Paul, your piece offers a striking view on the revival of Appalachia’s lands. While the science is clear and hopeful, I find myself wondering about the uncharted dimensions of this renewal. What does the silent resilience of these ecosystems tell us about the unseen forces of nature? Maybe it’s not just the physical restoration but the underlying pulse of the earth reclaiming its space, whispering in ways we rarely notice. It’s a testament to a kind of quiet persistence that defies our understanding, dancing on the edge of what we can comprehend.
What resilience? Do you have to start from scratch because the biome that’s there has nothing to do with the Bible regional eco-habitat existing before we destroyed. It has zero resilience. We can’t even be sure that replanting what we know of the native biome it is going to work. But someone should’ve sure as hell known non-native things aren’t going to work Jesus I ask again, what resilience?
I love restoration stories, which give us hope in ecologically bleak times. This brought to mind Lehigh Gap in Pennsylvania. The mountains there were completely denuded by heavy metal pollution from a zinc mine that operated for many decades. It became a Superfund site and was restored by introducing topsoil and using prairie grasses and other plants that would process the heavy metals, slowly reinvigorating the soil. If anyone is interested in this remarkable story, start here: https://lgnc.org/about-lgnc/about/
I grew up a couple blocks from a Union Carbide plant that produced graphite. Previously, it had been a zinc factory. The town was filled with immigrants from northern Spain, where there are a lot of zinc mines.
Union Carbide was the only factory in our small town that were union employees. Obviously it closed down and left after the Bhopal India situation. I can’t believe we didn’t learn our lesson about anything petroleum derived decades ago. I’m sure people did but it’s a small minority that sees what they’re looking at.
Wow...that photo of the man in front of the American chestnut – what an impressive tree. It’s sad to think it may soon be extinct. On the other hand, the restoration project does seem optimistic...
There are a great mini arborist, botanist, geneticists, and others, working on a black resistant chestnut, Dutch elm fungus, hardwood, American elm. I think we’re gonna have to give up on the Ash for the moment. we need to be learning about the slow but deadly species of fungi that is now infecting our oaks only half of the species of the eastern hardwood forest remains. As if there is a intact piece of the Eastern hardwood forest I am but you know what I mean. we must quit doing things that we haven’t wrapped our head around yet. Consequential things that we know for sure could have possibilities that we haven’t even thought of. We at least have some idea of what we don’t know. We just don’t honor it.
I am remiss. Great people I love the dissemination of your knowledge and your passion. I’m so cynical you know it’s good when I’m saying so publicly.🤣🤷♂️
“Reclamation of mines had previously been performed, unsuccessfully, by planting nonnative grasses.” I know high school sophomore biology students that would make it better choice. How long of junior high science kids that would make a better choice. Whoever made this decision either head summit unannounced agenda, or wasn’t qualified to be in the position to make it. They should be held liable for either. It’s not OK just the fuck shit up this important God!!
Three introduction of beaver to every stream creek, spring and river in America should be priority one. All it would do is restore a sense of natural river system as opposed to a drainage ditch, increase the biodiversity by tenfold and create legitimate fire breaks in the western United States that will not stop a conflagration, but certainly has a chance at never allowing one to exist.
Slows down the water, and reduces erosion to a point of sustainability. Restores, natural percolation and groundwater hydrodynamics. Creates wetlands that are magnitude wider than the drainage ditch in existence. As I mentioned earlier, increasing the biodiversity literally exponentially. It’s a win-win, win-win win, deal shame on us we’ve known this since the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone.
RFK Jr has been advocating for clean air, soil, water, health for years. He has sued Monsanto & other big companies & won on behalf of people poisoned.
After cleaning up the Hudson, he was once on the cover of Time magazine as "Hero of the Planet."
But now...these are all inconvenient truths. Kennedy is now the subject of a HUGE smear campaign. And it is wrong.
Not only MSM smearing, but blocking of ballot for 3rd party candidates, Cornel West, Jill
Stein....It is un-Democratic, to say the least.
This is what can happen to you fighting big polluters:
RFK Jr.: Human Rights Lawyer Held Hostage by Big Oil
You hit up on something that is one of the two prerequisite oh, ever having a pass-through story republic not only do we need to remove big and dark money, but all of the barriers to accessing the ballot.
We need to be having this conversation in January after the elections every other November. Having it in August before the election is insane. To vote for anyone but the piece of shit woman of color who’s going to pack corrupt old white guys water is simply stupid. Ridiculously pathetic but stupid. Until we change, nothing is going to change. Oh yeah, one more tip. Get up Jill Stein, and all those people that came with her in 15th the fuck out of the party and let the green party become legitimate again. It was the only legitimate platform in America and but so naïve, it was easily co-opted by Putin. Jesus who people are, your naïveté certainly not Sherman, shall we say
Thank you, for this story, Paul! The more we share the stories, the more interest it will gain. I write about restoration, too. May there be a lot more restoration projects!
Paul, your piece offers a striking view on the revival of Appalachia’s lands. While the science is clear and hopeful, I find myself wondering about the uncharted dimensions of this renewal. What does the silent resilience of these ecosystems tell us about the unseen forces of nature? Maybe it’s not just the physical restoration but the underlying pulse of the earth reclaiming its space, whispering in ways we rarely notice. It’s a testament to a kind of quiet persistence that defies our understanding, dancing on the edge of what we can comprehend.
