I didn't really intend to have two posts on mapping and the environment today; I actually have another project on my mind, but that's how it goes.
Via Google Blog:
Posted by Mary Anne Hitt, Executive Director, Appalachian Voices
The first time I flew over southern West Virginia and saw mountaintop removal coal mining
from the air, I knew that if everyone could see what I had
seen—mountain after mountain blown up and then dumped into streams in
the neighboring valleys—they would think twice about where their
electricity came from the next time they flipped a light switch.
(more at the link above)
Last year, I read a book on mountain top removal called Lost Mountain, which detailed the destruction of one mountain via this process and it is shocking and extremely sad. If you have any familiarity with Google Earth or have been looking for an excuse to try it out, this layer is absolutely worth the trouble.
