowl!

Saturday July 4, 2009, 11:36 am
Great one Carole.. unbeleivable what is happening.. will it ever stop. We were angered over Bush's sneaky tactics using our natural PROTECTED parks for gas wells, this is horrendous.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 1:29 pm
I am sick by this Once again money is the root of all evil and it is no different here. They won't stop until the last tree is standing and the ocean is dry. Sick disgusting pathetic human race!!!

Saturday July 4, 2009, 1:52 pm
IHAVE SINGED EVEY PETITION TO STOP IT, ITS SAD THAT THEY CAN DO THAT AND RUIEN THEY BEAUDY OF THE MOUNTAINS I LIVE IN WEST VIRGINIA AND I LOVE THE MOUNTAINS THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL

Saturday July 4, 2009, 2:04 pm
397: 2:02 pm PDT, Jul 4, Kari Dyrdahl, Minnesota

Saturday July 4, 2009, 2:04 pm
This doesn't surprise me with Obama as even in his speeches for President he kept mentioning clean coal. I did cringe each time I heard him say this. I have signed and want to bring a link to everyones attention that I had sent to those on my friends list awhile back. WWW.THEDIRTYLIE.COM That also has a petition on it for others to sign, click on the lightbulb.

We need to speak up here, just because it isn't happening in our backyard does not mean we remain silent. Tomorrow they may be doing something in your backyard...besides, the destruction of our Mother, no matter where it is happening, affects us all. Thanks Carole for bringing it to our attention.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 3:38 pm
SIGNED THE PETITION ON SITE ABOVE!! THANKS FOR SHARING IT W/ US ALL.
~KRISTEN

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:02 pm
Signed the petition on the site, and sent it to my friends on here. Thank you Carole..

My take on this is that it's blatant classism. The people of the Appalachians are poor, and so apparently they don't matter, and are more disposable. So I guess our government doesn't care if it's poor people getting lung cancer and other industrial diseases. Just like the racism and classism that characterized our government's response to Hurricane Katrina.

I'm interested to see how much pressure we can put on this administration.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:11 pm

Thank you so much for those words of wisdom, Romy.

Repeatedly, I exhaust my considerable energy trying to convey that -- This is NOT about race, or party affiliation, or labels such as "right," "left," "centrist," "libertarian."

THIS IS A CLASS WAR AGAINST OUR OWN CITIZENS, WAGED BY CORPORATIONS, WHO CONTROL OUR GOVERNMENT!

Please, wake up, people!

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:37 pm
i love reading your messages. So up to date. I am wondering what do you think of the trilateral commission? They could not stop "W" will they stop some of this? And by the way I am labeled democrat/and never been racist.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 5:53 pm

I'd like to keep this article on the subject -- but, I have no faith in any self-appointed commission, which is conceived by elitists.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 6:13 pm
My apologies Carole , I was hit w/ this today by my Bio-mom and can't seem to get it out yet. YES we have to keep this on the plate... up in the front!!
thanks again for a great awareness of life and living!

Saturday July 4, 2009, 6:43 pm

(No problem, Kristen. I know you meant no ill. *hug*)

I happen to live in Tennessee now -- and I love the land and the people. I have made it a point to learn about the inhabitants who have called this home for generations.

The people affected by this are not rich . . . for many of them, who live at the bottom of the mountains they've loved since children, who understand the medicinal uses for what many of us call weeds, and have struggled through very hard times to raise their children, grandchildren and great-children (with a strong belief in the faith of God) -- they've lost parents and grandparents from the coal mines, which were one of the few sources of employment for decades -- and NOW, they will lose the ONE THING THEY HAD LEFT -- The ability to sustain themselves on their only asset . . . their land.

Why? Because greedy profiteers would taint the streams they used for water, and flood their fields, used to grow meager crops to sustain their families -- WITHOUT CARING!

If we, as so-called people who "care," and are now aware of this, allow this to continue, there is little hope for the future of this country.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 7:03 pm
Thanks Carole, Its horrible how we trade people for money, I mean these are people that have lived this way for so long.. they do not need more. I did send to everyone I could to sign and at least LOOK. It is a wonderful piece of work , you deserve a million stars for this... I too , as a democrat am disgusted. As I say we are only human .. after all.. but we need more then just being human now.. we need picket lines, and people that can stand before the "bombs".. we need LIVING souls to share the story.. anything, if it works .. so much the better...

Saturday July 4, 2009, 7:12 pm
I wonder how many more bigger than Ben Hur shopping malls, high-rise structures, gigantic homemaker centres do we need. How much more plastic garbage from China do we need to stack supermarket shelves with? Chris B - you took the words right out of my mouth. Thank you, my friend. This is a greedy, concrete-laden consumer society gone totally mad.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 7:31 pm
David - I love Ashley Judd, as she spoke out with Defenders of Wildlife against Sarah Palin's aerial wolf hunting campaign. Daryl Hannah also speaks out about mountaintop removal. I can't find the related link at the moment but she was actually arrested during a recent protest.

