The hills of KY and WVA are one of the last remaining ecologically diverse temperate forests. Since the 1970's stripmining coal has destroyed this environment on the account of large corporations and their obscure sister companies, which constantly violate all kinds of regulations. Houses, communities, hills and valleys, streams and wells are being destroyed by dynamite, poisonous sludge, coaltrucks and greed. Traditionally this area, called Appalachia, has been very poor with 33% unemployment. Unfortunately these kind of circumstances one can find the world over, mostly in developing nations and China. This area however is only a two hour drive from Washington in one of the richest countries of the world. Coal provides 15% of the energy need of the USA.