Print |
E-mail to a friend
OPINIONS
Editorial: Extremes won't carry the day in coal fight
The war of words, protests and counter-protests over mountaintop removal mining has grown more intense in recent months to the point that many fear it will become violent.
If those fears become true, then nobody wins and some reasonable middle ground is not likely to be found.
In years past the conflict between coal interests and environmentalists has largely been confined to courtrooms and the halls of Congress and the Legislature.
That seems to have changed this year as activists, perhaps trying to take advantage of the change of administrations in Washington, have become more aggressive in staging protests against mountaintop removal mining. There have been nearly 100 arrests in 20 protests, most involving trespassing.
The mining industry and miners have fought back. Miners have staged various counter-protests and have used intimidation tactics. The battle of words has become increasingly ugly, with environmentalists describing the pro-coal establishment as "corrupt," "greedy" and "thugs" and the industry countering with words like "hippies," "extremists" and "terrorists." Even some public officials have weighed in with inflammatory remarks.
Both sides should realize that their respective extreme positions aren't likely to win the day.
The fact is that coal is an important resource, fueling nearly half of the nation's electricity. The fact is that mountaintop removal mining does change the contour of the land and poses threats to residents in the vicinity. Both factors should be taken into account as policymakers weigh the issue.
Both sides in this conflict have avenues at their disposal to make their cases to the people who will decide how this plays out. Chiefly, these are lawmakers and government regulators. And certainly, both sides are free to appeal to the public for support. But ugly tactics and threatening rhetoric aren't likely to persuade many people over to either side's views.
