Lisa R | RYSE

Author Page: Lisa R

Profile: Lisa went to school at UNC Wilmington and majored in Environmental Science and Spanish. Since then, she's been fighting the good fight with various organizations, including RAN, Greenpeace, and Rising Tide. She's always been passionate about protecting all aspects of the environment, but she gets downright angry about mountaintop removal mining. Washington, DC is the place Lisa currently calls home, but this is subject to change at any moment.

RYSE posts by Lisa R:

Reflections on an Epic Direct Action Against MTR

Posted by Lisa R on Mar 3rd, 2010 in Mountain Top Removal | 0 comments

It’s March 3rd! You know what that means? That means that all the fines I accrued from participating in a direct action last June are due to the West Virginia magistrate… and then I’m free! I feel like this is a good time to reflect on that action, as it was a pretty amazing one. Very early in the morning on June 18th, 2009, fourteen activists, including myself, entered Massey Energy’s mountaintop removal mining site near Twilight, West Virginia. We had one goal in sight: to stop all mountaintop removal operations on that site for as long as possible. The trek onto the site was... (continue reading)

Citizens Arrest Warrant Delivered to Don Blankenship and Christopher Blanchard

Posted by Lisa R on Feb 18th, 2010 in Mountain Top Removal | 0 comments

This morning in Pettus, West Virginia, three activists entered Marfork Coal Company’s office to deliver a citizen’s arrest warrant to Christopher Blanchard, the company’s president and Don Blankenship, the CEO of Massey Energy. Marfork Coal Company is a subsidiary of Massey Energy – the coal company responsible for blowing up dozens of mountaintops throughout Appalachia. The activists issued their citizen’s arrest warrant which, in short, stated that these mountaintop removal operations are endangering people’s lives by setting off explosives in close proximity to homes and by... (continue reading)

Treesitters halt blasting on Coal River Mountain!

Posted by Lisa R on Jan 24th, 2010 in Mountain Top Removal | 2 comments

For the past four days, three amazing activists have been hanging out in trees near Massey Energy’s Bee Tree Strip Mine. With the treesitters so close to the mine site, blasting is illegal, therefore stopped. The activists – David Aaron Smith, 23, Amber Nitchman, 19 and Eric Blevins, 28, say they will stay in the trees as long as they can or until blasting on Coal River Mountain is stopped. This map shows where the treesitters are and the close proximity of the Bee Tree Mine to the Brushy Fork Impoundment – which currently holds 8.2 billion gallons of toxic coal waste. Sounds... (continue reading)

Off to West Virginia… again!

Posted by Lisa R on Dec 10th, 2009 in Mountain Top Removal | 0 comments

I have been to West Virginia four times this year. In fact, I think the mountain state wins the prize this year for “places I’ve frequented the most”. So, why have I spent so much time in the mountain state this year? Interestingly enough, West Virginia has also been referred to as the ‘COG’ state – which, of course, stands for coal, oil, and gas. The first part of the acronym is the devil that drags me back to the state time and again. But, I don’t mind going to visit West Virginia so often, with its beautiful mountains and all. Oh, wait – they’re blowing up the... (continue reading)

HEY EPA! Can you hear us yet?

Posted by Lisa R on Oct 31st, 2009 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Yesterday, activists across the country came together for a day of action to end mountaintop removal. There were actions at banks for funding mountaintop removal, as well as at every regional EPA office. Here in the lovely District of Columbia, RAN’s DC chapter had a two-part action at the EPA’s headquarters. Just before noon, a group of 13 activists, along with two coalfield residents, entered the EPA’s lobby to deliver a letter to Lisa Jackson, the head of the EPA. When they were unable to speak with Ms. Jackson about mountaintop removal, the 13 activists linked arms, sat down, and... (continue reading)

It's about time: West Virginina Politicians speak out about Marsh Fork Elementary School

Posted by Lisa R on Oct 13th, 2009 in RYSE | 3 comments

Over the years, I’ve gotten used to the fact that politicians are slow to act. Maybe I’m cynical; maybe I’m just being realistic. But sometimes, after enough public pressure and media attention surrounding certain issues, politicians actually take a stand on (seemingly) tough issues. Last week, Senator Byrd of West Virginia said Massey Energy’s “arrogance” in refusing to help fund Marsh Fork Elementary School’s relocation “suggests a blatant disregard for the impact of their mining practices on our communities, residents, and particularly our... (continue reading)

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Lisa went to school at UNC Wilmington and majored in Environmental Science and Spanish. Since then, she's been fighting the good fight with various organizations, including RAN, Greenpeace, and Rising Tide. She's always been passionate about protecting all aspects of the environment, but she gets downright angry about mountaintop removal mining. Washington, DC is the place Lisa currently calls home, but this is subject to change at any moment.

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RYSE is the youth branch of RAN, Rainforest Action Network, which works to protect the Earth and support human rights through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action.

Author Page: Lisa R

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RYSE posts by Lisa R:

Reflections on an Epic Direct Action Against MTR

Citizens Arrest Warrant Delivered to Don Blankenship and Christopher Blanchard

Treesitters halt blasting on Coal River Mountain!

Off to West Virginia… again!

HEY EPA! Can you hear us yet?

It's about time: West Virginina Politicians speak out about Marsh Fork Elementary School

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