Ashley Judd Teams Up With Sierra Club To Tackle Mountaintop Removal

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by Michael dEstries March 4, 2009
Categories: Causes
Tags: , .

ashley judd, mountaintop removal, sierra club, environment

After her successful work in drawing attention to Sarah Palin’s aerial wolf hunting policies in Alaska, actress Ashley Judd is now teaming up with the Sierra Club to ask the Obama Administration to step in and protect the mountains, streams and people of Appalachia from mountaintop removal.

As we wrote last month, Judd recently spoke at a rally organized by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. “I grew up in Kentucky, and like so many Appalachians, just seeing our beautiful mountains and valleys tells me I am home,” she said. “Our mountains are our heritage and our legacy to future generations. But big coal companies are using explosives to literally blow the tops off the mountains, extract the coal and destroy Appalachia.”

According to the EPA, the damage is pretty gruesome. Close to 2,000 miles of streams have been contaminated or destroyed by mountaintop removal, and communities throughout the Appalachian region suffer daily from contaminated drinking water, increased flooding, and a decimated landscape. The Sierra Club is urging people to become involved by visiting their website and signing a letter to the Obama administration voicing your protest. The goal is 20,000 signatures.

To learn more about mouaintop removal, please visit ilovemountains.org.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • http://www.lifeheroes.org michael e. v. knight

    Pictures like this and videos would be great for a campaign against “clean” coal.

    Clean Coal:

    Cleans away trees and wildlife quickly and efficiently!

  • hebintn

    I applaud Ashley Judd, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Mattea, Daryl Hannah, and Robert Kennedy Jr. (I apologize if I’ve missed any) for their having the courage to take up strong positions against mountaintop removal mining. These folks often place themselves in veritable lions dens, e.g. Ms Hanna’s arrest, for something they believe strongly in. Celebrities are often criticised for such positions of advocacy with the criticism generally coming from the opposition. I see their participation as a huge asset in drawing attention to our cause, and I thank them for placing themselves in potential jeopardy, a position that most of us would avoid.

    I find it interesting that Hollywood stars generally take positions on the left. I’m not aware of many that take positions on the conservative side, with the exception of Charlton Heston, may he rest in peace, and the NRA.

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