Burning the Future: Coal In America is director David Novack's searing expose about how the coal mining industry in West Virginia has transformed the naturally lush mountain landscape into a wasteland, destroyed the region's fresh water supply and caused widespread health issues for area residents.
For outsiders, the film provides entree into the oppressive, claustrophopic conditions inherent to underground coal mining and the outright devastation caused by the stripping of mountain tops for coal, while showing how local culture and lifestyle are also being undermined by big money and government interests that put greater value on cheap fuel than on the lives and wellbeing of citizens. The gripping documentary contains all the drama of a classic struggle between industrialists intent on promoting coal as America's prevalent source of energy and local activists who are fighting to preserve the environment, protect their families and sustain their traditional way of life.
After premiering theatrically in New York on Feburary 29, and opening in Los Angeles the following week, the film will be broadcast on Sundance Channel’s The Green environmental docs series on Tuesday, May 13 at 9:35pm EST. Mark the date on your calendar. This is a compelling film about an important issue: 36% of US global warming emissions comes from approximately 501 coal-burning power plants--that's more than the emissions from 377 million cars. You can see the film's trailer by clicking here.
(PHOTO: Coal burning power plant stacks spew emissions over the homes of residents in West Virginia, Courtesy Firefly Pix)
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