The Past The Present The Future

     As we traveled the roads of WV it struck me how much both things had changed and how much they had stayed the same.  The magnificent windmills were in stark contrast to the houses that I saw along the road.  Are these the future of energy, are they the answer, is this our future?  The only thing certain is that something will have to take the place of fossil fuels in the not too distant future.

     As we left the windmills and traveled down the hill we entered WV past.  A former booming coal town that has seen much of its glory days leave as the Coal dried up.  This is a common sight not just in WV, but in all areas where extraction has played a major role in the local economy.  The population dwindled as the jobs went elsewhere.  As the money dried up the political clout was gone, as happens so often the lack of clout allowed government to ignore the plight of the people who remain.  That is in reality of our present.  The wind mills were impressive but the small town of Davis was too me more interesting.  The re-purposed small shops spoke to me of a spirit to make something work.  The mine is gone we've got to move on.  Will this area ever be as prosperous as it once was.  History says no, the things that made WV for the most part a wilderness for many years are still in place, the mountains the narrow valleys and the lack of acceptability doesn't bode well for the economy of this area but there is still the beauty.  Tourism can never replace mining in terms of the wages offered, but at least its something.  Although this is a project about coal to me it is also a project about people.  The truth of the matter is (don't shot me Rick Sharpe) is that people are what really matter.  We need to project the environment for the sake of the people but at the same time we must provide the people with the opportunity to live a quality life style, that means economic opportunity over and above the wage level of what service industries provide.