What resilience? Do you have to start from scratch because the biome that’s there has nothing to do with the Bible regional eco-habitat existing before we destroyed. It has zero resilience. We can’t even be sure that replanting what we know of the native biome it is going to work. But someone should’ve sure as hell known non-native things aren’t going to work Jesus I ask again, what resilience?
dancing on the edge of what we can comprehend.
Another overestimation. Like the guy who labeled as “the Confederacy of dunces“. Far too much credit…🤣✌️
I love restoration stories, which give us hope in ecologically bleak times. This brought to mind Lehigh Gap in Pennsylvania. The mountains there were completely denuded by heavy metal pollution from a zinc mine that operated for many decades. It became a Superfund site and was restored by introducing topsoil and using prairie grasses and other plants that would process the heavy metals, slowly reinvigorating the soil. If anyone is interested in this remarkable story, start here: https://lgnc.org/about-lgnc/about/
Wow! From Superfund to nature center. That’s remarkable. Thanks, Joel!
I realize I mis-typed. It wasn't a zinc MINE; it was a zinc refining operation (or however they produce usable zinc).
I grew up a couple blocks from a Union Carbide plant that produced graphite. Previously, it had been a zinc factory. The town was filled with immigrants from northern Spain, where there are a lot of zinc mines.
Union Carbide was the only factory in our small town that were union employees. Obviously it closed down and left after the Bhopal India situation. I can’t believe we didn’t learn our lesson about anything petroleum derived decades ago. I’m sure people did but it’s a small minority that sees what they’re looking at.
Wow...that photo of the man in front of the American chestnut – what an impressive tree. It’s sad to think it may soon be extinct. On the other hand, the restoration project does seem optimistic...
Yes, I grew up in that region, and it’s hard to get my head around eastern forests having such huge trees. Our plunder has robbed us of so much.
There are a great mini arborist, botanist, geneticists, and others, working on a black resistant chestnut, Dutch elm fungus, hardwood, American elm. I think we’re gonna have to give up on the Ash for the moment. we need to be learning about the slow but deadly species of fungi that is now infecting our oaks only half of the species of the eastern hardwood forest remains. As if there is a intact piece of the Eastern hardwood forest I am but you know what I mean. we must quit doing things that we haven’t wrapped our head around yet. Consequential things that we know for sure could have possibilities that we haven’t even thought of. We at least have some idea of what we don’t know. We just don’t honor it.
I am remiss. Great people I love the dissemination of your knowledge and your passion. I’m so cynical you know it’s good when I’m saying so publicly.🤣🤷♂️
I must know, who was behind this?!
“Reclamation of mines had previously been performed, unsuccessfully, by planting nonnative grasses.” I know high school sophomore biology students that would make it better choice. How long of junior high science kids that would make a better choice. Whoever made this decision either head summit unannounced agenda, or wasn’t qualified to be in the position to make it. They should be held liable for either. It’s not OK just the fuck shit up this important God!!
Three introduction of beaver to every stream creek, spring and river in America should be priority one. All it would do is restore a sense of natural river system as opposed to a drainage ditch, increase the biodiversity by tenfold and create legitimate fire breaks in the western United States that will not stop a conflagration, but certainly has a chance at never allowing one to exist.
Slows down the water, and reduces erosion to a point of sustainability. Restores, natural percolation and groundwater hydrodynamics. Creates wetlands that are magnitude wider than the drainage ditch in existence. As I mentioned earlier, increasing the biodiversity literally exponentially. It’s a win-win, win-win win, deal shame on us we’ve known this since the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone.
Good of you to remind us all. I remember where o grew up an abundance of frogs & turtles that are no more.
An excellent YT on Appalachia:
"RFK Jr. On Why West Virginia And Appalachia Are Special"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=voEQpf6x0Kc
2009-He wrote op Ed re mountaintop mining.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/02/AR2009070203022.html
2011
https://www.thewrap.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-takes-environmental-crusade-big-screen-27876/
RFK Jr has been advocating for clean air, soil, water, health for years. He has sued Monsanto & other big companies & won on behalf of people poisoned.
After cleaning up the Hudson, he was once on the cover of Time magazine as "Hero of the Planet."
But now...these are all inconvenient truths. Kennedy is now the subject of a HUGE smear campaign. And it is wrong.
Not only MSM smearing, but blocking of ballot for 3rd party candidates, Cornel West, Jill
Stein....It is un-Democratic, to say the least.
This is what can happen to you fighting big polluters:
RFK Jr.: Human Rights Lawyer Held Hostage by Big Oil
https://www.kennedy24.com/hostage-lawyer-video
RFK jr has stood for native peoples for YEARS
https://www.kennedy24.com/rfk-jr-stands-with-indigenous-peoples-video
Do you need to take that as a prop elsewhere. This is an adult conversation. Please.
You hit up on something that is one of the two prerequisite oh, ever having a pass-through story republic not only do we need to remove big and dark money, but all of the barriers to accessing the ballot.
We need to be having this conversation in January after the elections every other November. Having it in August before the election is insane. To vote for anyone but the piece of shit woman of color who’s going to pack corrupt old white guys water is simply stupid. Ridiculously pathetic but stupid. Until we change, nothing is going to change. Oh yeah, one more tip. Get up Jill Stein, and all those people that came with her in 15th the fuck out of the party and let the green party become legitimate again. It was the only legitimate platform in America and but so naïve, it was easily co-opted by Putin. Jesus who people are, your naïveté certainly not Sherman, shall we say
Thank you, for this story, Paul! The more we share the stories, the more interest it will gain. I write about restoration, too. May there be a lot more restoration projects!