Appalachian Institute Orientation

1. “…you can’t understand America until you understand
Appalachia.” –Jeff Biggers

3. Beth Collins, Director
 Service and Experiential
Tom Breiding, Immersion Learning Immersions
Coordinator
 Research and Advocacy
Danny Swan, Americorps
VISTA
 Campus Sustainability

6. At the heart of Appalachia is family.

7.  Augusta Heritage
Festival, Elkins, WV
 Greek Festival, Wheeling,
WV
 Fort Henry Days,
Wheeling, WV
 Vandalia Festival,
Charleston, WV
 Strawberry Festival,
Buckhannon, WV
 Appalachian Festival,
Beckley, WV
 Bridge Day, Fayetteville,
WV
 Hillbilly Days, Pikeville,
KY

11. Significant among the mine wars was the Battle of Blair
Mountain (1921) in which federal troops (including Army
air bombers) attacked miners seeking to organize into a
union.

12. “A Rich Place with Poor People”

14. •US electricity= 45% from
coal
•WV electricity= 99% from
coal
•WV, PA, KY=52% of the
high-quality thermal and
metallurgical coal mined in
the U.S.
•53,000 jobs throughout
entire region. In some
counties it’s as high as 40-
50% of employment.
•Appalachian coal mining
generated $720 million in
taxes in 2005.

15.  Appalachian coal jobs have always fluctuated due to
various reasons:
− Economic Climate
− Mechanization
− Quickness of Mountain Top Removal
− Price of other energy sources
− Larger amounts in other regions (ie: Wyoming)

16. Despite coal and mineral extraction
more than 100 counties
remain distressed*
West Virginia:
50th in median family income
*The ARC definition includes both extremely low levels of per
capita income and high unemployment rates

17. State revenue is
dependent on natural
resource BOOM and
BUST swings.
Lack of diversity:
– Wal Mart
– Krogers
– American Electric Power

18. • Economy (New Opportunity Index: WV ranked 49th)
• Education (Completion of Bachelor’s: WV ranked 51st)
• Lack of Economic Diversity
• Welfare State
• Outside Ownership
• Fatalism

20. I’d like to start
seeing other
energy sources.
After all
I’ve done
for you!!

22. 3. Prep Plant and
Impoundments
4. Power Plant In an average year, a typical coal
plant generates:
•3,700,000 T CO2,
• 10,000 T SO2,
• 500 T PM,
• 10,200 T NOx,
• 720 T CO,
• 220 T HC, VOC,
• 170 lb.Hg,
• 225 lb As
• 114 lb. Pb
• 4 lb Cd
•other toxic heavy metals,
•trace amounts of uranium.
2.Transportation EPA : save up to $280B in annual
health benefits
1. Mining
5. Community and
Environmental Impact

29. proprietary or a
• Manufacturers deem many components of fracking
trade secret, but a 2011 law requires that they now state the
ingredients, but not their percentages.
•29 chemicals known as possible human carcinogens
•Methane levels 17x higher because of drilling (Duke University)
• Fugitive methane from shale drilling is 9000x higher than originally thought (EPA)
179 had HIGH levels of
•Out of 220 wells tested in PA and WV,
radiation. 15 wells had 1000X over appropriate levels.

30. 1st adult current smokers
2nd obesity rates (adults)
2nd hypertension
1st diabetes
2nd high cholesterol
6th low birth weight
2nd adult physical inactivity
1st loss of all teeth by age 65.
46th life expectancy
McDowell Co, WV: poorest and unhealthiest county in US-
Life Expectancy of Infants is lower than in 34 of the world’s developing
countries.

33.  A greater proportion of people
in Appalachia abuse
prescription drugs and report
mental health problems than
in the nation as a whole,
according to a report released
in August 2008 by the federal
Appalachian Regional
Commission.
 In the region’s poorer
counties, reports of drug abuse
and general mental health
problems are significantly
higher than in the rest of
Appalachia.

34. Region United States Appalachia/WV
Attainment
% with HS 80.4 76.8/ 75.2
diploma or
higher
% completed 24.4 17.7/ 14.8
college
•Completion of High School Diploma: 48th
•Completion of Bachelor’s Degree: 51st
State Master 2010

37. LITERATURE:
Storming Heaven, Denise Giardina
 Prodigal Summer, Barbara Kingsolver
 Kentucky Straight, Chris Offutt
FILMS:
 Matewan, John Sayles
 October Sky, Joe Johnston
 Burning the Future, David Novack
 Hatfields and McCoys, Clyde Ware

38. • Downstream Strategies,
Morgantown, WV
• Jobs Project, Mingo County, WV
• Student Environmental Action
Coalition, WV Chapter
• Energy Efficient WV
• Community Gardens and Local
Farmer’s Markets
• Powell River Research, Wise
County, VA
• Appalachian Center for the
Environment and Economy
• Patriot Coal closing MTR sites

39. Shifting to efficient Lighting:
Avoid building 705 new coal fired power plants.
Raise efficient standards for 15 more appliances:
Avoid building another 16 coal plants.
In 2006 alone, Energy Star programs saved some $14
billion on American Utility bills and helped avoid peak
power demands equivalent to the capacity of 70 new
power plants.
World Efficiency: Gains in lighting and appliance efficiency alone would enable us
to: Avoid building 1410 coal fired power plants.
(More than 1382 new coal plants projected to be built by 2020)
From: Plan B Lester Brown

40. Students who visit the region are
uniquely positioned to join efforts to
seek justice in Appalachia through:
•Service in the region
•Research to support advocacy
•Living in solidarity with our
neighbors
•Professionals Leading Shared Value
Initiatives
•VOTE!