wired appalachian advocate. @huffingtonpost #danakuhnline #huffpostgreen
Ok so I grew up in West Virginia and coal mining has been a part of my life the entire time. My grandfather was a miner, I have cousins that were and still are miners. I am also a huge believer in being a steward of the land and nature because once its gone, you cant get it back. So I think that I have a good perspective on this topic. I think its time that we stand up for what's right and protect the water. Lets make sure that the land is here for our children and work on solutions to our problems. Lets not blindly keep going down the same road just because were afraid to take a chance on the road less travelled.
"Meet Dana Kuhnline, a 9-year activist in the fight against mountaintop removal in Appalachia. Dana is currently the media coordinator at the Alliance for Appalachia - and is in charge of running the social media efforts for the biggest coalition in the region. We chat about Dana's background, stories from organizing in coal country, and lessons from recruiting stories in a place that is rich in storytellers. Also: get ready for Dana's sneak preview of the Alliance for Appalachia's next major event in DC - "Our Water, Our Future (Sep 8-9th)."
"Water is such a big issue in Appalachia - it's a temperate rainforest, but people struggle for access to water! People have been dealing with poisoned water for DECADES, and the health issues and family struggles are too heartbreaking to put words to. But, people are resilient and have so much power in the region. We want to build a sustainable future beyond coal, and there are so many brilliant people with the skills to do that. But in some communities, 25% percent of the land and literally thousands of miles of streams have been destroyed by coal mining. That's a big toxic hurdle that needs dealt with. So we need the coal companies to first stop destroying the land and then take some responsibility to clean up their mess as we move forward."
"The Our Water, Our Future event is making that link between environment, health, and building a healthy Appalachian future that can weather the storms of climate change. Of course we have a number of very specific policy asks for the EPA and the Obama administration to take some basic, LONG overdue steps to protect Appalachian water." Change happens whether we want it to or not, lets be a part of it and show them what we are made of!
Referenced from Huff Post Green.