Professors to Discuss Coal Mining s Dire Environmental Consequences

From the crested mountain backbone of Appalachia to the rolling hills of Cincinnati, the story of one small community’s fight against big coal corporations resonates with a message of environmental justice.

That story will be told during a screening of the documentary, “

The Last Mountain

,” and a panel discussion afterward, featuring University of Cincinnati biological sciences professor Eric Maurer and journalism professor Elissa Yancey. The Insights Lecture series event will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Cincinnati Museum Center, beginning with a screening of the documentary. “Last Mountain” takes an intense look at how the townspeople of Coal River Valley, W.Va., battled to protect a mountaintop from destruction at the hands of Massey Energy.

Yancey has deep family roots in the Appalachian region and has worked with the Urban Appalachian Council in Cincinnati since the 1990s. The council is a service and advocacy organization working to improve the quality of life for urban Appalachians in the Greater Cincinnati area. Yancey sees interesting parallels between what’s taking place in Coal River Valley and the streets of the Queen City.

“Appalachian people are very close knit,” Yancey says. “They don’t complain. They don’t make waves. They don’t seek publicity. That mentality has not served them or their land very well. This film is a really interesting example of that not happening. I see people just like the people in this documentary when I work in Lower Price Hill with its Environmental Leadership Group. You don’t have to go far from this campus to find environmental health and environmental justice issues.”

As an affiliate faculty member in environmental studies, Yancey considers it her passion to raise awareness of the impact of the environment on our health and that of future generations.

“There’s a lot we’re willing to compromise on for our own health, but when we start thinking about the genetic implications and the long-term environmental impact, the perspective shifts and suddenly we’re not willing to settle for ignoring important issues like how we’re getting our energy and how we’re powering our homes,” she says.

She’s hoping those who attend the film and discussion will come away with an appreciation of how something as simple as flipping a light switch can have far-reaching environmental effects.

“I hope people gain an overall sense of awareness and understanding that everything we do has a consequence for good or bad and that we really have to weigh our decisions for what we do on a daily basis and in the voting booth, as well as how we teach our children and everyone around us. All of that has an impact,” she says.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Greg Howard, executive director of the Urban Appalachian Council, and additional speakers will be Shanon Rice, photographer and curator of “A Coal Story,” a photographic exhibit that delves into the lives of coal miners; coal miner Claude Stamper; and Richard Durtsche, Northern Kentucky University biology professor.