Mountaintop Removal Blowing up the Blogosphere

By Megan Naylor
Megan is a frequent contributor to The Appalachian Voice publication, and served as Appalachian Voices’ Communications intern during Spring and Fall 2010.

Typically blowing things up goes against everything Appalachian Voices stands for, except that is when it comes to the topic of mountaintop removal blowing up across the web pages of the blogosphere, in which case we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Recent additions to the blogging world covering the subject of mountaintop removal include images, videos and investigative news stories found online at Goollery, UNC News 21 and Bing Travel.

Goollery an independent online gallery is dedicated to collecting, archiving and showcasing innovative Google-related projects from around the globe. The site recently linked our very ownEndangered Mountains Video Series on iLoveMountains.org to their gallery.

In addition, an investigative reporting project affiliated with UNC News 21, entitled “Battle for the Mountains,” touches on the dueling sides of the issue of mountaintop removal spanning across the Appalachian mountains.

Created by Chris Carmichael, University of North Carolina Chapel Graduate and 2006 Hill Roy H. Park Fellow, “Battle for the Mountains” covers the controversial issue, thoroughly blending emotionally moving still images with videography.

UNC News 21, part of the Carnegie-Knight initiative on the future of journalism education, is the collaborative effort of 12 of America’s top journalism schools in experimenting with new in-depth reporting methods and mediums.

Delving into the topic via a different route, Bing Travel’s Endangered Destinations series, which highlights beautiful and tragic endangered destinations, has grouped Appalachia with places such as Mount Kilimanjaro and the Great Barrier Reef

“If you don’t see these places soon,” the show warns, “you may miss the chance to enjoy their unique beauty.”

The more information we put out into the world regarding mountaintop removal, the more aware our society can become. The goal is to see the spread of information translate into conscious action taken to save the mountains we love.

So, take a moment while you are perusing the internet over your coffee today to check in with the spread of awareness across the pages of your screen…

Education is power, pass it on.