Together we <a href=”http://www.climategroundzero.org/2010/01/callmasseyonjan25″>made hundreds of phone calls yesterday</a> to Massey Coal, flooding their phone lines asking them to stop abusing the tree sitters and stop blasting Coal River Mountain. We did a great job, but it wasn’t enough and we need to take the next step and get WV Governor Joe Manchin to make them stop.<br><br>

Governor’s office: 1-888-438-2731<br>

<a href=”http://climategroundzero.net/2010/01/manchin_save_mountain_stop_harassment/”>Click here to report your call</a><br><br>

Massey Coal continues to break the law, harassing the two remaining tree sitters with horns at dangerous decibel levels, likely to cause permanent ear damage. This act is violent and can be classified under West Virginia State Code as felony endangerment.<br><br>

West Virginia state police have acknowledged the illegal nature of this act, but have done nothing in response to repeated pleas to state emergency numbers, state and federal Mine Safety and Health Administration, and other legal resources.<br><br>

Yesterday, Governor Manchin said “We will not in any way, shape or form in this state of West Virginia tolerate any violence against anyone on any side.” Massey air horns haven’t stopped. In addition, the sitters overheard the guards talking on the radio about using fire-hoses as an abuse tactic. Getting sprayed with water in sub-freezing temperatures while 60 feet up in the tree would be outright deadly and would prevent them from being able to even safely descend.<br><br>

Call Governor Manchin’s office and ask him to intervene in the violence against the sitters and support the end to mountaintop removal.<br><br>

Governor’s office: 1-888-438-2731<br>

<a href=”http://climategroundzero.net/2010/01/manchin_save_mountain_stop_harassment/”>Click here to report your call</a><br><br>

This abuse must stop. Massey has proven itself to be a criminal corporation, both in it’s policies towards the sitters and the people of the mountains. We need Governor Manchin to protect clean drinking water in West Virginia and nationwide. An end to mountaintop mining will protect the quality of life for Appalachian coalfield residents who face frequent and catastrophic flooding, heavy metals pollution and loss of freshwater streams as a result of mountaintop removal coal mining.<br><br>

What action can you take?<br>

Report your call here and let us know how it went<br>

Tell your friends by forwarding them this email or checking out our Facebook event<br><br>

Eric Blevins and Amber Nitchman are in high spirits, swinging high up in the trees. See <a href=”http://picasaweb.google.com/climategroundzero/CoalRiverTreeSit”>photos from their cell phones</a> and <a href=”http://www.youtube.com/user/ClimateGndZero”>watch videos of the activists talking about this fight</a>. <br><br>

Thanks for contributing to this strong national effort — we all live downstream.<br><br>

The Climate Ground Zero team<br><br><br>

<i>Read about Governor Manchin’s statement yesterday on escalating violence in the coal fields on Coal Tattoo:<br>

<a href=”http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/01/25/manchin-calls-for-calm-in-the-coalfields/#more-1732″>http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/01/25/manchin-calls-for-calm-in-the-coalfields/#more-1732</a><br><br>

Read the day 5 update on Climate Ground Zero’s website:<br>

<a href=”http://climategroundzero.net/2010/01/coal-river-tree-sit-day-5-inside-the-action/”>http://climategroundzero.net/2010/01/coal-river-tree-sit-day-5-inside-the-action/</a></i>

So you thought smoking cigarettes was bad for your health? Try living next to a coal-fired power plant. Continue Reading »

PETTUS, W. Va. – Early this morning two concerned citizens, Dea Goblirsch and Nick Martin, locked down to a drill rig on Coal River Mountain’s Bee Tree mountaintop removal site, effectively stopping blasting. Two others, Grace Williams and Laura Von Dolen, joined them in direct support, holding a banner with the message “Save Coal River Mountain”. Continue Reading »

Photos available soon at risingtidenorthamerica.org!

BOSTON, MA – Activists with Rising Tide draped a 25-foot banner reading, “Mountain Top Removal Kills Communities: EPA No New Permits. MountainJustice.org” on 1 North Congress St., at the intersection of New Chardon Street and Congress Street, at the downtown offices of the Environmental Protection Agency this morning. The group is urging the agency to block over 150 pending permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia.1

“Mountaintop removal is destroying our nation’s most diverse forests and historic communities,” said Alex Johnston, a Rising Tide activist. “President Obama and the EPA need to take immediate action to stop the bulldozers from destroying America’s oldest mountains and Appalachians homes.”
Continue Reading »

April 20 300 people took to the streets of Charlotte, NC to demand that Duke Energy stop the construction of the 800 mw Cliffside coal plant in Rutherford County, NC. After rousing speeches from coalfield residents and local church leaders the crowd marched to Duke Energy’s headquarters. Shouts of “No new coal!” and “Cancel Cliffside” echoed off the skyscrapers of the nations second largest financial center, as the crowd wound its way through the lunch hour traffic.

The protest was a fine example of solidarity in the movement. Folks from Ohio fighting AMP coal plants, Kentuckians resisting mountaintop removal, West Virginians defending Coal River Valley, Virginians fighting Dominions Wise County Coal Plant were all there. Asheville, Boston, Baltimore, and Bay Area Rising Tide were all representing in the streets of Charlotte and played a part in making this a successful action.

Once the march arrived at Duke Energy headquarters we presented CEO Jim Rogers with a letter for him to sign, declaring that he would cancel the Cliffside plant. Unsurprisingly he did not come down. Not content with just going home, 44 people crossed onto Duke Energy’s property to deliver the letter to Rogers. The police gave one warning and then began to make arrests. As protestors were led to police vans the crowd chanted, “Arrest Jim Rogers” and “You can put our friends in jail. But we will drive the final nail.” Those arrested ranged from young college students  to  80 year old grandmothers.

This protest is an important and exciting escalation in the fight against Cliffside and for the anti-coal movement as a whole. Lets keep up the good work and continue to extend our solidarity to all communities fighting the fossil fuel industry. We’ll be back in Charlotte on May 7th which is being held at Duke’s headquarters. As one sign at the protest said, “Jim Rogers, we won’t stop until you do!” For updates check out www.stopcliffside.org

This Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2009, join Rising Tide Boston (RTB) in demanding that Bank of America stop its funding of the dirty and deadly coal industry and demanding, in solidarity with City Life/Vide Urbana, stop its unjust foreclosures and evictions of working families. Closing your account with Bank of America (BOA) is an important step in bringing closure to this unhealthy relationship.

Read Rising Tide Boston’s National Call to Action to Break Up with Bank of America on Valentines Day! There’ll be at least a half-dozen account closings going on across the country already. Contact valentinesday@risingtideboston.org to plan your own! Resources are available at risingtideboston.org.

Environmentalists Want Tenn. Ash-Spill Action
Stiffer warnings of health risks to residents urged
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Authorities need to more strongly warn residents that muck left from a major coal-ash spill in eastern Tennessee could pose health risks, a Southern environmental group said Saturday.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said Friday that the mixture of coal fly ash and water coating a neighborhood near the Kingston Fossil Plant didn’t pose an immediate risk to residents unless they ingested it.

But Stephen Smith, executive director for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said officials should more strongly encourage residents to avoid the sludge that surrounds their homes.

Continue Reading »