Majority of American Public Opposes Mountaintop Removal
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.15.07
It turns out it's not just us TreeHuggers who vehemently oppose the Bush administration's proposed expansion of mountaintop coal mining: according to a new survey by the Opinion Research Corporation, fully 2 out of 3 Americans disagree with its plans "to ease environmental regulations to permit wider use of 'mountain top removal' coal mining in the U.S."
"The lack of public support -- regardless of political views - for mountain top removal coal mining is one of the most striking results of this survey. Only about four in 10 self-identified Republicans support the proposed Bush Administration rule. The softness of this GOP support is evident in that two out of three Republicans -- 65 percent -- favor more energy conservation as a first step before more MTR coal mining is permitted. While Democrats may have a more predictable profile on this issue, it is worth nothing that Independents are about 50 percent less likely than Republicans to support the rule and far more likely to embrace increased energy conservation as a more palatable alternative," said ORC Senior Researcher Graham Rueber.
Other key findings of the national poll included the fact that close to 9 out of 10 Americans (88%) thought coal mines and mining practices should be made safer for miners and the environment and that more than 3 out of 4 (77%) thought the administration should focus first on energy conservation or waste management before resorting to more mountaintop removal.
For a full list of the findings, check out the piece here. Now whether the Bush administration actually heeds the public's advice is a different story entirely, of course...
Via ::Environmental News Network: Survey: 65 Percent of Americans Oppose Mountaintop Removal (news website)
See also: ::Go Tell It on the Mountain
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You don't get the 1$, one vote concept, do you?
That pic is horrible. And then some claim wind generators look horrible. I really don't believe anyone, no matter what talent or what photography equipment or what available lighting, will be able to make that place look anything but horrible. Who would want to live in that toxic dead zone which also happens to look like a toxic dead zone?
clearly "democracy" is alive and well in the US
the majority opposes but the minority special interest gets its way.
You should really educate yourselves on the practice of mountain top mining before taking such radical stancs on the issue. The problem with this country is education as you have proven with your "toxic" comments.