Students United Against Extractive Industries Rock at UPe

Philadelphia, Friday, April 2, 2012

Students from Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore, and Temple and members of the Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) joined Penn students at the local PNC bank to show disapproval for the companies financing of Mountain Top Removal. PNC is the world's largest financier of MTR.

Mountain Top Removal (MTR) is any method of surface coal mining that removes a mountaintop or ridge line. This is done by clearing all vegetation and topsoil, blasting the top off with dynamite, digging, dumping, processing, and reclamation.

This practice profoundly changes the landscape and biology of the surrounding region, displaces communities, and contaminates drinking water. It has leveled over 500 mountains and filled or polluted over 2000 miles of streams in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia.

The University of Pennsylvania has financial ties with PNC. The goal is to have Penn break those ties or have PNC stop financing MTR.

For more videos of amazing student actions, check this out!