i got a few responses today. all very friendly, and fairly informative, but the best one of all...
"Hi Jes my name is Larry Gibson I live on Kayford Mountain. My property is surrounded by mountaintop removal. You can actually see them blowing up the mountains from my property. If you would be interested in coming to West Virginia I would spend time with you and show you all around my mountain. thanks Larry Gibson Keeper of the mountains"
so im really excited about this. west virginia is a bit of a trek, but i have no doubt that it will be worth it, ten fold or better.
now i just have to figure out when would be the best time to go. im terribly impatient, but we cant afford (and i dont want to) to make this just a day trip.
4/29/09
4/27/09
southwings
there is an organization that someone from KFTC told me about, southwings . they have pilots that volunteer time and resources to fly groups and individuals over areas of... concern?
one of them being mountain top removal.
this is great, since coal companies can be very hostile about "their" land. and how else could i capture something of such magnitude on film, but from the air?
so i emailed them last week and anxiously awaited the operations assistants return from vacation/response. heres what i got...
"Thanks for your inquiry. SouthWings is a nonprofit organization supporting conservation efforts across the Southeast through providing access to the aerial perspective for educational purposes. Typically, flight requests must originate with a nonprofit organization. Our pilots are volunteers, and as such we have limited resources available. All requests we receive are reviewed by our flight review committee in order to determine which requests we are able to meet given available volunteer pilot resources. Expected outcome from the flight is the committee’s criteria. Given that our resources are limited, we are not often able to provide flights for documentaries.
one of them being mountain top removal.
this is great, since coal companies can be very hostile about "their" land. and how else could i capture something of such magnitude on film, but from the air?
so i emailed them last week and anxiously awaited the operations assistants return from vacation/response. heres what i got...
"Thanks for your inquiry. SouthWings is a nonprofit organization supporting conservation efforts across the Southeast through providing access to the aerial perspective for educational purposes. Typically, flight requests must originate with a nonprofit organization. Our pilots are volunteers, and as such we have limited resources available. All requests we receive are reviewed by our flight review committee in order to determine which requests we are able to meet given available volunteer pilot resources. Expected outcome from the flight is the committee’s criteria. Given that our resources are limited, we are not often able to provide flights for documentaries.
Many regional airports have small planes for hire, so this may be an option to consider. Albatross Air out of Beckley, WV can provide you with a plane and pilot for about $130/hour. If you call around to regional airports near the sites you want to visit, there are often similar services available. We have coordinates on file for mine sites near Hazard, KY; Charleston, WV; and a few other areas in Appalachia. While it is unlikely that we could provide you with a flight, we would be happy to share coordinates of mine sites with you. KFTC may be able to help in that regard as well."
so. a little discouraging. so im going to mail the previously mentioned email out to a few groups, hope for some encouragement, and rack my brain for a proposal for southwings, that they cant refuse.
4/23/09
a grandmother
id like to share a blog post. first, a little background.
on december 22nd, 2008 a coal fired power plant in tennessee (tva) had a coal fly ash spill, over a billion gallons of ash spilled, polluting several local water ways and the surrounding air.
obviously, the number of people affected by this is immeasurable, but the two im going to focus on right now is a grandmother, and her grandson evyn, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
they live in a house rented by tva, and have since shortly after the incident.
id like to share a blog she wrote on earth day...
http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/36195.html
on december 22nd, 2008 a coal fired power plant in tennessee (tva) had a coal fly ash spill, over a billion gallons of ash spilled, polluting several local water ways and the surrounding air.
obviously, the number of people affected by this is immeasurable, but the two im going to focus on right now is a grandmother, and her grandson evyn, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
they live in a house rented by tva, and have since shortly after the incident.
id like to share a blog she wrote on earth day...
http://lifeonswanpond.livejournal.com/36195.html
a letter
here i will attempt to write something profound. ok. maybe not. but this is what i will soon forward to every person and organization that i think may be able to assist me, in some way shape or form.
is it too wordy? if anyone would like to edit or critique it before i start to send it out. feel free.
