Nonprofit group Appalachian Voices is using 3D maps in Google Earth to show how millions of acres of Appalachian Mountains across four states have been destroyed by mining companies, in a process called mountaintop removal, the group says. Coal miners blow off the tops of mountains with explosives to get at coal faster and more cheaply. The result is that surrounding areas are buried by pollution and waste, streams dry up, and soot lingers in the air, the group says.So with the help of Google, the nonprofit built a virtual “national memorial” for 470 topless mountains in the area–marked by half-mast flags–with information and guides on the process of mountaintop removal. The map layer, found in Google Earth’s “featured content,” also shows historic before-and-after aerial photos of the mountains; overlay comparisons to illustrate the scope of destruction; and links to first-hand stories and videos from the communities affected by mountaintop removal.

[Via : Images: Google Earth with a cause | CNET News.com.]

Mountaintop Removal in Google Earth

On March 12th, the National Memorial for the Mountains, an online memorial that identifies and tells the stories of more than 470 mountains destroyed by mountaintop removal, was included as featured content in Google Earth - a popular free software program with almost 200 million users.

[Via : Appalachian Voices.]See also www.ilovemountains.org:

The National Memorial for the Mountains is now featured in Google Earth. If you already have Google Earth on your computer, you can view the National Memorial for the Mountains without downloading anything - it’s featured right in the “Layers” menu of Google Earth. If you don’t already have Google Earth on your computer, it’s easy and free to install. You can also download the full-featured version of the National Memorial for the Mountains and additional Google Earth files.

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