Tonight at 4:00 pm PDT at Netroots Arena in the 3D virtual world of Second Life, Netroots Nation in Second Life is proud to present a screening of Michael O'Connell's 2006 documentary Mountain Top Removal. Following the film, I'll be interviewing Mike in a voice stream that SL'ers can listen to. (I'll post it as a podcast to http://www.nninsl.org later.)
The film is produced by Haw River Films, organizers of this summer's Mountain Aid benefit that featured Kathy Mattea, Ben Sollee , Donna the Buffalo, and many others. From the Haw River page on MTR:
Throughout southern Appalachia Mountain Top Removal coal mining is on the rise blasting and leveling highland forests and streams. The process literally changes the geology of the region. Citizens negatively impacted by the resulting flooding, pollution, and destruction of their homes are fighting back to oppose big coals impact on their lives and communities.
More below the fold.
Tonight, I don't want to tell you about the numbers relating to poverty, to pollution, to the poisoning of Appalachia's water supply, to the utter decimation of Appalachia's physical landscape. Graphics like the one to the left, as well as superb blogs such as Appalachian Voices and Coal Tattoo, can do that much better than I could.
No, tonight, I want to issue our final (for this year) invitation that you join us in Second Life for the remainder of NNSL. NN in Pittsburgh's final keynote is going on right now (Darcy Burner, by the way, and you can watch it right now at http://www.ustream.tv/..., and should!). To make it in time for the film, which is slated to start at 4:00 PDT should the keynote not run long, I realize it's short notice, but our friendly greeters are here, and are more than willing to help you get oriented right quick.
Check out these diaries for a quick crash-course in joining us. I hope to see you there.
http://www.dailykos.com/...
http://www.dailykos.com/...
And this isn't our final event. Tonight, we're having a pixellated Formal Ball, and tomorrow we're streaming in an Interfaith Service with Pastor Dan, followed by a visit from Billybob Neck, one final panel in-world about looking forward for online activism, and what is shaping up to be one hell of a beach party. See http://www.nninsl.org for details.
This is an important film, and an important issue--and not just to those who live in Appalachia. You shouldn't be able to say "that used to be a mountain." We shouldn't have to put up with Big Coal telling mountainfolk that their problem is...too many mountains! Here, let us help you with that, so you have more flat land! If you can't make it onto SL for the film, or just plain aren't interested in coming to a virtual world, please go to Haw River's website and buy a copy of this film. They're doing some very good work, and deserve our support.
Enough is enough. Tonight, I'm stealing va dare's sign-off.
Always the mountains,
Progressive Witness