Finally ... HamNation Goes Green

This goes with my column for today, "The Mammal the Greens Forgot."

In Rosia Montana, Romania, George grew up in a one-bedroom apartment with seven other family members. Two thirds of the people in his village have no running water. They venture outside in brutal negative temperatures just to use the bathroom. Many of them, George included, hope a planned gold mine will bring jobs and a taste of modernity to a town long-ago abandoned by state-owned mines and gainful employment.

Almost 500 miles away, from her home in the prosperous, modern capital city of Bucharest, Belgian environmentalist Francoise Heidebroek says of Rosia Montana's poverty, "It is part of the charm of Rosia Montana and this lifestyle. You know, people will use their horse and cart instead of using a car. They are proud to have a horse."...

There are environmental concerns associated with any type of mining or big development, the dangers of which businesses have learned to mitigate as mining practices and environmental regulation has evolved. There are water supplies and birds and rare breeds of squirrels to protect. But there are also people to think of. "Mine Your Own Business" tells their story.

Environmentalists would do well to pay attention. McAleer and McElhinney have given them the opportunity to do so while sitting on their couches, watching their HD TVs in developed Westernized cities, far from the people they're trying to protect. Just the way they like it.