Hightower Lowdown

For those who whine that the Powers That Be are so powerful there's no use even bothering to battle the bastardstake note and take heart in three big court victories by grassroots battlers:

1. A coalition of environmental and citizen groups in the West Virginia area has convinced a federal judge to rein in coal industry giants who do "mountaintop removal." Instead of tunneling into the mountains to get at the coal, the corporations simply blow up the top third of the mountains, shove the rubble into valleys and streams below, and scoop out the coal.

2. A coalition of environmental groups and Nevada officials beat back the nuclear power giants who wanted to bury all of America's high-level nuclear waste in Nevada's Yucca Mountain, in an earthquake zone. We'd all be at risk from long-term radiation leaks, and having the hot stuff hauled on trucks and trains through population centers. A federal appeals court has halted the plan.

3. Recently, another federal appeals court ruled against lapdog regulators who tried to let Big Media grow bigger, shrinking media competition, diversity. Community radio broadcasters and citizen groups won that battle. To join these fights, go to www.jimhightower.com