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TOPIC: "Blankenship, Kennedy debate coal, climate change" (WVBroadcasting 1/21/10)


Diamond

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"Blankenship, Kennedy debate coal, climate change" (WVBroadcasting 1/21/10)
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I do not understand why there is so little coverage of this topic of national interest.. I stumbled onto this as I researched SCOTUS opinion on First Amendment.. and came across another article on the same page in WVGazette's home page... which I will post some excerpts from right after this.  So, here I go..  I have not listened to the full audio yet, but plan to do that this weekend.

WVPBheader.gif

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Blankenship, Kennedy debate coal, climate change

Blankenship/Kennedy
Chance Lane
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship debated at the University of Charleston.

By Erica Peterson

January 21, 2010 · While Administration officials work to determine new policies to oversee mountaintop removal permits, a much more public debate on the subject was held Thursday in Charleston.

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship and environmentalist Robert Kennedy, Jr. faced off on coal, climate change and the nation’s energy future.

Thousands packed the auditorium and tuned in on television and radio for the debate at the University of Charleston.

Much of the debate was predictable, as Blankenship and Kennedy stuck to talking points.

Kennedy argued that the controversial practice of mountaintop removal is not only bad for the environment, but is so efficient that it’s eliminated most of West Virginia’s mining jobs.

 

“Don often talks about his concern for the workers of this state,” Kennedy said. “But this is an industry that through the ruthless pursuit of total efficiency has eliminated 90,000 jobs.”

Blankenship repeatedly mentioned growing powers like China and India that are producing much of the world’s pollution. He says worrying about something as trivial as mountaintop removal is ridiculous in the face of the world’s poverty.

“You talk about it being a sin to do surface mining,” Blankenship said. “The real sin is that the enviros want to focus us on 1 part per billion of iron or talk about windmills when tens of millions of people are starving to death.”

Kennedy is a big fan of wind power—he spent part of the debate talking about the benefits of wind and solar energy, while Blankenship argued that wind isn’t a viable energy source for the country.

In response to Kennedy’s call that West Virginia diversify its economy, Blankenship says coal is not the reason the state’s economy is coal-centric.

“It’s been time to diversify since 1890,” he said. “It’s always good to have a diverse economy. It’s not coal that’s keeping us from having a diverse economy except it lulls the politicians to sleep and they think because they have all this revenue off of coal and they don’t have to worry about the future.

“But the truth of the matter is the reason businesses aren’t in West Virginia is because they sue the daylights out of them, and because they tax them to death and because they don’t feel comfortable being in a state that has no punitive danage limitations.”

Blankenship is a notorious climate change denier. Kennedy said he didn’t want to discuss the subject between two non-scientists too much, but says 98 percent of research climatologists in the world believe global warming is real and manmade.

“I have a choice of believing the 98 percent or the 2 percent,” Kennedy said. “If you believe my 98 percent and we go ahead and try to reduce our carbon, we’ve gotten rid of the dirty fuel, we’ve made ourselves energy independent, improved our national security, improved our prosperity and quality of life and health for American citizens. If we believe Mr. Blankenship and his 2 percent, and they’re wrong, the whole of civilization is destroyed.”

Though the debate was moderated by Dr. Ed Welch, president of the University of Charleston, the two men occasionally addressed each other directly.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Kennedy said at one point. “First of all, the Clean Water Act has not been changed since 1970. And second of all, your own records show that your record of Clean Water Act Compliance is not improving, it’s getting worse. 12,900 violations in a single year, according to your records.

“My question to you, and I know you’re an honest person, I want to ask you this question: Is it possible to do mountaintop removal mining without violating the law?”

“I doubt it’s possible without having a single violation at a single time,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship went on to say that he thinks the regulations are too strict. He held a plastic water bottle filled with water he said did not meet the EPA’s criteria for clean water, but was crystal clear.

But both men found some common ground at the end of the debate.

“It sounds as if we have some agreement on that the world has to be part of the solution, not just the United States,” Blankenship said. “And that we have to have a competitive industry if we’re going to compete in the free world.”

“The two places I think we agree is one on free trade, I think we both oppose it,” Kennedy answered. “And second, I think we both think that carbon sequestration, geological carbon sequestration is a joke.”

“I appreciate that,” Blankenship said. “He’s right about one thing, it’s true.”

There was tight security at the event, and the debate itself went off without much disturbance other than an occasional burst of applause.

"

Source link

Here is the article that I stumbled across. I do not particularly like this author as I find his writings pretty much always lean one way.  There are some good pictures there though.

