Union College News

“Concert for the Mountains” Features Authors, Activism, Entertainment

Click here for Bios of the Artists that will be performing.

On April 3 and 4, Union College will host two events highlighting the issue of mountaintop removal. On April 3, Public Outcry will perform live on campus. David Cooper and the Mountaintop Removal Roadshow ( http://mountainroadshow.com/) will visit the campus on April 4.

Public Outcry includes several well-known Kentuckians who formed the band to join music and activism. George Ella Lyon, whose thirty-five published books make her one of Kentucky’s treasured authors, joins fellow artists Anne Shelby, Jessie Lynne Keltner, and Kate Larken as the women of Public Outcry. Silas House, whose novels have earned regional and national honors, and Jason Howard, a London-based musician and writer, are the band’s two male members.

The band performs to raise awareness about mountaintop removal, a mining practice that has drawn criticism for its environmental ramifications and its effects on the Appalachian mountains.

David Cooper, who will present the Mountaintop Removal Roadshow, is a retired engineer who volunteers time and resources traveling across the nation to discuss mountaintop removal. His twenty-two minute slide show features traditional Appalachian music, aerial photography of mountaintop removal sites, and information about how the practice affects coalfield residents, communities, and the environment. The slide show will be followed by a discussion with audience members.

The events will also include a tour for Public Outcry, Mr. Cooper, and interested community members of the geothermal project construction site at Union College. Geothermal energy is often touted as an alternative energy form that can help reduce reliance on coal (see www.geoexchange.org for more info.). Union College chose geothermal energy for its economical benefits and because it fits well with the College’s goal of being a good steward of both financial and natural resources.

Public Outcry will perform at 7pm, April 3, at the Conway Boatman Chapel on campus. Mr. Cooper’s presentation will take place at 7pm, April 4, in the Patridge Conference Room. Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Union College at 606-546-1230, or visit www.unionky.edu.

March 26, 2007

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