Go+Fix+Mountaintop+Removal!


 * Go Fix Mountaintop Removal!**



Mountaintop removal decimates landscapes and biodiversity. It pollutes water and air supply. The coal industry it feeds puts the local communities in the grave and on the brink of poverty.

Activists claim wind energy as the clean and renewable solution of choice for this problem. Wind certainly represents an important and viable alternative, but not without significant investment and work. Wind energy is largely a work in progress as some engineers will discount the durability of the standard gearbox and most turbines require significant maintenance within 3 to 5 years of construction. Despite this, the installation cost per kilowatt hour for coal plants versus wind turbines is competitive. The local community is already on board with wind and alternative energy, as shown in the film //Coal Country//. Most of the workers whose jobs would be changed commute into town to work. Additionally, mountaintop mining is more capital intense, rather than labor intense.

In the preparation phase the community will need to be empowered to change their representation in congress and given the opportunity to excel in a changing economy. There is one simple, yet challenging way to do this. Last year president Obama came to Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, NY to discuss the importance of institutions like HVCC to the American economy. Of all the two year colleges in the US, president Obama came to Troy because HVCC has become a feeder school to the computer chip manufacturing plant which is under construction in nearby Malta, NY. Hundreds of technician jobs will be created by 2012 in New York’s capital district because of that plant, and the local colleges will be enabling those jobs to be held by members of the local community. In Appalachia, Appalachian State University and Wilkes Community College already hold conferences on renewable energy. These colleges need engineering and technical programs to give locals the skills to design and maintain a sustainable energy infrastructure. Renewable energy in Appalachia has the potential to bring more opportunity to the communities than coal vs. fast food. This solution will bring hundreds of new jobs to these towns which have essentially impoverished by the coal industry.

Additionally the government would need to fully support the transition to alternative energies in Appalachia. Wind turbines and solar panels are both extremely expensive and represent a massive initial investment for the organizations who decide to install them. Policy would need to be passed protecting natural resources, allocating land to be used for energy farms, funding college programs to train technicians and engineers and designing tax breaks or other incentives for organizations who invest in wind and solar. The German government has been successful in accelerating the growth of the renewable energy industry by using similar methods. A problem here is that executives and politicians who deny climate change need to be educated appropriately. To ensure this happens an incentive program should be designed for investors in these companies and their executives. The politicians will surely follow what the corporations do, as they have a brilliant track record of serving the energy industry.

Finally, a key ingredient to implementing a successful alternative grid will be building a mix of infrastructure. As alluded to above, wind energy is not the sole solution. A mix of wind and solar will be key for generating enough energy to supply maximum demand. Sources indicate that the productivity of wind and solar are complimentary, as in their maximum outputs come at opposite times and therefore they can be used in tandem. Another argument for using both technologies is the land usage for a wind turbine. The standard General Electric 1.5 megawatt wind turbine requires a five hundred foot radius. If a hybrid energy farm were designed to use the area surrounding individual turbines, wind-solar farms could maximize usage of land while maximizing output of energy. Reclaimed mountaintop removal sites provide prime space for both this application. While some of these mountaintops have been shortened too much for wind to be viable, they could be used for solar in this hybrid grid. Property values are low and they energy companies already have a vested interest in the land, therefore they should develop it into a new, sustainable electricity infrastructure. Additional engineering solutions are needed as well to create efficient methods for storing clean energy produced in excess. Government support of these fields will likely foster solutions.

In conclusion, robust government and corporate support are needed to fix this problem, but the community is ready to act, the land exists for the infrastructure and the technology is waiting to be utilized. The only remaining barrier to entry is the short term needs of corporations’ investors. Wall Street needs results quarterly, therefore the Fed should create bonds, perhaps called “Future Alternative Energy Bonds (FAEB’s)”, so they have something to speculate on while this long term investment comes to fruition.

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 * Links:**

1. Marhoefer, J.. (2008). Intelligent Generation(TM): The Smart Way to Build the Smart Grid. // Natural Resources & Environment, // // 23 // (1), 19-24. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1590725151). 2.  Steve Owen, & Jeff Boyer. (2006). Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Industry in the Appalachian Mountains, United States. //Mountain Research and Development, // //26 //(2), 115-118. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1070648291). 3. Gresham, R.. (2010). How truly viable is wind energy? // Tribology & Lubrication Technology, // // 66 // (1), 18-21. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from ProQuest Materials Science Journals. (Document ID: 1943882661). 4. Van Rensselar, J.. (2010). The elephant in the wind turbine. // Tribology & Lubrication Technology, // // 66 // (6), 38-40,42-44,46-48. Retrieved November 26, 2010, from ProQuest Materials Science Journals. (Document ID: 2056317431).
 * Scholarly Sources:**

http://www.dailyyonder.com/files/u2/mountaintop-removal520.jpg http://ilovemountains.org/images/FAQimages/Clearing.jpg http://www.3wavestudio.com/images/graphic-design-portfolio/wind-farm-poster.jpg http://remtekservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/rooftopsolar2.jpg
 * Photo Credits:**