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Voices of I Love Mountains Day

Amy Hogg on February 15, 2013 in Coal and Water, New Energy and Transition, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Enforcement, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, General Assembly, , I Love Mountains Day

“Every time I do something with KFTC, it’s energizing and inspiring. It gives you energy. When you’re with a big group of people, you know you're in this together and are sharing this experience.” – Katie Pirotina, Perry County

People traveled from across Kentucky and beyond to I Love Mountains Day Thursday in Frankfort. Some came for the first time; others come every year.

Here are some quotes from the day:

“I’m here because I’m so frustrated with mountaintop removal, and it’s just got to stop. It’s destroying mountains we’ll never have again and people are getting sick and the water’s getting polluted, and it’s just got to stop.” – Jenny Neat, Frankfort

“I am 12 years old and I want my kids when I grow up to be able to see all the beautiful mountains and be healthy and not have orange water like I do. PLEASE HELP!” – Isaac Owens, Floyd County, in a note to Rep. Greg Stumbo

“I’m here because this means something to me. I care about my mountains. Once we lose them, we can’t get ’em back. This is all we have to give our young people. We need them to stay here and they have to have something to stay for.” – Bennie Massey, Harlan County

“I love the mountains where I live and the streams, and they’re being destroyed, simple as that. I know it creates jobs, but it seems to me a lot of people can’t see beyond their jobs to what they’re doing.” – Carter Castle, Magoffin County

“Mountaintop removal is a broad-spectrum injustice. It affects our water, air, and soil quality. It threatens our natural beauty and biodiversity; attacks our identity; endangers property and culture; divides communities; and negatively impacts health and safety of our people. And contrary to what the coal industry would say, it negatively impacts our economic future.” – Cari Moore, Knott County

Here are links to a few news articles about the day:

Flour Sack Mama blog Kentucky.com WYMT-TV Courier-Journal   Take Action

Want to take action? Call the Legislative Message Line (800-372-7181) and leave a message to your Representative and Senator to express your support for the Clean Energy Opportunity Act (House Bill 170) and the Stream Saver Bill (House Bill 86 / Senate Bill 29).

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Over 1,000 people turn out for I Love Mountains Day!

KFTC Staff on February 14, 2013 in Coal and Water, New Energy and Transition, Just Transition, , Community Science & Public Health, , Enforcement, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, General Assembly, , I Love Mountains Day

ILM Day 2013 - march front.jpg

KFTC members and friends celebrated their hope for Appalachia’s Bright Future at the annual I Love Mountains Day march and rally in Frankfort today.

“I believe in Harlan County’s Bright Future, in Kentucky’s Bright Future, in Appalachia’s Bright Future,” KFTC member Carl Shoupe of Benham told the crowd on the capitol steps. “But we must do more than want it. We have to dream it. We have to build it and protect it, together. We have to demand it and work for it every day. We have to organize for it and we have to vote for it.”

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Live streaming I Love Mountains Day

Erik Hungerbuhler on February 13, 2013 in Coal and Water, New Energy and Transition, Just Transition, , Coal Ash, , Community Science & Public Health, , Enforcement, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, , Sustainable Energy, General Assembly, , I Love Mountains Day

If you can't make it out to Frankfort tomorrow for I Love Mountains Day, you can still participate from the comfort of your own computer.

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Shelby members keep focus on local fairness ordinance

Lisa Aug on February 12, 2013 in , Shelby County, LGBTQ equality

Shelby KFTC members are exploring new avenues toward getting a Fairness Ordinance approved.

In December, the Shelbyville City Council declined to consider the Fairness Ordinance presented by Shelby County KFTC members in November. Chapter members will now work to address what appear to be the two biggest obstacles to approval: the false idea that the ordinance legalizes gay marriage, and the false concern that the ordinance will prove expensive to enforce.

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Pies and Dance for I Love Mountains Day

Cory Lowery on February 12, 2013 in , Madison County, I Love Mountains Day

Madison County pie auction and contra dance

How does a KFTC member get in the spirit for I Love Mountains Day? In Berea, a contra dance and a pie auction can do the trick. On Friday the Madison County chapter partnered with the Oh Contraire contra dancers to host a dance and pie auction to raise awareness about mountaintop removal coal mining and to raise money, but most of all to give Bereans a chance to have fun on the dance floor. Around sixty chapter members, Berea residents and college students gathered at Berea’s Russell Acton Folk Center to dance and to write valentines to Governor Beshear, caller Joe Wilkie leading the dancers through a variety of traditional dances throughout the night.

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Lexington loves mountains events were a hit!

Ondine Quinn on February 12, 2013 in Coal and Water, New Energy and Transition, Communities Taking Action, , Mountaintop Removal and Strip Mining, Central Kentucky, featured, , Fundraiser, , I Love Mountains Day

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HB 70 Passes Committee!

Dave Newton on February 12, 2013 in Voting Rights, Kentucky Voting Rights Bill, General Assembly

gIMG_0146This morning, House Bill 70, our bill to restore voting rights to former felons  who have served their debt to society, passed out of the House Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee with 6 yes votes, 1 no and 2 abstentions.

Rep Jesse Crenshaw, Terry Nayden (LWV), Raoul Cunninham (NAACP), and Fr. Pat Delahanty (Catholic Conference) gave testimony in support of the bill.

The League of Women Voters released a revision of their study of felony disenfranchisement in Kentucky today and presented it to the committee. 

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Strong testimony helps delay bad selenium rule

KFTC on February 11, 2013 in Coal and Water, Enforcement, Big Sandy, Water Quality

A legislative subcommittee today took action to defer for at least 30 days approval of a weakened water quality standard for selenium.

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Live streaming today's selenium hearing

Erik Hungerbuhler on February 11, 2013 in Coal and Water, General Assembly, , Water Quality

We will be providing some live video coverage from this afternoon's hearing to weaken our state's water quality standards on selenium on our Ustream channel.

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Beshear administration rushing to weaken water quality standard for selenium

KFTC on February 11, 2013 in Coal and Water, Enforcement, Water Quality

Today in Frankfort, a group of lawmakers will consider a rushed proposal from Kentucky’s Division of Water to significantly weaken the water quality standard for selenium pollution.

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