(A little late is better than never, right?) :)

Even as a less-than-seasoned political activist on environmental issues, in recent years I have noticed myself becoming more and more pessimistic about the hope of my own efforts making any real difference on the many issues related to climate change and environmental and social injustice. As I became more aware of the scope of the problems, I began to adopt the cynicism of someone who is not satisfied with the small, incremental changes that seem to be the only progress one can attain politically. I felt, to use Ani Difranco’s lyrics, as if I was “tracking each trickle back to its source and screaming up the faucet ‘til my face was hoarse ‘cause I was surrounded by a world’s worth of things I just couldn’t excuse.” I don’t think that I am the only person who has let their political activism fall to the wayside for this reason. In fact, from talking with other people about these issues, I suspect that many caring people never become active to begin with because of similar feelings of powerlessness.
This past weekend, however, I had a very inspirational experience. I joined some members of various environmental action groups on a trip to the coalfields of southern West Virginia. What I learned and saw in one day, though it was like standing at Goliath’s feet and staring up at the enormity of the adversary, gave my spirit a breath of hope and direction and this is why: I realized that the coal industry in West Virginia, though before it seemed to be just one of the many faucets I could be screaming into, is an appropriate target. It is the right place to start.