--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mountaintop removal coal operations…" description: "\"Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only a handful of elites while impoverishing everyone else in their proximity.\" — Gloria Reuben" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg" --- # Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only a handful… ![“Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only a handful of elites while impoverishing everyone else in their proximity.” quote by Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg) > “Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only a handful of elites while impoverishing everyone else in their proximity.” [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mountaintop removal mining benefits few elites while harming nearby communities. **In simple terms:** Mining enriches few, harms many nearby. Key Takeaway Advocate for equitable environmental policies. Themes environment economic inequality resource extraction Mood urgent concerned Type activist analytical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - community health - land reclamation Key Concepts environmental justice capitalist exploitation Questions to Reflect On - How can affected communities gain a voice? - What alternatives exist to destructive mining? A Different Perspective Economic gains may fund local development if regulated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Elites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elites/) [Proximity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proximity/) ## Related quotes > [Prior to that I testified before the Senate subcommittee addressing mountaintop removal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-richardson/prior-to-that-i-testified-before-the-senate-subcommittee-addressing/) [Kevin Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-richardson/) > [claiming that the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining, blowing the tops off mountains to get at the coal beneath, performs the "necessary" function…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/claiming-that-the-destructive-practice-of-mountaintop-removal-mining/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [Economic development is what's going to make mountaintop removal palatable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-manchin/economic-development-is-what-s-going-to-make-mountaintop-removal/) [Joe Manchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-manchin/) > [“This isn't about keeping mountains looking pretty. Ending mountaintop removal is about keeping humanity alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rivera-sun/this-isn-t-about-keeping-mountains-looking-pretty-ending-mountaintop/) [Rivera Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rivera-sun/) > [If it can't be proven that mountaintop removal mining is safe, we shouldn't allow it to continue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yarmuth/if-it-can-t-be-proven-that-mountaintop-removal-mining-is-safe-we/) [John Yarmuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yarmuth/) > [“Mountaintop removal is nothing but strip-mining on steroids. Appalachian coal is found in seams, sort of like layers of a cake. At the top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-grisham/mountaintop-removal-is-nothing-but-strip-mining-on-steroids/) [John Grisham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-grisham/) > [I am only so beautiful as the character of my relationships, only so rich as I enrich those around me, only so alive as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derrick-jensen/i-am-only-so-beautiful-as-the-character-of-my-relationships-only-so/) [Derrick Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derrick-jensen/) > [“Let us take care of our Garden of Eden with the fragrance of its flowers and the oxygen of its sheltering trees and savor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/let-us-take-care-of-our-garden-of-eden-with-the-fragrance-of-its/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [Never pass up new experiences,They enrich the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margret-mitchelle/never-pass-up-new-experiences-they-enrich-the-mind/) Margret Mitchelle > [Indeed, President Trump seems to have a pretty good idea how to enrich oneself at taxpayer expense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lieu/indeed-president-trump-seems-to-have-a-pretty-good-idea-how-to-enrich/) [Ted Lieu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-lieu/) > [“Strive to enrich all lives, hearts and minds not just your own pockets”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/strive-to-enrich-all-lives-hearts-and-minds-not-just-your-own-pockets/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [I always hope that the artwork will complement and enrich a story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-paul-weston/i-always-hope-that-the-artwork-will-complement-and-enrich-a-story/) [Robert Paul Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-paul-weston/) > [To give a generous hope to a man of his own nature, is to enrich him immeasurably.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/to-give-a-generous-hope-to-a-man-of-his-own-nature-is-to-enrich-him/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [“Would I be telling them in order to enrich their education or to enrich myself?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-jennings/would-i-be-telling-them-in-order-to-enrich-their-education-or-to/) Kevin Jennings > [“The rich run a global system that allows them to accumulate capital and pay the lowest possible price for labour. The freedom that results…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-moore/the-rich-run-a-global-system-that-allows-them-to-accumulate-capital/) [Charles Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-moore/) ## More by Gloria Reuben > [How can we teach our children to be responsible beyond themselves and care for other human beings' welfare and for the welfare of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/how-can-we-teach-our-children-to-be-responsible-beyond-themselves-and/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [I had been an activist on the issue of HIV, primarily in the African American and Latino communities here in the U.S. for many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/i-had-been-an-activist-on-the-issue-of-hiv-primarily-in-the-african/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [I've always loved journaling as a way to clear my mind. Whether I'm traveling or at home, the first thing I do when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/i-ve-always-loved-journaling-as-a-way-to-clear-my-mind-whether-i-m/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [In my work as an actress and an activist, I've spent many years working with low income communities and people of color who don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/in-my-work-as-an-actress-and-an-activist-i-ve-spent-many-years/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [And I am the kind of person that feels so much that if I didn’t have acting (and music), I would burst from all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/and-i-am-the-kind-of-person-that-feels-so-much-that-if-i-didn-t-have/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [Comprehensive climate legislation must be passed so that we can ensure a world where this and future generations can experience the bliss of breathing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/comprehensive-climate-legislation-must-be-passed-so-that-we-can/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [The destruction of the natural beauty, the ecosystems, and the majesty of mountains affect us in ways we're not even aware of. Every