Help Stop Mountaintop Removal by Purchasing Cool Shoes

This entry was posted on July 7, 2011 by admin.


This month, Abbadabba's is partnering with Merrell to help a cause that is very dear to my heart - the fight to end mountaintop removal coal mining.
What is mountaintop removal coal mining, you ask? Mountaintop removal (MTR) is a relatively new type of mining in which the entire tops of mountains are blasted away using millions of pounds of explosives to expose buried seams of coal. This practice can involve removing 500 feet or more of the mountain's summit to get at these seams. The earth that is removed is then dumped into the neighboring valleys, creeks and rivers, causing damage to the environment, water supply and health of the surrounding communities. According to an EPA environmental impact statement, more than 1,000 miles of Appalachian streams were permitted to be buried as of 2001, and more recent studies show this dumping causes increased toxins & higher rates of birth defects near MTR sites.

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In an effort to help stop this destructive practice, we partnered with Merrell - and you can help. From July 8 - 24, purchase any pair of shoes from our Merrell Barefoot Collection and Abbadabba’s and Merrell will donate $5 to Appalachian Voices, an organization that is fighting to end MTR.

We wanted to partner with Merrell on this cause because mountaintop removal signifies the very antithesis of Merrell's "Get Outside" message. Merrell is a huge supporter of outdoor education and organizations, including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Conservation Alliance. They encourage environmental stewardship. Of course, I can't forget to mention that their shoes are fabulous for outdoor pursuits, such as hiking, trail running and more!
And on a personal note...this cause is a deeply personal one to me as my family hails from the mountains of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. Over the last 3 decades, I've witnessed the destruction of my homeland, one mountaintop at a time, to the hands of a few big coal companies. A lake where I swam each summer that used to be surrounded by rolling summits is now bordered by eerie, tree-less flat-tops. Areas where my family used to hike are now barren craters. Each time I go home, the landscape has changed again and more mountains have been lost. The ecological damage is staggering, and yet not enough people are paying attention.
Hopefully, that will start to change...Activists are growing in number, and films such as The Last Mountain are garnering more attention to the cause. Groups such as Appalachian Voices are working diligently on state and federal levels to make this particular breed of mining illegal. It's my hope that all of us -- as fans of outdoor activities, stewards of the environment, natives of or even visitors to the Appalachian mountains -- could all band together to help end the destruction caused by MTR.
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Kristen Smith
CFO, Abbadabba’s


This entry was posted in Giving Back and tagged Merrell, the last mountain, Coal mining, Mountaintop Removal, Appalachian Voices, merrell barefoot, barefoot running on July 7, 2011by admin.

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