Do you like mountains?

Although we use energy every single day of our lives – I’m using it right now to post on this blog using my computer – we don’t often have a clear idea of where it comes from. I’m currently at a conference on energy efficiency in Chicago, and yesterday I listened to a speaker talk about mountaintop removal mining. Mountaintop removal is an increasingly popular form of mining in which the top of a mountain is literally blasted away to get at the coal underneath. It should go without saying that this is an extremely harmful practice, both for the environment and for surrounding communities.

And, thanks to ilovemountains.org, you can see if your power comes from coal that has been mined by mountaintop removal. I’m sad to say that Northern States Power Co., from which I apparently get my energy, buys coal from companies engaging in mountaintop removal. Check and see if you are getting coal from those companies.