The 7th and 8th graders of Manhattan Country School in Manhattan have chosen as their 2009-2010 Activism Project the cessation of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. They fund-raise for this cause throughout the year, which will end with a week of programming in West Virginia. Why did they choose to fight mountaintop removal? According to their Web site:
When the top of a mountain is blasted off, the surrounding communities experience changed landscapes, polluted water, decreased property values and increases in asthma and cancer rates. The people of Appalachia are among the poorest in the United States, and are being taken advantage of by the coal companies.
The MCS students encourage you take action by doing the following:
1. Contact your representatives and encourage them to support the Appalachia Restoration Act and the Clean Water Protection Act.
2. Contact the White House (202-456-1111) and ask them to encourage the Environmental Protection Agency to close the loophole in the Clean Water Act created during the previous administration that allows companies to dump waste in streams and lakes. Click here for talking points.
3. Ask your electric company to stop buying power produced from MTR coal.
4. Switch to alternative energy providers.
5. Use less energy.
6. Install solar panels.
7. Spread the word.
If you live in the New York City area, you can attend some of the school's fund-raising events, such as the upcoming Appalachia folk music concert in South Bronx. You can also donate directly to their cause by clicking here.
Donate not just to end mountaintop removal but to support these 7th and 8th graders trying to make the world just a little bit better.
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