“…you can’t understand America until you understand Appalachia.” –Jeff Biggers

Beth Collins, Director

Tom Breiding, Immersion Coordinator

Danny Swan, Americorps VISTA

Service and Experiential Learning Immersions

Research and Advocacy

Campus Sustainability

At the heart of Appalachia is family.

Augusta Heritage Festival, Elkins, WV

Greek Festival, Wheeling, WV

Fort Henry Days, Wheeling, WV

Vandalia Festival, Charleston, WV

Strawberry Festival, Buckhannon, WV

Appalachian Festival, Beckley, WV

Bridge Day, Fayetteville, WV

Hillbilly Days, Pikeville, KY

Significant among the mine wars was the Battle of Blair Mountain (1921) in which federal troops (including Army air bombers) attacked miners seeking to organize into a

union.

“A Rich Place with Poor People”

•US electricity= 45% from coal•WV electricity= 99% from coal•WV, PA, KY=52% of the high-quality thermal and metallurgical coal mined in the U.S.•53,000 jobs throughout entire region. In some counties it’s as high as 40-50% of employment.•Appalachian coal mining generated $720 million in taxes in 2005.

Appalachian coal jobs have always fluctuated due to various reasons:

− Economic Climate− Mechanization− Quickness of Mountain Top Removal− Price of other energy sources− Larger amounts in other regions (ie: Wyoming)

Despite coal and mineral extraction

more than 100 counties

remain distressed*

West Virginia:

50th in median family income

*The ARC definition includes both extremely low levels of per capita income and high unemployment rates

State revenue is dependent on natural resource BOOM and

BUST swings.

Lack of diversity:– Wal Mart– Krogers– American Electric Power

• Economy (New Opportunity Index: WV ranked 49th)

• Education (Completion of Bachelor’s: WV ranked 51st)

• Lack of Economic Diversity• Welfare State• Outside Ownership• Fatalism

After all After all I’ve done I’ve done for you!!for you!!

I’d like to start I’d like to start seeing other seeing other

energy sources.energy sources.

1. Mining

2.Transportation

4. Power Plant In an average year, a typical coal plant generates:

•3,700,000 T CO2,• 10,000 T SO2,• 500 T PM,• 10,200 T NOx, • 720 T CO,• 220 T HC, VOC, • 170 lb.Hg,• 225 lb As• 114 lb. Pb• 4 lb Cd•other toxic heavy metals, •trace amounts of uranium.

EPA : save up to $280B in annual health benefits

3. Prep Plant and Impoundments

5. Community and Environmental Impact

• Manufacturers deem many components of fracking proprietary or a trade secret, but a 2011 law requires that they now state the ingredients, but not their percentages.

•29 chemicals known as possible human carcinogens

•Methane levels 17x higher because of drilling (Duke University)

• Fugitive methane from shale drilling is 9000x higher than originally thought (EPA)

•Out of 220 wells tested in PA and WV, 179 had HIGH levels of radiation. 15 wells had 1000X over appropriate levels.

1st adult current smokers 2nd obesity rates (adults) 2nd hypertension 1st diabetes 2nd high cholesterol 6th low birth weight 2nd adult physical inactivity 1st loss of all teeth by age 65. 46th life expectancy

McDowell Co, WV: poorest and unhealthiest county in US- Life Expectancy of Infants is lower than in 34 of the world’s developing countries.

A greater proportion of people in Appalachia abuse prescription drugs and report mental health problems than in the nation as a whole, according to a report released in August 2008 by the federal Appalachian Regional Commission.

In the region’s poorer counties, reports of drug abuse and general mental health problems are significantly higher than in the rest of Appalachia.

Region

Attainment

United States Appalachia/WV

% with HS diploma or higher

80.4 76.8/ 75.2

% completed college

24.4 17.7/ 14.8

•Completion of High School Diploma: 48th

•Completion of Bachelor’s Degree: 51st State Master 2010

LITERATURE: Storming Heaven, Denise Giardina

Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver Kentucky Straight, Chris Offutt

FILMS: Matewan, John Sayles

October Sky, Joe Johnston Burning the Future, David Novack Hatfields and McCoys, Clyde Ware

• Downstream Strategies, Morgantown, WV

• Jobs Project, Mingo County, WV• Student Environmental Action

Coalition, WV Chapter• Energy Efficient WV• Community Gardens and Local

Farmer’s Markets• Powell River Research, Wise

County, VA• Appalachian Center for the

Environment and Economy• Patriot Coal closing MTR sites

Shifting to efficient Lighting:Avoid building 705 new coal fired power plants.

Raise efficient standards for 15 more appliances:Avoid building another 16 coal plants.

In 2006 alone, Energy Star programs saved some $14 billion on American Utility bills and helped avoid peak power demands equivalent to the capacity of 70 new power plants.

World Efficiency: Gains in lighting and appliance efficiency alone would enable us to: Avoid building 1410 coal fired power plants. (More than 1382 new coal plants projected to be built by 2020)

From: Plan B Lester Brown

Students who visit the region are uniquely positioned to join efforts to seek justice in Appalachia through:

•Service in the region•Research to support advocacy

•Living in solidarity with our neighbors

•Professionals Leading Shared Value Initiatives

•VOTE!