It seems to me that the locals - at least in Alton - want this mine to go ahead. It will mean jobs for them working in the mine, driving trucks plus all the service jobs for those whose work is associated with this project. It will be a hard sell to tell them that this is bad on an economic basis. It also means their children can stay close to home and not move away. The folks I talk to in southern Utah are not particularly fond of outsiders, environmentalists, folks from the Wasatch Front, or whomever, telling them what is best for them. Go to Alton and talk to the locals. That may give you the best ideas you'll have. The towns of Hatch, Glendale, Orderville, and Mt. Carmel are the nearest to Alton. I'll bet the folks there will be of the same mind as those in Alton. Just guessing, but Henrieville, Cannonville, and Tropic are at least leaning in favor of the project too. The nearest opposition will probably come from Kanab. Most of the opposition I have heard has come from the Wasatch Front and Bryce Canyon. These areas are pretty distant physically (Salt Lake) and philosophically (Bryce Canyon). Kim may have a different perspective, but that is my read of the folks who live there. ________________________________ From: Debbie <astrodeb@beyondbb.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 12:20 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] IMPORTANT: Alton Coal Mine and how about air pollution? There could be a health impact to the local residents with all that coal dust flying around. Debbie On Fri, Nov 25, 2011 at 12:02 PM, Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com>wrote:
Another aspect that should bother the locals a lot is the constant coal-truck traffic. -- Joe
________________________________ From: Chuck Hards <chuck.hards@gmail.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, November 25, 2011 9:20 AM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] IMPORTANT: Alton Coal Mine
On 11/23/11, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Oh, and Chuck: We still need to speak out.
I understand, but you need more ammo than just petition signing.
Get the media involved. Find a sympathetic TV reporter and see if they are willing to tackle the story. Joe could do a serial blog about it, and I'm sure he still has connections in other areas of the local media.
Make it an issue of local merchants and the area ecconomy suffering because of reduced tourism if this mine goes ahead with their destructive lighting. Interview the owner of Ruby's, talk to tourists who go to Bryce primarily for the pristine skies, and would not bring their money to the area if the sky suffered. Talk to other local business owners and get sound bites of them lamenting the ecconomic ramifications of reduced tourism.
If you can co-opt the media, there is a much better chance of being heard and making a difference.
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