"to whom it may concern,
my name is jessica deis, i am a 27 year old mother of two. i homeschool my oldest, who is almost 8, and in doing so, this has forced me to open my eyes and mind in a new way.
more important that all of that (for this letter anyway) is that i am a professional photographer. i do mostly freelance portrait work, but ive long had an affinity for documentary photography, i guess its just that nothings pulled at me hard enough to motivate me to dedicate the time, money, effort, skills, etc. neccessary... until now.
in august of 2008 me and my family relocated to louisville, ky, and my eyes were opened to the reality that is mountain top removal. i now spend much of my time thinking about and researching this subject, and it tears at me. so ive decided to do a photo documentary on coal. from its source, the mountains, to its destination, the power plants, and everything in between.
i hope to work with residents in appalachia who have experienced the devistation first hand, right on to those affected by power company "ash spills".
not being able to devote every hour to this will no doubt make it a bit more challenging, but im ready to accept that challenge. if you have any sources, information, advice, etc. to offer me, i would be greatly appreciative, and would gladly give credit anywhere i share my work.
thank you for your time,
-jessica"
is it too wordy? if anyone would like to edit or critique it before i start to send it out. feel free.
"to whom it may concern,
my name is jessica deis, i am a 27 year old mother of two. i homeschool my oldest, who is almost 8, and in doing so, this has forced me to open my eyes and mind in a new way.
more important that all of that (for this letter anyway) is that i am a professional photographer. i do mostly freelance portrait work, but ive long had an affinity for documentary photography, i guess its just that nothings pulled at me hard enough to motivate me to dedicate the time, money, effort, skills, etc. neccessary... until now.
in august of 2008 me and my family relocated to louisville, ky, and my eyes were opened to the reality that is mountain top removal. i now spend much of my time thinking about and researching this subject, and it tears at me. so ive decided to do a photo documentary on coal. from its source, the mountains, to its destination, the power plants, and everything in between.
i hope to work with residents in appalachia who have experienced the devistation first hand, right on to those affected by power company "ash spills".
not being able to devote every hour to this will no doubt make it a bit more challenging, but im ready to accept that challenge. if you have any sources, information, advice, etc. to offer me, i would be greatly appreciative, and would gladly give credit anywhere i share my work.
thank you for your time,
-jessica"
4/21/09
i love mountains
it was less than a year ago, i had never heard the term "mountain top removal". i barely understood the purpose and dangers surrounding (deep) coal mining.
i was almost ignorant enough to think my electricity came from the energy fairy.
then in august, my little family relocated to louisville, ky. it was here that i recognized my first power plant. scoffing at the giant smoke stacks and nasty smoke billowing out from its tower.
by december, we decided to visit a church. since we dont exactly identify with christianity, we choose a unitarian universalist congregation, first unitarian. and we havnt looked back.
so, from here ill lead you into something ive posted at various other places i "reside" on this mass web of inters.
"i picked up "lost mountain" ... http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Mountain-Erik-Reece/dp/1594489084 at the "louisville loves mountains" ... festival? theres nothing celebratory about it though.
i cant even begin to summarize what all is going on. with the mountains, the coal, the people. not only in this book, everywhere.
heres a photo story of a lady in tenneessee... http://www.alexblackwelder.com/stories.html
she also keeps a livejournal (the lady, not the photographer, though they may as well.)
i wish i had a mountain, i wish below it there were billions of americans, that didnt witness what goes on in them every day. so i could somehow shout down to them what was happening in our nation.
there are zillions of issues. all with valid reasons for concerns. but right now. somehow, this one peaks for me.
no longer do i think much on the nations eating habits. our endless war on "terror", stupid "bailouts". i dont worry much about religious insanity, or prejudice. i can hardly think really. its plaguing my mind. coal. coal is all i think about.
ill thank my "faith", or lack thereof. the "church" we attend, which of course is only valuable because of those in attendance with us. i think one can learn a lot from UUs, including myself. we saw bumper stickers reading things like "topless mountains are obscene", with no clue what they were referencing. at some point we saw a flyer somewhere, touching on mountaintop removal, or "strip mining". and i began to piece it together. began being the operative word.
when my church announced a group going to a "rally" in frankfort (the capital) to encourage legislation forcing coal companies to be slightly more responsible, we joyously went. we walked a mile to the capital steps in an attempt to represent all the miles of streams destroyed (if only 1400 people were in attendance.)
during this rally, listening to people speak, from ashley judd to a young lady that recently moved from an affected area, i learned much more, and came home to continue.
for the first time in my life (that im aware of) i can view the power plant. not only that, but i can see it from the highway, its thick cloud of smoke. i like to think im pretty smart. and i feel confident this stuff cant be good.
