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Coal and Oil Shape Cultural Stereotypes
The oil patch of the Gulf Coast and the coalfields of West Virginia paused this month to mark one year since two deadly disasters —BP’s oil spill and Massey Energy’s mine explosion. Two writers from those regions, Ken Wells and Denise Giardina, explain the impact coal and oil have had on the land and culture of their home states.
This month marks one year since disasters of historic proportion struck the country’s coal and oil industries — a mine explosion in West Virginia and BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Living on Earth’s Jeff Young talks to two writers from those regions who explain how oil and coal have shaped the popular view of the places and people that bring the country its energy.