When you turn on a light switch, are you participating in the chain of events that begins with mountaintop removal? Many of us are, especially in the southeast, where much of our electricity is generated by coal burning plants.
Coal Country, a new movie being promoted by the Sierra Club, offers a quick 45 minute lesson on the multiple types of environmental damage inflicted by our dependence on coal.
But far from showcasing "outside agitators," in this movie the people who speak are those who are living closely with the dust, dirty water, and wholesale destruction caused by this type of mining.
Coal Country's use of local activists to describe the devastation to nature and communities caused by coal makes its assessment all the more damning.
The movie's highlights include
aerial views of mountaintops being mined,
inspiring interviews with community activists who have organized against the destruction of their communities,
clips from public hearings in West Virginia,
astute commentary from activists who have organized resistance via the courts,
music and commentary by singer Kathy Mattea, who grew up in the areas now being mined.
Showings are being organized all over the country. You can also view the movie on planet green
Not sure how your power is generated? This site allows you to enter your zip code to find out how much mountaintop removal coal feeds the power plants near you.