[Coach_Owens87]

http://www.sundaygazettemail.com/News/200806111567

"Federal government scientists have found that mountaintop removal is eliminating mayflies in the creeks downstream from large mining operations, according to a new study being published later this year.

The findings not only indicate mountaintop removal is harming aquatic bugs, but also show large-scale mining is damaging overall water quality downstream from valley fills."



Harming aquatic life and damaging water quality, oh no! I thought for sure that the pro coal people said none of this could happen. Valley fills cause no harm is what they assured me of. Seems they where wrong.

[Benchwarmer]

Federal Government has said that humans are warming the earth with burning of fossil fuels. A large group of the worlds animals including humans are in trouble.

[Coach_Owens87]

Federal Government has said that humans are warming the earth with burning of fossil fuels. A large group of the worlds animals including humans are in trouble.

Are you trying to be sarcastic?

[Benchwarmer]

Yes.

[Coach_Owens87]

Ok.

[Beetle01]

Wow less mayflies, I guess we should all now pay 500 bucks a month for our energy biull so Coach Owens feels better.

Water quality is a serious issue, and if the locals would get together and demand better treatment, they would get it. I don't feel bad for people who are to lazy to do anything about it.

[Benchwarmer]

Let me see? Mayflies or jobs/electricity.

[Coach_Owens87]

Let me see? Mayflies or jobs/electricity.

Yeah I guess youre right, who needs insects, all they do is pollinate plants, control some pests, and decompose dead materials to put nutrients into the gournd so that we can grow our food.

And who needs safe drinking water, I mean come on!

[PC_You_Know]

Coach, you're probably the only person on this site aside from some people who mght make an account just to make 1 or two posts on a certain topic who will agree we need the mayflies more than electricity.

[Benchwarmer]

Yeah I guess youre right, who needs insects, all they do is pollinate plants, control some pests, and decompose dead materials to put nutrients into the gournd so that we can grow our food.

And who needs safe drinking water, I mean come on!

I though we were talking about mayflies, not all insects in general? So these strip jobs are killing of all the insects in the world. **** these strip jobs. Because of a few strip jobs we will not be able to grow crops anymore. I thought mayflies were the pest? I always hated it when farms sprayed their crops to kill off all these insects. Because of strip jobs we will not be able to buy horse manure or fertilize for our crops?

[Coach_Owens87]

Coach, you're probably the only person on this site aside from some people who mght make an account just to make 1 or two posts on a certain topic who will agree we need the mayflies more than electricity.

Did I say we needed them MORE than electricity? Please show me where I said that, I would love to see it. We need electricity, but we also need a clean safe environment to live in, but to hear you all talk, we cant have both. This type of thought is exactly why we are in this mess right now.

All you pro coal guys love to brag about your industry, and how it keeps the environment clean, and healthy, but thats just not the case. And when I show evidence to prove my point, you say that I dont want jobs or electricity, lol, come on you can do better than that.

The post just proves that Mining is harming the environment, by killing off life, and harming the water quality.


Mayflies need to have clean, pollutant free waters to survive, so it is no suprise that they are dying off. If the water is not healthy enough to support this insect, which are a great food source for fish, then the water is probably not healthy for other aquatic life, or for human consumption. Mayflies are a great indicator of the health of a stream, and as this study shows, our streams arent healthy. But I guess we can all agree that we dont need clean water.

[thecavemaster]

The idea that some species matter and others don't (No matter the reasons given for that idea) and that human activity and needs are the final decider is not conservative or liberal...it's a condition of mind where light is blotted out.

[oneijoe]

o boy...obviously a "hot button" issue.

Both sides of this argument in most all media forums are guilty of overstating the other guy's viewpoint. It's already happened here.

Species are important. Electricity is important.

The question is...How much is the public willing to pay extra for the technology/methods required to preserve the given species in producing adequate energy supplies ??

I'd suggest everyone go from there....

[thecavemaster]

o boy...obviously a "hot button" issue.

Both sides of this argument in most all media forums are guilty of overstating the other guy's viewpoint. It's already happened here.

Species are important. Electricity is important.