Saturday July 4, 2009, 7:39 pm
Help President Obama See the Truth About Mountaintop Removal
 
Every week, mountaintop removal mining uses more explosive power than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
 
When you see with your owns eyes the way this horrific practice is ravaging the people, water and land of Appalachia it is impossible not to feel compelled to stop it..
 
That's why a massive number of bloggers and writers who have been inspired by RAN's all-out effort to end mountaintop removal this year have joined together to ask President Obama to go to West Virginia and see the destruction for himself.
 
You can help by sending your own letter to President Obama asking him go to Appalachia and see first-hand what mountaintop removal does to the environment and to the communities in the region.
 
Civil Disobedience to Stop Mountaintop Removal Where It Starts
 
On June 23 in Coal River Valley, WV, RAN's own Michael Brune, Dr. James Hansen, Goldman Prize winner Judy Bonds, Daryl Hannah and more than two dozen West Virginia residents and allies were arrested in a peaceful civil disobedience to stop mountaintop removal where it starts. They were supported by more than 800 people who came to West Virginia to say that mountaintop removal, the world's worst strip-mining, is unacceptable.
 
By sacrificing the Appalachian Mountains and mountain communities for a relatively small amount of coal, we undermine future investments in 21st century clean energy solutions that will protect our planet, produce more jobs and preserve our natural resources.
 

Sunday July 5, 2009, 4:02 am
Obama has broken Appalachia's heart by failing to overturn Bush adm policy on mountaintop removal and letting the atrocity continue with over 100 new EPA permits for mtntop removal operations.

Unfortunately, Obama has betrayed us in other policy decisions as well:

Salon Radio: Charlie Savage on Obama's civil liberties record by Glenn Greenwald

(updated w/transcript)


Back in February, The New York Times' Charlie Savage -- who won the Pulitzer Prize for exposing Bush's use of signing statements to break the law -- wrote an article reporting that, after a first-week Executive Order from Obama banning torture, "the Obama administration is QUIETLY SIGNALING CONTINUED SUPPORT for other MAJOR ELEMENTS of its predecessor’s approach to fighting Al Qaeda," which is "prompting growing worry among civil liberties groups and a sense of VINDICATION among SUPPORTERS of Bush-ERA POLICIES."

(excerpt Savage's Feb article: "In little-noticed confirmation testimony recently, Obama nominees endorsed continuing the C.I.A.’s program of transferring prisoners to other countries without legal rights, and indefinitely detaining terrorism suspects without trials even if they were arrested far from a war zone.

The administration has also embraced the Bush legal team’s arguments that a lawsuit by former C.I.A. detainees should be shut down based on the “state secrets” doctrine. It has also left the door open to resuming military commission trials.")

At the time, I thought that he painted a slightly more pessimistic picture on the civil liberties front than was warranted by the evidence thus far (though only slightly), but, in retrospect, Savage was right and I was wrong about that: his article was far more prescient than premature.



Today, in the NYT, Savage has another article examining the same topic, headlined: "To Critics, New Policy on Terror Looks Old."Link text In it, he explores this question: "Has [Obama], on issues related to fighting terrorism, turned out to be little different from his predecessor?" A key point from Savage's article -- which I've tried to emphasize several times (Obama's embrace of Bush terrorism policies is celebrated as "Centrism" )-- is that whereas these policies were supported by roughly half the population (Republicans) in the Bush era but VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED by the OTHER HALF (at least ostensibly), OBAMA's EMBRACE OF THEM is now causing a large part of the other half of the population (Democrats) to support them as well, thus ENTRENCHING them as bipartisan CONSENSUS:


In any case, Jack Balkin, a Yale Law School professor, said MR. OBAMA’s RATIFICATION of the basic outlines of THE SURVEILLANCE and DETENTION POLICICIES HE INHERITED would REVERBERATE for GENERATIONS. By bestowing bipartisan acceptance on them, Mr. Balkin said, Mr. Obama is CONSOLIDATING THEM as ENTRENCHED FEATURES of GOVERNMENT.

"What we are watching," Mr. Balkin said, "is a liberal, centrist, Democratic version of THE CONSTRUCTION of these SAME GOVERNING PRACTICES."



That was the point former BUSH DOJ LAWYER Jack Goldsmith made when arguing last month that OBAMA IS ACTUALLY STRENGTHENING (rather than "changing") THE BUSH/CHENEY APPROACH to TERRRORISM even MORE EFFECTIVELY than Bush did by ENTRENCHING those policies IN LAW and causing UNPRINCIPLED Democrats to switch from PRETENDING TO OPPOSE them to SUPPORTING THEM, thus transforming them into BIPARTISAN DOGMA.


Savage is my guest on Salon Radio today to talk about Obama's record on terrorism and civil liberties, and the way -- as Savage describes it -- Obama has EMBRACES and REPLICATED many of the CORE "War on Terror" POLICIES of the BUSH PRESIDENCY, particularly in the form they took in Bush's second term (even as Obama largely purports to reject the Bush theories of unilateral presidential power). We also discuss how so many people who previously criticized these polices rather vocally when pursued by Bush are either SILENT or ACTIVELY SUPPORTIVE now that Obama IS DEFENDING THEM. There simply aren't any better reporters on these issues than Savage, and I highly recommend listening to his very nuanced and well-informed views on these topics.


