expectations

I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey two summers ago, but what I experienced of the mountain range was quite limited. I met a few thru-hikers and section hikers, people who basically hike the entire trail from Georgia to Maine in one go or in sections. I had never been much of a nature person, having spent my whole life in a city, but to the hikers who I met, the Appalachian Trail occupied a place of incomparable ethos. I look forward, with our coursework and our trip in March, to understanding yet another identity of the Appalachian Mountains. I have never been to Appalachia, like many of the other ASB participants, and I suspect it may be as different physically, materially, and culturally from my hometown as any place could be within America. I expect to be a bit surprised now and then, and perhaps to even have a hard time envisioning the things which we are reading about and discussing. However, I don't doubt that once we arrive in West Virginia, things will fall into place once the physical landscape is in front of us.

I'm very interested in understanding the role of coal in Appalachian's everyday lives. That constitutes my biggest question: how can an outsider see the position of the coal industry from local community institutions, structures, relationships? I also am very interested, more on a macro level, the authorities involved in coal mining. If America were to transition to alternative energy sources, who will make the call? Will the federal government encounter insuperable state or local authorities? I imagine the easiest way to successfully transition is for there to be vision of an alternative energy future in every level of governance, in which case, my question will be: how can we promote this vision at all these levels?

Needless to say, I'm excited!