Mountaintop Removal Mining
New and News:
- Click here to read a blog by Jordan Blevins on MTR
- Click here to watch the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife's June 25th hearing on MTR
Faith and Mountaintop Removal (MTR)
God charges us to be stewards of God’s creation (Genesis 1:28, 2:15), and with that charge comes the duty to use the earth’s resources in a responsible and sustainable manner. Mountaintop removal (MTR) is a form of coal mining that uses explosives to remove the tops of mountains and expose the coal located deep within the mountain. It is a cheaper and faster alternative to traditional mining, but the damage it causes to the environment and to humans and other creatures living nearby far outweighs the benefits. MTR is both immensely destructive and irresponsible, so allowing its practice to continue would be to neglect our call to care for all of creation. God gives us freedom to use the earth’s resources, but we need to use them in a way that honors God’s creation, not destroys it. While MTR may be a more convenient way to mine coal, we cannot overlook the damage it causes in light of the convenience it provides. Coal provides nearly half of our nation’s energy, so even if we are not directly participating in MTR, by simply using electricity we are complicit with its abuses to God’s creation.
Learn More about Mountaintop Removal
- What is MTR?
- Impacts of MTR
- Ways to get involved
- Action Alerts
- Plan a Candlelight Vigil Host a candlelight vigil for MTR at your local church. It’s a great way to raise awareness and get more people involved.
- Encourage your communion to make a statement against MTR
People of Faith Take Action
- Christians for the Mountains hosts volunteer houses where people can come to see the beauty of Appalachia and witness the destruction and hardships caused by MTR.
- Kentuckians for the Commonwealth sponsored a MTR tour for interfaith leaders, providing them an opportunity to see first-hand the damage MTR causes to the environment and communities in Appalachia. Faith leaders reflected on what they witnessed developed an interfaith statement opposing MTR and raised awareness by sharing what they learned with others.
Resources
Faith-Based Resources and NCC Member Communions’ Statements on MTR
- Christians for the Mountains
- The Episcopal Church – Resolution number 2000-D005
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)
- Presbyterian Church of the United States of America (PC(USA))
- The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
- The United Methodist Church (UMC)
- Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA)
- Lands and Wilderness Home Page (NCC)
- Water Campaign Home Page (NCC)
Additional Resources