i continue to read stories. on the net, in books, from people (those of course involve listening, not reading) and each one tears at my heart.
i am no better than anyone, and anyone no better than me. this earth belongs to each one of us, and beyond. it belongs to the deer, and the snakes, the lady bugs, and the humming birds. even the trees, and carrots, have every right to be here. and sure, its all for the taking, but only take what you can give back. there is no way to give back an entire mountain, no matter how much "energy" provided.
there is no way to give back lives taken by a sludge pond breakage. and id be willing to live in the dark if i thought itd end there.
im small, and im meager. my confidence sits fairly low most days. but im moved. i am brainstorming on how to compile the resources to do a photo documentary on coal. from start (mountains) to finish (power plant) and anyone involved/affected in between.
i long to be as unbiased as i possibly can, while remaining completely raw. draw your own conclusions. just know that knowledge is power.
if you wish to provide ANY form of support in my journey (from spiritual cheerleaders, to linking me someone with a first hand encounter, to helping me apply for grants) i would be forever grateful.
although, my only goal with this is to open eyes and minds. i am in no way searching for financial gain."
i was almost ignorant enough to think my electricity came from the energy fairy.
then in august, my little family relocated to louisville, ky. it was here that i recognized my first power plant. scoffing at the giant smoke stacks and nasty smoke billowing out from its tower.
by december, we decided to visit a church. since we dont exactly identify with christianity, we choose a unitarian universalist congregation, first unitarian. and we havnt looked back.
so, from here ill lead you into something ive posted at various other places i "reside" on this mass web of inters.
"i picked up "lost mountain" ... http://www.amazon.com/Lost
i cant even begin to summarize what all is going on. with the mountains, the coal, the people. not only in this book, everywhere.
heres a photo story of a lady in tenneessee... http://www.alexblackwelder
she also keeps a livejournal (the lady, not the photographer, though they may as well.)
i wish i had a mountain, i wish below it there were billions of americans, that didnt witness what goes on in them every day. so i could somehow shout down to them what was happening in our nation.
there are zillions of issues. all with valid reasons for concerns. but right now. somehow, this one peaks for me.
no longer do i think much on the nations eating habits. our endless war on "terror", stupid "bailouts". i dont worry much about religious insanity, or prejudice. i can hardly think really. its plaguing my mind. coal. coal is all i think about.
ill thank my "faith", or lack thereof. the "church" we attend, which of course is only valuable because of those in attendance with us. i think one can learn a lot from UUs, including myself. we saw bumper stickers reading things like "topless mountains are obscene", with no clue what they were referencing. at some point we saw a flyer somewhere, touching on mountaintop removal, or "strip mining". and i began to piece it together. began being the operative word.
when my church announced a group going to a "rally" in frankfort (the capital) to encourage legislation forcing coal companies to be slightly more responsible, we joyously went. we walked a mile to the capital steps in an attempt to represent all the miles of streams destroyed (if only 1400 people were in attendance.)
during this rally, listening to people speak, from ashley judd to a young lady that recently moved from an affected area, i learned much more, and came home to continue.
for the first time in my life (that im aware of) i can view the power plant. not only that, but i can see it from the highway, its thick cloud of smoke. i like to think im pretty smart. and i feel confident this stuff cant be good.
i continue to read stories. on the net, in books, from people (those of course involve listening, not reading) and each one tears at my heart.
i am no better than anyone, and anyone no better than me. this earth belongs to each one of us, and beyond. it belongs to the deer, and the snakes, the lady bugs, and the humming birds. even the trees, and carrots, have every right to be here. and sure, its all for the taking, but only take what you can give back. there is no way to give back an entire mountain, no matter how much "energy" provided.
there is no way to give back lives taken by a sludge pond breakage. and id be willing to live in the dark if i thought itd end there.
im small, and im meager. my confidence sits fairly low most days. but im moved. i am brainstorming on how to compile the resources to do a photo documentary on coal. from start (mountains) to finish (power plant) and anyone involved/affected in between.
i long to be as unbiased as i possibly can, while remaining completely raw. draw your own conclusions. just know that knowledge is power.
if you wish to provide ANY form of support in my journey (from spiritual cheerleaders, to linking me someone with a first hand encounter, to helping me apply for grants) i would be forever grateful.
although, my only goal with this is to open eyes and minds. i am in no way searching for financial gain."
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