time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/the-destruction-of-the-natural-beauty-the-ecosystems-and-the-majesty/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [Our planet is warming due to pollution from human activities. And a warming climate increases the likelihood of extreme weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/our-planet-is-warming-due-to-pollution-from-human-activities-and-a/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [The main cause that I have attached my name to and am working diligently in is the issue of climate change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/the-main-cause-that-i-have-attached-my-name-to-and-am-working/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [Corporations are poisoning our air and water while at the same time lining the pockets of elected officials with political contributions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/corporations-are-poisoning-our-air-and-water-while-at-the-same-time/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [I consider myself to be an international woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/i-consider-myself-to-be-an-international-woman/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [The coal industry is a huge industry when we're talking about polluting the environment, our air and our waterways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/the-coal-industry-is-a-huge-industry-when-we-re-talking-about/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [It seems to me like Mother Nature's mercy and forgiveness have run dry, as we ceaselessly abuse her and take her for granted in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/it-seems-to-me-like-mother-nature-s-mercy-and-forgiveness-have-run/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [I was in L.A. during an earthquake in 1994, an experience that really stressed me out. I started doing yoga to calm my nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/i-was-in-l-a-during-an-earthquake-in-1994-an-experience-that-really/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) > [Clean energy is about offering people the opportunity to do what's right for themselves and the people they love. It's about reducing the pollution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/clean-energy-is-about-offering-people-the-opportunity-to-do-what-s/) [Gloria Reuben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) [Explore all 18 Gloria Reuben quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/) ## More Coal quotes > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [Coal lay in ledges under the ground since the Flood, until a laborer with pick and windlass brings it to the surface. We may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/coal-lay-in-ledges-under-the-ground-since-the-flood-until-a-laborer/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The only difference between black coal and a precious diamond is the amount of pressure it endured.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/the-only-difference-between-black-coal-and-a-precious-diamond-is-the/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [In that sense, I became politicized because the people in the coal mining villages who were involved in the struggle knew why they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-bragg/in-that-sense-i-became-politicized-because-the-people-in-the-coal/) [Billy Bragg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-bragg/) > [Dusty, dark, cold, and hard, coal has no beauty of its own, but when it is consummated by fire it is beautiful and becomes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederica-mathewes-green/dusty-dark-cold-and-hard-coal-has-no-beauty-of-its-own-but-when-it-is/) [Frederica Mathewes-Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederica-mathewes-green/) > [a TEN-YEAR-OLD lad in Indianapolis who was arrested for picking up coal along the side of railroad tracks is now in jail. If the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-jones/a-ten-year-old-lad-in-indianapolis-who-was-arrested-for-picking-up/) Mother Jones > [Coal is the moral choice, particularly for the developing world... The model for the world right now should be Australia. Australia gets it. Scientifically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-morano/coal-is-the-moral-choice-particularly-for-the-developing-world-the/) Marc Morano > [Iron and coal dominated everywhere, from grey to black: the black boots, the black stove-pipe hat, the black coach or carriage, the black iron…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/iron-and-coal-dominated-everywhere-from-grey-to-black-the-black-boots/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [I remember being very influenced by 'Taxi Driver', and also Tommy Lee Jones in 'Coal Miner's Daughter' a little bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rockwell/i-remember-being-very-influenced-by-taxi-driver-and-also-tommy-lee/) [Sam Rockwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-rockwell/) > [I have visited sweatshops, factories, and crowded slums. If I could not see it, I could smell it. The foundation of society is laid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-have-visited-sweatshops-factories-and-crowded-slums-if-i-could-not/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [Shakespeare doesn't belong to the past. If his material is valid, it is valid now. It's like coal. The only meaningfulness of a piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-brook/shakespeare-doesn-t-belong-to-the-past-if-his-material-is-valid-it-is/) [Peter Brook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-brook/) > [Coal is My Worst Nightmare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-chu/coal-is-my-worst-nightmare/) [Steven Chu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-chu/) > [America is the Saudi Arabia of coal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/america-is-the-saudi-arabia-of-coal/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“...those others - they're looking for trends - subjects to catch a spark - but I have you - a coal from God's altar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-geddes/those-others-they-re-looking-for-trends-subjects-to-catch-a-spark-but/) [John Geddes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-geddes/) > [We're not going to be living in a world of abundant coal power in a hundred years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-chait/we-re-not-going-to-be-living-in-a-world-of-abundant-coal-power-in-a/) [Jonathan Chait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-chait/) Browse all 720 Coal quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only a handful of elites while impoverishing everyone else in their proximity.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gloria Reuben" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enrich-only-a-handful-of-elites/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Coal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enrich-only-a-handful-of-elites/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/898/gloria-reuben-29188_coal_mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enri_1614606.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only a handful of elites while impoverishing everyone else in…” — Gloria Reuben", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Gloria Reuben", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-reuben/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Mountaintop removal coal operations enrich only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enrich-only-a-handful-of-elites/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-reuben/mountaintop-removal-coal-operations-enrich-only-a-handful-of-elites/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```