The Story

College Hosts Town Meeting on Coal

Sep. 27, 2007 | By Carrie Adams, DSJ Staff Reporter

WCAN organized a town hall meeting on the impact of coal. Williamsburg Climate Action Network.

In an attempt at civic involvement, the Williamsburg Climate Action Network held a town meeting at the College on Monday. The topic of the night’s discussion was the impact of coal on the environment. A series of presentations were shown that illustrated the “cradle to grave” destruction coal has on the environment.

The first speaker was Eric Blevins, a member of the Mountain Justice Summer. This organization informs citizens about mountain-top removal, which is a new mining technique ripping up mountains across Appalachia. The audience of about 75 sat glued to his video that showed mountains disappearing in an effort to get to the coal inside.

An especially interesting shot during the film showed two billboards in West Virginia. One read “Coal: Keep the Lights On!” and the other, “Stop destroying my mountains. �"God.” Coal is a hot topic in the region. It’s the major source of electricity and jobs, but it is also a major source of ecological disaster.

Dependence on coal causes serious environmental backlashes, including mudslides, widespread flooding and extreme soil erosion. Moreover, stripping the earth of its resources has caused so much damage that it has forced some West Virginians to abandon their homes and move into Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) trailers.

The next speaker was Mike Tidwell, Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. Instead of using the now widely-publicized term “global warming,” Tidwell described the climate as “snapping.” He called the earth an “angry beast” that “overreacts to tiny climate changes.”

Tidwell began with some heavy topics, but moved to more positive, action-based material. He stressed what he called a “just transition” from coal to renewable energy, which he said would mean retraining coal miners to work in wind turbine factories. According to Tidwell, this would ensure the economic stability of the coal mining regions.

In closing, Tidwell recalled John F. Kennedy’s optimism in 1961, declaring a goal of putting a man on the moon and bringing him safely home. He noted that the technology wasn’t available, but it followed the leadership. In contrast, today we have the opposite problem, Tidwell said.

“We don’t need a silver bullet. We don’t need a Manhattan Project. We have the technology, we just don’t have a government that gives a damn,” said Tidwell.

Michael Town, a representative from the Virginia Sierra Club also spoke. He stressed the need for a statewide energy plan, such as in California, where per capita energy use is half of that in Virginia.

Town also gave the audience tips on saving energy. He suggested buying compact florescent lights, biking, walking, taking transit and becoming a vegetarian.

“Get involved. That is the only way we’re going to solve this problem,” he said.

The Sierra Club has recently launched a program called Cool Counties and Cities. In the program, communities independently decide on carbon reduction goals and steps towards their realization.

Mentioning the possibility that James City County could become a Cool County, Michael Town emphasized the importance of grass roots organizations and local problem-solving.

Then the College’s own Student Assembly President Zach Pilchen gave a speech, thanking the previous speakers and stressing the importance of youth activism. He pointed out that most of the students at the College fighting against climate change aren’t even old enough to drink.

Pilchen then addressed the greater Williamsburg community, asking them to partner with the College in the effort to become carbon-neutral.

“Only when we come together can we change passion into action,” Pilchen said.

Michael Tidwell addressed the College specifically. “William & Mary joins the elite group at the top. The energy progress that has come from here is an inspiration to climate activists not only across the region, but also across the country. Campuses across the country are looking to William & Mary as a model,” Tidewell said.

When asked to respond, Pilchen was flattered. “We were the most energy efficient Virginian school in 1693 and we can be again in 2007,” he said.

The night was intended to not only educate about coal and carbon reduction, but also to organize. At the conclusion, members of the Williamsburg Climate Action Network (WCAN) handed paper and envelopes to everyone in the crowd so they would write Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.

WCAN’s larger agenda, however, remains to be realized: to push the state, and then the nation, into carbon awareness, reduction and neutrality.