Spread the Word About Mountaintop Removal: Tell Oprah!
The July 2006 issue of Oprah Winfrey's magazine O features a special report on the devastation caused by mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia and the courage of the women who are standing against it to protect their families, communities, and environment.
The story by Jeff Goodell is entitled "You fight for what you've got, even if it it's only worth a dime."
| Sample Letter to Oprah |
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Copy this letter and paste it on Oprah's website, or write your own:
Dear Oprah,
Thank you very much for including the inspiring stories of the women of Appalachia fighting against mountaintop removal coal mining the July issue of O Magazine.
I want to learn more about these courageous women and their fight. Please invite the women featured in this article to be on "The Oprah Winfrey Show"! I believe that your viewers would be moved by the hardships these women and their families are facing, and motivated by their spirit and determination to stop this mining practice that is devastating their communities.
Your show offers inspiration to millions of viewers every day. These women tell stories that will not only inspire, but will also inform your audience about what's happening in Appalachia.
Thank you again for sharing the stories of these women in your magazine, I hope to see these stories on your show soon.
Sincerely,
(Your name) |
The lead-in to the story reads: "The women of West Virginia coal country are taking on a giant industry they say is killing their husbands, sickening their children, ravaging the Appalachian countryside, poisoning the air, and intensifying global warming. With pathetically small resources and dangerously angry forces arrayed against them, the question isn't, Why are they doing this? It's, Where do they find the courage?"
The story features a number of Appalachian women personally affected by the widespread mountaintop removal coal mining occurring throughout the region. Goodell writes that "(t)hese women are bound together not by religion or ideology but by a feeling that the people and place they love are being destroyed in the name of cheap energy."
These stories are so important and compelling that we are asking Oprah to feature these brave women on her television show. Please take a moment to send a message thanking Oprah for spreading the word about mountaintop removal coal mining through her magazine, and ask her to have the women she interviewed on her television show! Please take a moment to write Oprah here.
Contacting Oprah is easy:
- Copy the sample letter to Oprah at right (or write your own!)
- Go to Oprah's website to submit your letter here
- Fill in the required fields, paste your comment into the "your question" box, and hit "submit!"
Why Oprah?
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" is the most popular daytime television show in America, with 10 million viewers tuning in every day. Oprah has been successful in using her show to raise awareness and support for important issues like Hurricane Katrina relief, and has already gotten involved in the fight against mountaintop removal mining by featuring the stories of Appalachian activists in her magazine. The stories that these brave women tell must be heard, and "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is a great way to spread the word.
If you prefer to send your message to Oprah by mail, you can send it to:
The Oprah Winfrey Show
PO Box 909715
Chicago, IL 60690
