MJS 2006: A Call to Action

Last year southern Appalachians hosted Mountain Justice Summer (MJS). Since then, mountaintop removal hasn’t stopped and neither has the resistance.

Mountaintop removal is the ultimate destruction – once these mountains are gone, they’re gone forever. Now is the time to fight. We are all affected, we are all responsible; we must look at the causes as climate change becomes a growing concern. Coal produces more carbon dioxide than any other fuel. However you wash it, pulverize it or scrub it – from its extraction to its end use – coal remains a dirty, dangerous, polluting source of energy.

Last year, MJS toured each afflicted area, organized and participated in direct actions, civil disobedience, door to door listening projects, and media events, hosted community-building events, delivered information to residents, protested investors, coal companies and government officials. All of this was successful in many ways, but mountaintop removal still rages on. That’s where you come in.

Mountain Justice Summer 2006 is calling on all current and former residents of Appalachia, artists, musicians, human rights and environmental activists to join us on the front lines in defending the world’s most biologically diverse temperate forest ecosystem.

This year, in order to promote closer ties to the land we are defending, people are encouraged to pick one region to work in for most or all of the summer. We will test water, conduct listening projects, contact media, attend hearings, demonstrate, and perform guerilla theatre.

Anyone who’s interested in MJS this year should contact participating groups, to figure out how they can best

plug in. MJS is also in need of funds, so if you’re thinking of coming, we encourage you to begin fund-raising and contact the place you wish to work to figure out housing and food – the sooner the better.

Even if you can’t drop everything to come here, work can be done no matter where you are. Contact MJS, Coal River Mountain Watch or OVEC for ideas on what you can do.

Appalachia is known for uprisings – it’s time to rise again! Please fill out an intake form today at www.mountainjusticesummer.org.