Column by J. Steven GardnerAs a UK graduate and engineer working for the last 33 years to help solve the challenges of mining coal in a responsible manner, I was amazed at the Kernel editorial board commentary on Nov. 23. Apparently the editorial board finds all art a waste since all sculptures in one way or another are formed from natural resources. Second, I was also amazed at how uninformed they were about mining issues they discussed in their commentary.

I have had the opportunity to travel to Ghana and meet many Ghanaians. It is a wonderful country, rich in mining heritage much like Kentucky. Ghanaians are wonderful artists and wonderful people. However, the coal they generally use in their “coal pots” is charcoal (which is made from wood). The nearest country with significant coal reserves that are actually mined is Nigeria. Sculptor El Anatsui specializes in art formed from natural resources; metals, wood and now coal.

The Kernel editorial board has insulted both the people in Kentucky where coal is mined, the legacy of coal miners and Ghanaian culture. Also, they have reinforced the misinformed and negative stereotypes that mining “is ripping apart the state’s landscape.” Mining is a form of sculpting the earth. Humanity has reshaped the earth’s surface since the first tools were made. Lexington and other cities have reshaped the earth, filled miles of streams and impacted the environment.

People of the coalfields who own the land that is being mined are extremely upset that others outside the coalfields are trying to tell them what to do with their land and trying to deny them the same opportunities that those in the Golden Triangle of Lexington, Louisville and Northern Kentucky already have. Thousands of Kentuckians now live, work, go to school, shop, go to the doctor and hospital, fly, play golf, recreate, farm and enjoy the use reclaimed mine land in many ways.

The Kernel editorial board and, in fact, the editors of the Herald-Leader and Courier-Journal, ignore the real experts at UK on engineering, hydrology, forestry and agronomy who have helped develop the science and technologies that allow modern mining to perform such miracles with the land. These experts have helped turn mining into a form of sustainable development that will provide opportunities for the Appalachian region and the Western Kentucky coalfields for generations to come. True, mining does present environmental challenges and there have been tragedies that have taken human life, but what human activity has not?

Coal has allowed our country to advance to the point it is today. I do agree that coal is a finite resource and that our society consumes too much, but at the present, there is no viable energy alternative that will support our current way of life, except nuclear. It will take decades to replace our coal-based infrastructure.

I also agree the world needs to develop alternative energy generation wherever possible, but it will take time. Even then, an inconvenient reality is that society must still continue to mine natural resources. Think about what all those windmills and solar panels will be made from. And coal will continue to be required as a material resource.

So, in closing, Anatsui’s sculpture is a very fitting tribute to Kentucky and coal and links to his African culture. The Kernel editorial board should revisit their research and learn the facts before making statements such as those on Nov. 23.