Mapping to Save Appalachian Mountains

            Last week Lorelei Scarbro, a community leader in Rock Creek, West Virginia, took global leaders in Copenhagen on a virtual tour of Coal River Mountain, where the onslaught of mountaintop coal mine blasting has recently begun. Through video and mapping technology, Ms. Scarbro connected the local struggle of Appalachian communities to the global challenge of climate change.  

This powerful video narrated by Ms. Scarbro features maps that illustrate the destructive process of mountaintop removal mining and propose a promising alternative – wind power.  Appalachian Voices, the environmental organization who maintains iLoveMountains.org, is increasingly developing multi-media maps to communicate the scale of mining operations, reveal local to global connections, and illustrate the social and environmental impacts of mining. From town hall meetings to international forums – mapping has become a vital communication tool to in the fight to protect Appalachian mountains.  

“We wouldn’t be we where are today without it [mapping]. For twenty or thirty years the coal industry has been able to hide what it does to the mountains and communities in Appalachia. With these maps, we can zoom in and show what the destruction looks like.  It gives a sense of identity to the places where mining is happening. People are able to see and hear what mountaintop removal looks like,” says Stephanie Pistello, National Field Coordinator of Appalachian Voices.

Maps on iLoveMountains.org communicate the scale and scope of mining operations in Appalachia by relating it to familiar cities and regions. For instance, on the ‘National Memorial for the Mountains‘ page, Appalachian Voices overlays an image of the 10,000 acre Hobet mountaintop removal complex in Boone County, West Virginia onto Google Earth maps of cities such as Manhattan. These maps communicate the tremendous extent of the environmental destruction surrounding Appalachian communities.  

What if Manhattan were a coal mine?

Google Earth maps are featured in nearly all of iLoveMountain.org maps.Google Earth created their maps through satellite images which are make available for free in accessible formats.  Appalachian Voices technology team looks to the Google Earth Outreach team for tips on using the technology. In turn, Google Earth showcases the work of Appalachian Voices to demonstrates how the technology can be used for social change. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

While this technology is impressive, Appalachian Voices technologist, Benji Burrell, points out that the tool should always be connected to a goal, “An important thing we keep in mind as an organization is: What does it take to win? Then what tools can we use? We measure success by how many legislators we’ve gotten to co-sponsor our bill or by how many people come to our lobby day. Mapping is just a tool to get where we want to go.”

Since federal legislation is a key part of the strategy to end mountaintop removal, visual communication is playing an increasingly important role because those could can influence change are not necessarily surrounded by the devastation mining has caused. In local and national organizing, the iLoveMountain.org maps have helped to empower citizen activists and influence legislators.  Lisa Abbott, the Director of Organizing for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, emphasizes, “We often use the county maps that show a county’s history of strip mining and its percentage of poverty. We ask, ‘If coal mining really brings prosperity, don’t you think it would have done that by now?’ They have really helped our members speak more confidently to their legislators…. One member’s presentation with maps helped persuade a legislator to come visit Kentucky and do a flyover of the mine sites. These maps have helped to turn a few legislators into believers and strengthen the resolve of the legislature.”  

This historical map of poverty rates superimposed over mining density clearly shows that mining does not bring economic prosperity to the region.

What is the technology used to develop these powerful maps? Mr. Burrell describes the process of making the map shown above, “To make the poverty maps we took census data, colored counties by values given in census data exported into Google Earth and created 3-D view.”  While Mr. Burrell maintained that the Appalachian Voices technology team uses Global Information System (GIS) less and less, they still use it to simplify and map complex data, sometimes gathered through FOIA requests, census information, or publicly available government databases.  The vast majority of the maps are a combination of Google Earth maps and video, photo and graphic design, developed with basic tools such as Photoshop and inDesign.

As of 2000, there were more than 600 sludge impoundments across the Appalachian coalfields. These sludge dams contain toxins such as mercury and lead and threaten community drinking water supplies.

Maps have become a powerful tool in holding coal mining companies accountable. Ms. Pistello recalls the impact the maps had on her, “I can remember the first time I saw the map of sludge dams. I was surprised by how many there were and how close they are to communities. Some of them the EPA doesn’t even know about it.”      

Located on the west side of Coal River Mountain, this sludge impoundment is built to hold 8 billion tons of coal sludge, a by-product of washing coal.Photo: Vivian Stockman

Appalachian Voices uses video and photo gathered on airplane flyovers of mining sites.  Southwings, an Appalachian aviation non-profit, donates free airplane flyovers to support environmental justice efforts. The aerial view of the mining sites which shows the actual extent and scale of the destruction has even surprised people from the region.

Maps make it possible to visually communicate relationships and reveal connections that can guide action. The ‘What’s Your Connection?’ tool on iLoveMoutains.org connects players in mining industry to those in the utilities companies. Ms. Pistello explains, “We can zoom out and make a connection where the coal from this community goes and how it gets to you. By being able to show that connection we are opening up possibilities. We can show all the players, such as the utilities and corporations’ the Board of Directors, funding extractors.  We can put pressure on these players and propose alternatives. For instance, in New York, you can sign up for 100% wind power through Con Edison. This tool helps make possible a coal free future that doesn’t involve mountaintop removal.”

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