Coal Country tells of the dramatic struggle around the use of coal, which provides over half the electricity in America.
In Appalachia, miners and residents are locked in conflict: is mining and processing coal essential to providing good jobs, or is it destroying the land, water and air? What does this mean for the rest of America and the world?
At issue is the latest form of strip mining called "mountaintop removal," or MTR. Coal companies blast the tops off mountains, scoop up the exposed coal, and dump the leftover debris into valleys and streams. Coal is mined more cheaply than ever, but the air and water are filled with chemicals while an ancient mountain range is disappearing forever.
Following the screening (84 min.), take part in a conversation about how Baltimoreans are organizing to regulate and retire coal-fired power plants in Greater Baltimore.
Sponsored by the Sierra Club Maryland. For information, contact seth.bush@sierraclub.org.
Thursday, March 13, 2014 at 6:00pm
Central Library, Wheeler Auditorium
400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201