One way to fight mountaintop removal in your own community is to convince your town/city council to pass a resolution opposing mountaintop removal coal mining. Once a resolution is passed you can take further steps by asking your town or electric provider to divest from companies that practice mountaintop removal.

Gainesville Loves Mountains

Passing a town council resolution is not as hard as you might think! Check out this story from Gainesville Loves Mountains:

A few people from Gainesville, Fla., decided to stand up and fight against mountaintop removal coal mining. While Gainesville may seem a long way from Appalachia, coal from mountaintop removal mines provides much of the city’s electricity.

The concerned residents created Gainesville Loves Mountains, a local group that believes “the citizens of Gainesville have a right and a responsibility to assure that our energy consumption does not unduly harm other communities.” They have worked to ensure that the impacts of mountaintop removal felt by thousands of people throughout Appalachia are not ignored by those who prefer not to think about where their energy comes from. Instead of sitting quietly, they organized.

“Through film screenings and public presentations, tables and canvassing at public events, social and print media, and a petition drive, we were able to build up a contact list of several hundred local supporters and send a strong message to our City Commission.” — Jason Fults, Co-founder of Gainesville Loves Mountains

Gainesville Loves Mountains has led the charge to pass an ordinance in the Gainesville City Commission to prohibit the use of mountaintop removal coal by the regional power company. This bold step is beyond the town resolutions others have done, but it serves as both an inspiration and a guide to grassroots organizing and pressuring decision makers.

We have high hopes that the ordinance will pass in the future, as many council members are supportive. For now, let their work stand as an example of what a few passionate people well outside of Appalachia can do to protect the Appalachian mountains and surrounding communities. Keep up with Gainesville Loves Mountains here.

Start a Resolution in Your Town

• Educate your community by starting a petition asking your town council to oppose mountaintop removal
• Collect signatures for your petition (Set a goal of how many you want to get!)
• Once you have reached your goal, set up a meeting with a member of the council
• Bring several people to the meeting and present your petition

If your council member is interested, you can work together to craft language for a resolution. Once you have a resolution drafted you can set up individual meetings with the other council members. This is important to do before a vote, so that you can gauge their support and make sure you have the necessary votes for the resolution to pass!

For more information about how to pass a resolution in your town, email resolutions@ilovemountains.org