Images: Google Earth with a cause

Nonprofit group Appalachian Voices is using 3D maps in Google Earth to show how millions of acres of Appalachian Mountains across four states have been destroyed by mining companies, in a process called mountaintop removal, the group says. Coal miners blow off the tops of mountains with explosives to get at coal faster and more cheaply. The result is that surrounding areas are buried by pollution and waste, streams dry up, and soot lingers in the air, the group says.

So with the help of Google, the nonprofit built a virtual "national memorial" for 470 topless mountains in the area--marked by half-mast flags--with information and guides on the process of mountaintop removal. The map layer, found in Google Earth's "featured content," also shows historic before-and-after aerial photos of the mountains; overlay comparisons to illustrate the scope of destruction; and links to first-hand stories and videos from the communities affected by mountaintop removal.