In Southwest Virginia, mountain top removal is a popular topic whether you are for it or against it. However, most people are not aware of the serious consequences that it can lead to. It comes up in class discussion, around the lunch table, on the local news and in Beyond Coal’s weekly meetings. Beyond Coal is a student run branch of the Sierra Club that promotes clean energy goals on Virginia Tech’s Campus. Not only does mountain top removal destroy natural habitats, but the burning of coal can also lead to dangerous health problems. Coal is one of the biggest contributors to ground level ozone, also known as smog, and air pollution leads to respiratory issues. According to the Clean Air Task Force, 24,000 deaths are caused by pollution from coal plants every year!
As shocking as it is, clean energy is not at the top of Tech’s agenda. As I walk past the coal plant (located on Tech’s campus) every day on my way to class, I wonder when President Charles Steger is going to make clean energy a priority at Tech. Only with his support will Beyond Coal’s goal of eliminating Tech’s dependence on coal by 2020 be attained.
My grandfather worked in the coal mines in a small Pennsylvania town over 50 years ago and suffered the health consequences in the long run. One would think that 50 or 60 years later, Virginia Tech, one of the leading research institutes in the nation, would be on the forefront of clean energy, but that is not the case. Only with the support of President Steger and the administration will Tech truly be able to “invent the future.”
Jenna Klym
Senior
Political science & urban affairs planning