Eric Waggoner, chair of the department of English at West Virginia Wesleyan College, led an interactive panel discussion on the recent chemical spill in the Elk River to discuss the ethics of coal mining and what’s next for West Virginia.
His speech questioned why corporations are given the power they have and addressed the fact that few people take him seriously simply because he comes from West Virginia.
Afterwards, Waggoner provided The Picket with an exclusive quote on what he believes is next for West Virginia. “What is next for West Virginia is the real work from the activists who are working for change every day,” said Waggoner. “We need outrage that is more than outrage. There is a lot of anger and outrage, but it needs to level up into action.”
“I think it is important to remember that it is not capitalism that is to blame,” said freshman Zack Hess, “it is the Freedom Industries corporation and the state of West Virginia for allowing bad business to happen that promotes corporatist values.”
“I am just inspired by Waggoner,” said history major Ashley Simmons. “It is good to see someone who feels the way a lot of people feel get this kind of platform to motivate others.”
Waggoner’s speech was followed by an interactive panel discussion on the chemical spill, social media, mass media, the ethics of coal mining and local activism. It was introduced by Mark Cantrell, associate professor of English, and headed by three environmentalists.
First to speak was Mary Ann Hitt, director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign which aims to eliminate pollution caused by coal and introduce clean energy.
She received her Master’s in Science at the University of Montana and her Bachelors at the University of Tennessee. Hitt was optimistic about the future of West Virginia and touched on the importance and achievability of the move to clean energy for the future of the state.
“The people of this state have paid a very high price for their reliance on coal, higher than almost anybody. We are paying for it with the loss of our drinking water, the loss of our mountains, and the loss of our lives,” said Hitt.
Hitt urged the audience to push for environmental regulation and the punishment of corporations who commit atrocities such as the Elk River chemical spill.
“Taking a wrecking ball to the climate is like blowing up a mountain. We won’t be able to put the planet back together again. Coal plants are the number one source of environmental pollution and cause of climate change around the world,” said Hitt.
Hitt also insisted that the switch to clean energy would be easier and quicker than most people would believe. “You would be surprised how cheap wind and solar can be; we are not using as much coal as we once did.”
Mark Madison, an adjunct professor of the Institute for Environmental and Physical Sciences at Shepherd since 1999 who teaches environmental ethics, environmental history and environmental film, was the second panelist to speak.
Madison focused on the fact that most coal mining is owned by corporations outside of West Virginia and that the income it brings to West Virginia is in the single-digit percentile.
“We need to move from valuing commodities to valuing communities,” he stressed. Madison was also vocal on the value of preserving the beauty of West Virginia.
Last to speak was Sean O’Leary, a playwright, former West Virginia newspaper columnist and current marketing consultant in Harpers Ferry. He is also the author of the notable book “The State of My State: a Native Son’s Search for West Virginia.”
O’Leary began his speech by stating the importance of being realistic, at first seeming to side with the corporations by posing the question, “Sure, it is nice to talk about switching to green energy and saving the beautiful environment, but is it realistic?”
His tone implied that he did not think so, but he surprised everyone by stating that he did, in fact, believed that it was possible, citing statements from Hitt and Madison regarding the affordability of clean energy and the small amount of revenue generated for the state by coal.
One of the highlights of O’Leary’s speech was when he was talking about how competitive the race can be for which company provides energy by pointing out that at one point, the Sierra Club, a huge advocate for clean energy, was receiving most of its funding from natural gas-based corporations.
Hitt responded by stating, “Yes, that is true. But at the time, the coal industry seemed so all-powerful and monolithic that my enemy’s enemy was my friend.”
The panelists tried to be unbiased in their discussion. However, they acknowledged that much of their speech advocated the regulation and marginalization of corporations and defended themselves by stating that because this is always right for the environment, and therefore humanity, it is justified.
“Why did Freedom Industries build a chemical plant near the water pumping station?” O’Leary asked. “Because they can.”
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