Montana Coal (Days 6 & 7)

Montana is everything everyone has ever said it would be. The label of "Big Sky Country" does it justice as towering clouds loom over the landscape and rainstorms shower the rolling hills in the distance. Driving along Highway 212, we were able to see much of the state's eastern beauty through the Custer National Forest and then through the Northern Cheyenne and Crow reservations.

Now camping on a ranch, we can become even more intimate with the landscapes that make Montana such a wonderful place. But, like in Appalachia, one can find many problems if they only take time to look.

Just north of our camping area is Colstrip, Montana, home to the 2nd largest coal fired power plant west or the Mississippi. At over 2,000 megawatts, the plant produces power for well over 2,000,000 households, but that energy isn't just for keeping people comfortable. Much of the energy goes to power corporations as well, and though I have no time at the moment to research what percentage of that energy is used just to churn profits (as opposed to just keeping people well fed, healthy, and happy), I'm going to wager that most of it is wasted to satisfy distant shareholders and CEOs.

As we sat watching the massive smokestacks pumping brown smoke into the sky, I couldn't help but wonder how many more plants are doing this across the globe and for the same reasons. The kids played in a park for a few moments and it gave a stark contrast between our society of instant gratification and its complexes of pollution and the needs of our children for clean air and water.

The air pollution accounts for only one off the issues. The coal ash that has been created is polluting aquifers and causing issues for local ranchers and the coal being mined and processed is laying waste to thousands of acres. A couple of videos for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure.