This sentiment is echoed and put into detail in the documentary The Last Mountain. The film shows the flaws and damaging effects of mountaintop removal mining, and tells the story of its opponents, grassroots protestors in the region and some bigger players like Robert Kennedy. I only watched the first half, but I enjoyed this documentary. It was very well made and played at the emotional aspect grippingly.
One aspect of the documentary that lessened the conviction of some in the class was the vaguely criminal "hippy" behavior of some of the protestors. This piece of vandalism shows the same aspect of the environmentalist movement. At times it's the only way to do things, and the West Virginia natives in the film were justified, but there was a group of 20-something protestors who did not appear to be from the region and just came and got arrested. Their hearts were in the right place, but they had the same problem Occupy Wall Street protestors have, seeming slightly misdirected and appearing perhaps a little too interested in the attention.
This is not to criticize the environmentalist movement, I support it. Perfectly legal and effective methods of protest were utilized in the film as well. It's just that certain aspects lessen its integrity for some. I think that the environmentalist movement in Appalachia would be an interesting subject for a semester project next year, if any future students of this class are reading this post.
-Eliana
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