The question is...How much is the public willing to pay extra for the technology/methods required to preserve the given species in producing adequate energy supplies ??

I'd suggest everyone go from there....

Doesn't your question have the underlying assumption that human beings' ("the public") need for energy and willingness to pay extra for clean technologies will determine the fate of given species?

[DevilsWin]

Did I say we needed them MORE than electricity? Please show me where I said that, I would love to see it. We need electricity, but we also need a clean safe environment to live in, but to hear you all talk, we cant have both. This type of thought is exactly why we are in this mess right now.

All you pro coal guys love to brag about your industry, and how it keeps the environment clean, and healthy, but thats just not the case. And when I show evidence to prove my point, you say that I dont want jobs or electricity, lol, come on you can do better than that.

The post just proves that Mining is harming the environment, by killing off life, and harming the water quality.


Mayflies need to have clean, pollutant free waters to survive, so it is no suprise that they are dying off. If the water is not healthy enough to support this insect, which are a great food source for fish, then the water is probably not healthy for other aquatic life, or for human consumption. Mayflies are a great indicator of the health of a stream, and as this study shows, our streams arent healthy. But I guess we can all agree that we dont need clean water.

A Canary in a Cage in a Coal mine comes to mind.

[Beetle01]

The issue here is clean water, forget the mayflies. If people like yourself would focus on the important parts rather than some pesty insects you could get more done. But as soon as you start spouting off about Marflies, people are just gonna ignore what you have to say. Leave the Mayflies out of it, if the water is cleaner, the mayflies will be okay, its a win win. I think everyone should be for cleaner water. I don't drink the tap water in Flatwoods because I know better. he river is disgusting and really high in Mercury.

However, I will sya one thing, isn't it the way of the world for species to die out? Plenty of animals and insects went extinct before humans had the capability to wipe out a species. Many other species have died off because of a different species. We are an animal on this planet too. We should do our best to look out for the creatures of this planet, but at what cost to our own species?

[jetpilot]

Save a mayfly Coach Owens. Use less electricity by turning your computer off and keeping it off. In fact, don't use any electricity in your house and save 2 or 3 mayflies.

[Coach_Owens87]

The issue here is clean water, forget the mayflies. If people like yourself would focus on the important parts rather than some pesty insects you could get more done. But as soon as you start spouting off about Marflies, people are just gonna ignore what you have to say. Leave the Mayflies out of it, if the water is cleaner, the mayflies will be okay, its a win win. I think everyone should be for cleaner water. I don't drink the tap water in Flatwoods because I know better. he river is disgusting and really high in Mercury.

However, I will sya one thing, isn't it the way of the world for species to die out? Plenty of animals and insects went extinct before humans had the capability to wipe out a species. Many other species have died off because of a different species. We are an animal on this planet too. We should do our best to look out for the creatures of this planet, but at what cost to our own species?

lol, so the killing of natural species in this area isnt important? There are two issues here, and I mentioned them both. If mayflies die out, a part of the food chain dies out, and this can affect the whole stream ecosystem of this area. People need to become educated, because I dont need to stop talking about issues that matter becuase no one understands thier importance. Most scientific facts and studies are ignored by the general public becuase they dont seem "important".

It is natural for species to die out by "Natural selection", but this is a different case, nature isnt destroying our water and killing off aquatic life, we are. Speciation and natural selection, which you attributued species loss to is completly different than what is happening here. So you cant compare the two.

[Coach_Owens87]

Save a mayfly Coach Owens. Use less electricity by turning your computer off and keeping it off. In fact, don't use any electricity in your house and save 2 or 3 mayflies.

Ignorant comments like this is why I refuse to take anything you say seriously.

[jetpilot]

Ignorant comments like this is why I refuse to take anything you say seriously.

I would be worried if you did. You should write your congressman. Maybe you can get Congress to outlaw fly swatters. They are to blame for millions more fly deaths every year than coal mining.

[blitz43]

I am going to have to start a mountain top removal site so I can get rid of the mayflies around my home. Shoot, I will by myself a water purifier to clean my water..LOL

[jetpilot]

When fly swatters are outlawed only outlaws will own fly swatters.

