{"id":3763,"date":"2012-05-12T10:26:49","date_gmt":"2012-05-12T10:26:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/academics\/?p=3763"},"modified":"2024-04-22T14:39:05","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T18:39:05","slug":"lakey-nears-pittsburgh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.swarthmore.edu\/academics\/pcs\/2012\/05\/12\/lakey-nears-pittsburgh\/","title":{"rendered":"Prof. Lakey nears Pittsburgh in walk across Pennsylvania for jobs, justice, and a sustainable environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

For those of you who are not aware, Professor George Lakey is walking 200 miles across Pennsylvania<\/a> as part of Earth Quaker Action Team<\/a> to promote sustainable environmental strategy and challenge PNC bank to stop funding mountaintop removal.<\/p>\n

Today is Day 13 (nearly two weeks!) and the team expects to arrive in Pittsburgh on Wednesday. George has been blogging each evening along the way, and you can follow his posts via the greenpnc.org website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here is his first post and video:<\/p>\n

Why I\u2019m walking to <\/strong>Pittsburgh<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"George<\/p>\n

Blog post 4.18.2012<\/p>\n

I come from Bangor, a Pennsylvania slate mining town, and identify with the hard work, strong community, and bonding with nature in my heritage.\u00a0 When I visit Appalachian people I see those same qualities, but I also see the horror of beloved mountains blown up, cancer rates rising, and jobs lost.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sad to imagine what it\u2019s like to have your water and air contaminated by poisons, your town on the skids, the jobs disappearing, and 500 mountains destroyed while more mountains are on the kill list.<\/p>\n

I was proud to join others in starting the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) in 2010 with its first campaign targeting PNC Bank:\u00a0Bank Like <\/em>Appalachia<\/em> Matters!<\/em> PNC<\/span> is one of the major funders of mountain top removal coal mining.<\/span><\/p>\n

I also figured that I was doing something for the future of my four great-grandkids, who will join the miners in the catastrophes of climate change if PNC and our country don\u2019t convert to renewable energy.<\/p>\n

In the beginning of this year I was led to step up my own commitment.\u00a0 I felt called to walk to Pittsburgh to challenge directly the corporate CEO of PNC Bank: \u201cWhy would you rather fundfewer jobs<\/em> \u2013 while blowing up mountains and spreading cancer \u2013 than fund more jobs <\/em>for clean wind power from those same mountains?\u201d<\/p>\n

EQAT supported my calling, and is initiating the<\/p>\n

Green Walk for Jobs and Justice<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Start: April 30 in <\/strong>Philadelphia<\/strong>, walking 200 miles of the route<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Arrive: May 16, at <\/strong>PNC<\/strong> Bank\u2019s headquarters in <\/strong>Pittsburgh<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Stops at <\/strong>PNC<\/strong> branches along the way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Please sponsor me on this walk, and join me for part of the Walk or events along the route if you can.\u00a0 Financial sponsors are needed to make the Walk possible.<\/p>\n

I also want to know from bank officials:<\/strong> \u201cIf PNC calls the destruction of Appalachia \u2018responsible banking,\u2019\u00a0why should any of us do business with you?\u201d<\/em> I pledge to close my account in PNC on June 1 if it does not promise to stop funding mountain top removal coal mining.<\/p>\n