The discussion is roughly 20 minutes in length and can be heard by clicking PLAY on the recorder below. A transcript will be posted shortly.


UPDATE: The transcript is now posted here .


On a note related to all of this, the Obama administration -- which has repeatedly delayed releasing a less redacted version of the 2004 report of the CIA's Inspector General that aggressively challenged both the legality and efficacy of torture -- today (July 2nd) announced that it would DELAY its DISCLOSURE by at least another seven weeks, to August 31, 2009 . We're in the New Era of Tranpsarency."

Sunday July 5, 2009, 5:31 am

Thanks so much for contributing this eye-opening (hopefully) information, Alba!

Sunday July 5, 2009, 8:22 am
There is so much info here and such strong feelings regarding--I have not commented much on this for truly i have no wrds to xpress this well. I see this and I am beyond wrds at the lack of Love for life. I am beyond wrds at the Lust 4 energy at any cost- beyond wrds at the people who did this and the people in the area who were effected by this and did what? so here we are reaching out and saying STOP IT! I have no wrds Dear C for this kind of destructive greed in our name saying -well we have to have energy and coal is what Obama keeps saying -Obama says-America can make clean coal and use it for energy. The sad part is many Americans agree-for they have no knowledge of how it's done or the destruction it creates and for that Ostrich behavior I have no wrds. It is really good to bring this subject out to the wrld 4 they need to see the cost of the destruction. There are better ways to get this coal but U know what they will say-the Corporations? they will say it is not cost effective and will drive up the price of producing it-the corps will say that we will have to increase the price of energy per killowatt from coal and then people will scream about price increase of their monthly bill for electricity. So there we are-this blasting away of a mountain top and the resulting destruction therof- many ostriches will consider a small price to pay because after all it is about how much money is involved-right? I am Muttering darkly at the shortsighted stupidity of measuring everything by a dollar! Thanx hon for sharing this very important article

Sunday July 5, 2009, 8:43 am
As far as Obama making stong the Bush policies- what did U expect? Democrats and Republicans are heads and tails of the same quarter-They both wrk 4 the corporations and here is how that is seen by them and most Americans- Corporations=jobs-jobs= quality of life that U have---sooo
fund the corporations and U feed the hungry-fund the corporations and the stock market and U give life quality to Americans and jobs around the wrld.
which in turn banishes global poverty and increases life quality and THAT is all they care about because when THAT is in place then they get and maintain their power. Who has a better Idea here? The Corporations give their money out and expect it to be returned with interest and if every bodies lifestyle is improved by there standards on the way -what difference is a few trees,plants streams and fish ? the world is full of trees-I have actually had people tell me that- and it can all be replaced and they point to all that has been done to reclaim and restore the enviroment-the problem is that it all costs money and -while the FED- they can create wealth with a keystroke they will tell us and ostriches will believe that the cost is coming out of "our" pockets- so we need to come up with a new paradigm that does all the above without the destruction. Corporations rule the wrld and we feed them so Now what?

Sunday July 5, 2009, 11:32 am
I have signed everything I can sign, set every letter I have found and forwarded all of this info to all my friends
posted on facebook too. But I still feel like there should be more to do. This blatant distruction of these eco systems must stop. Coal is not the future. I should be come part of our past. Please keep pushing ... If we push together we can make things happen. We can and shall make them stop, working together.

Sunday July 5, 2009, 10:18 pm
Thank you! You signed at 4:10 PM PDT, Jul 4, 2009

Monday July 6, 2009, 3:43 am
I am just about ready to leave this dam "free" country!!! This is NOT my country anymore.

Monday July 6, 2009, 7:33 am
This country doesn't belong to the people any more it belongs to big Corporations. Congress and our Presidents have been in there pockets for decades. Money talks. Congress spends 70 to 80 percent of thier time raising funds so they can stay in office, some of which stay in office till they die of old age. But we keep voting the same old people into office thinking they are working for us and they are not.

Saturday July 11, 2009, 8:50 am
Coal is SOOO yesterday! We need to move on to alternative energies, now! Noted and signed!

Saturday July 11, 2009, 8:52 am
First the Congre$$ has to VOTE to fund alternate energy ... GET IT????

Saturday July 11, 2009, 11:22 pm
That's right, and WE hire them, fire them, and pay their paychecks, GET IT???? Let's make sure they hear this message loud and clear. Their constituents in the Appalachians deserve a clean healthy future. We all deserve that, and they need to listen.

Sunday July 19, 2009, 2:16 am
Just Carol,I am so sorry I have not noted this before! I grew up in coal country.My brother-in-law has worked for the mine all his life.Now his son.It is a shame it is the best paying job there is in that area. I grew up watching strip mining it is so ugly. Nothing will be the same.I am at odds with family because of this. Some know how I feel I try to keep quiet not make trouble.They do not understand this beautiful world will not always be here if they keep going they way they are. Thanks,For the post!