Two Mountaintop Removal Mining Forums

Hear from environmentalists and industry representatives, and have your say at these two upcoming events.On January 7, from Kentuckians for the Commonwealth:"Heine Bros. along with Kentuckians For The Commonwealth have partnered together to help spread the word about the destruction of mountaintop removal. Join KFTC members, musicians, authors, and activists alike on January 7, 2009 from 7-9 p.m. at the Gardiner Lane Heine Bros. Coffee for an open mic night focused totally on mountaintop removal. Scheduled participants include: Erik Reece, author of "Lost Mountain;” Louisville poet Ron Whitehead, accompanied by Icelandic guitarist Michael Dean Odin Pollock; KFTC members Rully Urias and Sara Pennington will share a slide show about their trip to Colombia ; Music from Appalatin; "What We Do To The Land, We Do To The People," A film produced by KFTC about mountaintop removal that contains a virtual flyover of active mine sites." And on January 15, from St. Xavier High School:"The Environmental Club at Saint Xavier High School will be hosting a Panel Discussion on Mountaintop Removal January 15, 2009 from 7:00 to 9:00 P.M. The event will be held at the auditorium at Saint Xavier (1609 Poplar Level Rd, Louisville, KY 40217) and is open to the public with free admission. Speakers at the event will include Louisville environmental lawyer Tom Fitzgerald, LEO editor Stephen George, two members of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth from Appalachia, and members of the Kentucky Coal Association. The speakers will talk briefly on their own experiences with mountaintop removal coal mining in Eastern Kentucky, and then answer questions from the audience."