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Blankenship vs. Kennedy II: Deconstructing the debate

============================================

Lot of good links even in the latter article.

Anyway, given that Massey Energy is one of the biggest Coal companies in the US (HQ in Richmond VA) and has lots of mountaintop removal operations in WV, this debate definitely should be of national interest. I hope it airs on C-SPAN one of these days and we can all watch it.

__________________
Democracy needs defending - SOS Hillary Clinton, Sept 8, 2010
Democracy is more than just elections - SOS Hillary Clinton, Oct 28, 2010

Madam Secretary Blog at ForeignPolicy.com
Project Vote Smart - Stay informed and engaged!


Diamond

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Look what I found. Isn't Youtube wonderful!!



Blankenship and Kennedy Debate Mountaintop Removal ...

From coal to climate change, Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, spars with environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a heated debate on the future of coal and mountaintop removal mining. Clean Skies News takes you to the discussion at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.

Kennedy - Blankenship Debate 1, 2, 3

Audio is not good.




__________________
Democracy needs defending - SOS Hillary Clinton, Sept 8, 2010
Democracy is more than just elections - SOS Hillary Clinton, Oct 28, 2010

Madam Secretary Blog at ForeignPolicy.com
Project Vote Smart - Stay informed and engaged!


Diamond

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herald-dispatch.com

"

Blankenship debates Kennedy over mountaintop mining

g0da2583b2b3e3a8c10790a1ac91f232323e185a2865c81.jpg

Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, left and environmental activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., right, debate on issues related to coal, coal mining and the environment at the University of Charleston in Charleston, W.Va. Thursday, Jan. 21, 2010. University of Charleston President Dr. Edwin Welch is shown in the center.


January 21, 2010 @ 08:33 PM

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Don Blankenship and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the coal baron and the conservationist, are certain they could win over the world if only the public could see mountaintop removal mining through their eyes. On Thursday, they got their shot.

Blankenship, the outspoken chief executive of Massey Energy Co., went toe-to-toe with Kennedy, the celebrity environmental attorney, in a debate that amounts to a prize fight for the hearts and minds of Americans who know next to nothing about coal.

Each man stepped out of his customary setting — preaching to the converted about Appalachian strip mining — and addressed a hand-picked crowd of 950 at the University of Charleston. They hope the conversation will carry beyond coal country via the Internet.

To some, mountaintop mining puts food on the table and mortgage checks in the mail. To others, it defaces majestic scenery, pollutes water and shatters the quiet country existence of people who’ve called the mountains home for generations.

More . . .

"



__________________
Democracy needs defending - SOS Hillary Clinton, Sept 8, 2010
Democracy is more than just elections - SOS Hillary Clinton, Oct 28, 2010

Madam Secretary Blog at ForeignPolicy.com
Project Vote Smart - Stay informed and engaged!


Diamond

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I listened to part of this last night.. and recommend it.

This gives huge insight into the powers that be that are driving the energy policy debate in this country. It is amazing how local the issue is in many ways to the Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee areas - the Coal mountain states.

In particular, the issue of Mountain Top Removal (MTR) comes up repeatedly.  Right now, I am just not sure which is better..  MTR or deep mining.  Both have their pros and cons.  Deep mining may create unsettling of the ground, structures above may collapse.  Do they ever backfill those deep mined holes? I dont think they do..  MTR leaves unsightly mountaintops; those few that have been partially developed have been well touted, but there is a lot left undeveloped.    One fellow blogger had told me that a LOT of places in southern WV are pathetically sad looking bec of mountaintop removal.

Anyway, I am trying to get to know more about energy politics in preparation for the upcoming onslaught of energy policies.  Yes, that is most certainly coming.  House Speaker has deep vested interest in energy politics via Pickens company.

So, it is worth studying all things energy and who are the key stakeholders and where they are going, what they are saying and doing.

Never forget that for some states, this is key livelihood... UNTIL... their workforce can be gracefully transitioned to a new line of work.  Such mega shift takes generations, and not a few years of policy-making. This is why doing too much too soon/abruptly can shake confidence in the government.

Anyways, one thing for sure. I will not forget the name Blankenship anymore!  He is quite a character!!

__________________
Democracy needs defending - SOS Hillary Clinton, Sept 8, 2010
Democracy is more than just elections - SOS Hillary Clinton, Oct 28, 2010

Madam Secretary Blog at ForeignPolicy.com
Project Vote Smart - Stay informed and engaged!
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