Pipeline in Appalachia threatens landscape, drinking water and the economy

 
Editor’s note: The Mountain Valley pipeline project will have devastating impacts on the scenic landscape of the Appalachian Trail, the local drinking water, and the economy. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says the pipeline, which will carry fracked natural gas, will run along 90 miles of the trail. A swath 200 feet wide in some cases can be expected and will be visible for up to 20 miles or more.
By T. Paige Dalporto
WEST VIRGINIA — In my opinion, all non-renewable energy resources should be equally shared by all. As a necessity for human health and life, these resources should not be made subject to market whims, pressure or the forces of cut throat no holds barred, I’ve got mine, fuck you, adversarial greed ‘n’ capitalism, so prevalent today.
The corporate structure we have today consolidates too much power in the hands of the conscience-free few, those traditionally adversarial entities that operate without a moral compass that the rest of us are endowed with.
In Alaska, each Alaskan citizen gets a royalty check each year. Why not here?
Pipeline projects seal our doom with every breach, with gas out the ass and no water, take away rights from individual property owners; destroying the peace and tranquility of rural nearby property owners; disturbs and destroys certain species of wildlife by opening up the area, and attracting competitors to songbirds, for example.
The high probability of poor maintenance, negligence and lack of due vigilance and foresight has been the proven track record of modern corporations. Aversion to responsible behavior and a reckless attitude toward human needs and nature; unaccountability and exclusive focus on profit at the expense of all other points of consideration, necessitates that a project this intrusive and of such magnitude, should be met with an equal and opposite force: sanity, reason, safety, concern for the public good, and a sincere, mature desire to coexist, in harmony with nature.
T. Paige Dalporto offers his thoughts for discussion. Contact him at tpaigeme@aol.com.