[DevilsWin]

LOL This is one of the most sarcastic threads I've seen in a long time.

What if it were Deer that were disappearing. Would you all feel the same?

It starts with Mayflies, it ends with us.

[Benchwarmer]

LOL This is one of the most sarcastic threads I've seen in a long time.

What if it were Deer that were disappearing. Would you all feel the same?

It starts with Mayflies, it ends with us.

My mamaw would love for the deer to disappear. Here garden would grow better.

[DevilsWin]

My mamaw would love for the deer to disappear. Here garden would grow better.

You're Mamaw has no understanding of the Ecosystem that she lives in.

[Beetle01]

Species go extinct all the time because of another animal. Fish go extinct becuase a better predator might move into their waters. Its the way of things. We should do what we can to prevent it, but even with that Mayflies around the mines are dying but the species is not near extinction.

Polar bears numbers are dwindling because polar ice caps are melting. People may want you to believe it is our fault, but now its been proven that it is a natural occurence. Species go extinct if they can't adapt and survive. If the mayflies go the way of the dodo bird because they can't adapt, what are we to do about it? If this means so much to ya instead of wasting time on here, you should be trying to figure out a way to prevent this instead of using it as political ammo as you liberals so love to do.

[Beetle01]

You're Mamaw has no understanding of the Ecosystem that she lives in.

you obviously do, so run it down for us. What are the repercussions if the deer in the area around his mamaw's garden were to disappear? I guess ol' Mamaw will go extinct?

[Coach_Owens87]

I would be worried if you did. You should write your congressman. Maybe you can get Congress to outlaw fly swatters. They are to blame for millions more fly deaths every year than coal mining.

I would be worried If I took anything you said seriously also, because that would mean I would have the same self-centered, un-educated views that you have.

You prove my point that the ignorant have no place in a real scientific debate.


It's like DW has said, it starts with mayflies, then its the fish, then the game animals, and ends with us. In order to really control a problem you need to stop it before it gets out of hand, and it's starting to get out of control as we speak.

[Coach_Owens87]

you obviously do, so run it down for us. What are the repercussions if the deer in the area around his mamaw's garden were to disappear? I guess ol' Mamaw will go extinct?

It wouldn't matter if someone explained it to you or not, you have already shown that you probably wouldn't understand it anyways. Take a zoology, or ecology class, and then come talk to me.

[Coach_Owens87]

Species go extinct all the time because of another animal. Fish go extinct becuase a better predator might move into their waters. Its the way of things. We should do what we can to prevent it, but even with that Mayflies around the mines are dying but the species is not near extinction.

Polar bears numbers are dwindling because polar ice caps are melting. People may want you to believe it is our fault, but now its been proven that it is a natural occurence. Species go extinct if they can't adapt and survive. If the mayflies go the way of the dodo bird because they can't adapt, what are we to do about it? If this means so much to ya instead of wasting time on here, you should be trying to figure out a way to prevent this instead of using it as political ammo as you liberals so love to do.

1. Please show me where it has been PROVEN that the current warming trend is just a natural occurence! Warming periods do occur naturally, but not at this rate, something is contributing to the rapid warming, and it isn't nature.


Wow, you really are lost when it comes to understanding evolution. The adaption of species takes millions of years, no species will survive if their habitat is destroyed in just a few decades, like what is happening here.

Lamarck once had an idea that giraffes had long necks because they stretched them in order to reach food, and because their necks were long, their kids would be also, but this theory is completely wrong. Acquired traits do not enter you genetic makeup, and do not pass off to offspring. Just because I have developed the muscle strength to be a quick runner doesn't mean my kid will be.

Polar bears, mayflies, or whatever species will not adapt, or undergo genetic mutation quick enough to survive the rapid rate at which we are destroying the environment. The traits they have now, will also be in the next generation, and those species will not survive, and if one species dies out due to our changing of the environment, more are sure to follow.

Im doing my part to help, Im currently in a group that is trying to start some watershed, and water protection programs in this area to protect our aquatic life.