CHARLESTON, West Virginia — Don Blankenship and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the coal baron and the conservationist, are certain they could win over the world if only the public could see mountaintop removal mining through their eyes. On Thursday, they got their shot.

Blankenship, the outspoken chief executive of Massey Energy Co., went toe-to-toe with Kennedy, the celebrity environmental attorney, in a debate that amounts to a prize fight for the hearts and minds of Americans who know next to nothing about coal.

Each man stepped out of his customary setting — preaching to the converted about Appalachian strip mining — and addressed a hand-picked crowd of 950 at the University of Charleston. They hope the conversation will carry beyond coal country via the Internet.

To some, mountaintop mining puts food on the table and mortgage checks in the mail. To others, it defaces majestic scenery, pollutes water and shatters the quiet country existence of people who've called the mountains home for generations.

"The two primary concerns have to be the security of the country and improving the quality of life throughout the country and the world," Blankenship said.

U.S. energy policy needs to allow for producing lots of energy at low cost, environmental concern and prudent management of the resource, Blankenship said.

Kennedy countered that surface mining has helped keep West Virginia among the poorest states in the country.

"What we're fighting here is not just the destruction — the massive and worst destruction of our environment," Kennedy said. "All of the institutions that are key to a functioning democracy are under assault because of this industry."

Before the event began, small groups stood in the raw drizzle in front of the university auditorium and gymnasium, talking with like-minded people rather than demonstrating or arguing.

James McGuinness of Rock Creek said the night's event could be a tipping point for the movement against mountaintop removal mining.

"More and more politicians are starting to understand," he said. "There are miners against mountaintop removal mining. There are a lot more people who are against it now."

Massey surface miner Chuck Kelley said it's time for the industry to fight back.

"We've sat on our hands for so long," he said. "We have to get out and take care of ourselves."

Blankenship rose from poverty in the Appalachian coalfields to become head of Richmond, Virginia-based Massey Energy, the region's largest coal operator with more than 6,000 employees.

Kennedy comes from a legendary political family that, despite its opposition to strip mining, has long been beloved by West Virginians for its interest in lifting generations from poverty.

For nearly a decade, environmentalists and the mining industry have fought over mountaintop removal. Over the past year, however, the fight has become more fierce.

There have been nearly 100 arrests at 20 protests, most involving trespassing. Miners respond to environmentalists' rallies with sign-toting hecklers and lines of coal trucks blasting air horns.

While hearts and minds may be the prize for the debaters, University President Ed Welch who was moderating the debate said there's also something at stake for society: the ability to have a serious, civil conversation about a contentious issue.

"If we can't have intelligent discourse about the most important issues we face, where are we?" he said. "If we can help people understand it's a hard issue, that's a major step forward."

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Associated Press Writer Vicki Smith in Morgantown contributed to this story.