"There is no reason why an old lady walking down the road should have been so well received except for the fact that it had been a long time since any of these people could go meet someone who was not a callow, self-promoting, snakeoil-selling political promoter."– Doris Haddock, aka "Granny D"

"The economic benefits for protection of roadless areas are substantial. With more than 45% of The U. S. population living within a days drive from its borders, West Virginia is well suited to provide a wilderness refuge for millions of people. As the demand for wilderness grows, so will the value of these opportunities for roadless habitat. We can already observe this trend in its infancy: from 1990 to 1996, the income generated by tourism in West Virginia jumped from $3.2 billion to over $4 billion. Furthermore, with only a 40% maintenance record for the National Forest Road system, we should reevaluate opportunities to remove roads for economic and ecological reasons." – Than Hitt

"It is highly probable that, however poorly the planet is managed, it will support some humans and other species. However, sustainable use of the planet has, as a core goal, living in a way that does not decrease the options of future generations. Surely this includes a meaningful relationship with natural systems and minimizing the suffering of human and other species. Quality is emphasized over quantity, but, over a long span of time, sustainability should ensure that more people cumulatively live on the planet. This will require a major paradigm shift. The impetus for the shift cold be either reason guided by intelligence or consequences. The most likely scenario is some of each." – John Cairns, Jr

"Predatory personalities among us are often in positions of control, where their pathologies are nurtured by the very structure of advanced industrial institutions ... It may not be strictly necessary to be a sociopath in order to be in a position of power in our society, but the rules of the game require doing a good imitation of one." – Will Miller, philosophy professor from "Monthly Review" of February 1999 quoted in the "Utne Reader," July-August 1999

"Once you start looking at where things come from ... like, being vegan, I’m not going to eat ... cheese, because the process that creates ... cheese, I feel, is unhealthy. But ... I’m a lot more offended to see someone wearing gold that I am to see someone eating cheese, because the process of gold extraction is bad for the environment, it’s bad for the animals [in the environment], it’s bad for the people – [and] it’s usually native people. Once you look at things that way, you’re done for. You just can’t be a willing participant in consumer society anymore." – Rahula Janowski, activist who was sentenced to six years in jail for her part in throwing a pie in the face of San Francisco mayor, Willie Brown. [from "Utne Reader," July-August 1999]

"... Elk Run [subsidiary of Massey Coal] remains committed to addressing the concerns of the citizens of Sylvester." – Bill Marcum, a Massey press spokesman [this after the citizens of Sylvester complained nine months ago about Elk Run illegally polluting the air with dust].