July 2nd 2009
Daryl Hannah: “There Is No Such Thing As Clean Coal!”
Filed under: campaigns, green and famous — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 12:43 pm
A little more than a week after being arrested for civil disobedience during a mountaintop removal protest in West Virginia, Daryl Hannah is telling her side of the story in a new article for the Huffington Post. She writes: “Why would I fly across the country on my own dime knowing I would most likely end up in jail in one of the poorest parts of America? Well, have you ever heard of MTR? Don’t feel bad, my friends are intelligent, well-read and informed people, but most of them had never heard of MTR (Mountain Top Removal) either.”
Hannah goes on to explain her position on the destructive practice — including the respect she has for the miners that depend on the work for their livelihood. She also includes some letters that she’s received since her arrest for citizens of West Virginia deeply effected by MTR. “I am sorry you were arrested but I thank you for standing up for what is right,” writes one woman. “We need to work on sustainable communities here in the mountains so that coal miners will have opportunities for jobs not so dangerous.”
The actress then rails against the fallacy that is “clean coal” technology saying: “Let me make one thing clear… there is no such thing as clean coal!!! ‘Clean coal’ is the industry’s attempt to “clean up” its dirty image — the industry’s greenwash buzzword. It is not a new type of coal. ‘Clean coal’ methods only move pollutants from one waste stream to another. Coal is a dirty business!”
Check out the full article — including pictures — over on HuffPo. To see a video of Hannah getting arrested, jump here.
Photo credit: Rainforest Action Network
Teen star Selena Gomez may not be the greenest girl on the block, but at least she’s trying to get better! 
“I know that some vegetarians pooh pooh Meatless Monday as not enough. I’m sympathetic to that view, but I think it’s unnecessarily strident. For people who think that going totally vegetarian is too challenging, the Meatless Monday campaign offers a gentle entrée into the idea of eating without eating animals. My hope is that people will use the campaign as a stepping stone–first one meatless day per week, then three, then five, then seven. As we lean into meatless eating–switching out more and more meat meals for meatless meals–we end up feeling better, both physically and ethically.”
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