Comments on: Up Close and Personal: Ash spills, mountaintop removal & sandhill cranes

By: Janet Ward

Janet Ward — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:56:12 +0000

Mountaintop Removal is the horror of our generation. The stuff that is removed has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is valleys and streams in Appalachia. Coal companies can do that because the Appalachian people, largely poor, have no political voice. Coal companies have the strongest voice. Big coal has just financed a new basketball dorm at UK — the Wildcat Coal Lodge.

I am waiting for Ashley Judd to make a statement on this.

By: Joey Ledford

Joey Ledford — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:19:30 +0000

Very nice piece. But the ex-editor who lives inside me forces me to point out one little thing — it’s hardly “mid-winter.” Fall doesn’t end until Dec. 21.

By: BufordLeech

BufordLeech — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:58:43 +0000

I normally skip over “environmental journalism” stories because they seem to come with agendas but this is a wonderful report, humanized through the eyes of the instructor and his class.

By: MaryCan

MaryCan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:51:14 +0000

I am linking this to several friends who would be interested (not Southerners, for some odd reason)… hopefully this story will be submitted elsewhere for an even larger readership? It’s well-done and interesting, and important. Protests can only go so far; activist journalism can accomplish more, as you demonstrate.

There’s a marvelous photograph in this week’s Newsweek, an aerial view of mountains with half clear-cut, the other half timbered. I’d love to have that photo sans text for framing.

Wonder if our Georgia senators would be interested? Nah, probably not.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:15:19 +0000

What a great story — excellent writing and photography by these student journalists. Good, hands-on, go-to-the site reporting.

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:57:13 +0000

I really thought this was well written. This is a good insight into those who study the environment. These coal ash sludge ponds are really an accident waiting to happen as illustrated here. I do not understand why we don’t burn more natural gas and build more nuclear plants. Clean coal? I would rather have a nuclear plant in my backyard. If France can power 90% electricity from nuclear and the US Navy can run ships and subs then why can’t we build more? The technology and safeguards are much more advanced than anything currently in service. Clean coal? Hmmm