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In the News

Patriot Coal to Cease Mountain Top Removal Mining

11/15/2012

Huge Victory for Our Mountains!

One of Appalachia's biggest coal companies is getting out of the mountaintop removal business. Patriot Coal signed an agreement with the Sierra Club, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy on November 15 to immediately phase out its practice of large-scale surface mining in Appalachia.

For Appalachians suffering from the effects of mountaintop removal mining -- increased risk of heart disease and birth defects, water and air pollution, and the destruction of 500 area mountains -- this is an historic moment.

While this is great news, there's still work to be done. Other coal companies are moving forward with plans to blow off the tops of mountains and bury streams in dozens of locations across Appalachia.

Tell the EPA to make protecting Appalachia from destructive coal mining a top priority in the next Obama administration!

https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacycmd=display&page=UserAction&id=9851


ACT NOW!

5/25/2012
Blasting is about to begin, just above Maria Gunnoe's home....please ACT NOW and speak out!

http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=239681.0&dlv_id=207223


Burning the Future to Air on PBS + Free Online April/May 2012

4/11/2012

To help raise greater awareness about the ongoing health and environmental impacts of coal, an updated version of the award-winning film Burning the Future: Coal in America will be broadcast on select PBS stations in April and May, and will be available to view free online for Earth Day weekend, April 21-22 for individuals who sign up at BurningtheFuture.com

America's 416 remaining coal-fired power plants are a primary focus for Earth Day and Earth Month, as coal is one of the main contributors to climate change and to public health problems like asthma and mercury pollution.

Burning the Futuredramatically documents the devastating ecological, social and health impact our addiction to coal has on West Virginia, where mountaintop removal mining has destroyed over 1.4 million acres of mountains and polluted the groundwater. The film profiles courageous local residents who organized to challenge the powerful coal industry and arouse the nation to coals devastating local and global costs.

Among those featured in the film is Maria Gunnoe, who won the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her organizing. The new, shorter 56 minute broadcast version of the film includes an updated ending highlighting some of the recent successes in the fight to move beyond coal.

Burning the Future won critical praise from the New York Times, Variety and New York Magazine, as well as over 15 awards including the prestigious Pare Lorentz Award from the International Documentary Association and the top honor from the Society of Environmental Journalists.

"We encourage people to watch the film, then go to BurningTheFuture.com to find out how to take action to stop coal plants and mountain-top removal, to connect with groups working to transition from coal to renewable energy, and to order a copy of the film to screen in your community to help mobilize greater opposition to coal," said David Novack, the film's producer.

For the public television schedule, to signup for free online Earth Day screenings, and for more information about the film, visit
http://www.BurningTheFuture.comor call 1-800-475-2638.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trailers and clips available for promotional purposes. Please share and embed:

Film Trailer (:30)
http://vimeo.com/39311288

Film Excerpt Featuring Goldman Prize Winner Maria Gunnoe (1:23)
http://vimeo.com/36323828

Coal is a Public Health Issue - Short Film (6:43)
http://vimeo.com/39652140

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ABOUT SPECIALTY STUDIOS

Specialty Studios is a fully integrated media and content studio harnessing the power of socially conscious media to touch hearts, engage minds, and inspire action. We partner with producers to build powerful campaigns that get audiences actively involved in creating solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. The company offers community screenings at SpecialtyStudios.com. Its educational division, The Video Project, VideoProject.com distributes educational media and documentary programming on critical environmental, global and social issues to the widest possible audience worldwide, including colleges, schools, libraries, businesses, religious groups, government agencies and non-governmental organizations.



EPA to reduce new power plants' carbon pollution

3/27/2012
http://njtoday.net/2012/03/21/poll-shows-the-public-wants-epa-to-do-more-to-reduce-air-pollution/


A court victory for the evils of mountaintop removal coal mining: Arch Coal Spruce No. 1 mine permit reinstated

3/25/2012
http://www.climatesciencewatch.org/2012/03/25/court-victory-for-the-evils-of-mountaintop-removal-coal-mining/


EPA's veto of Spruce Mine permit overturned

3/23/2012
http://wvgazette.com/News/MiningtheMountains/201203230106


Poll Shows The Public Wants EPA To Do More To Reduce Air Pollution

3/21/2012
http://njtoday.net/2012/03/21/poll-shows-the-public-wants-epa-to-do-more-to-reduce-air-pollution/


The Job-Creating Mercury Rule

2/22/2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/opinion/the-job-creating-mercury-rule.html


New EPA Rules to Reduce Mercury in Fish

2/22/2012

http://fox8.com/2012/02/22/new-epa-rules-to-reduce-mercury-in-fish/


Presidential Memorandum -- Flexible Implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards Rule

12/21/2011
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/21/presidential-memorandum-flexible-implementation-mercury-and-air-toxics-s


EPA Mercury and Air Toxics Rules for Power Plants: 20+ Years in the Making

12/14/2011
http://insights.wri.org/news/2011/12/epa-mercury-and-air-toxics-rules-power-plants-20-years-making


Burning coal is the biggest carbon source worldwide and emissions from that jumped nearly 8 percent in 2010

11/4/2011
 http://www.readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/8243-focus-greenhouse-gases-higher-than-worst-case-scenario


"Monster" greenhouse gas levels seen

11/3/2011
 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57317968/monster-greenhouse-gas-levels-seen/


NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg takes on big coal with $50 million investment:

7/21/2011
 http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2084476,00.html


NY Times article - American doc Showcase

1/16/2011

Today's NY Times features Burning the Future in an article on Documentary Diplomacy - about the US State Department's "American Documentary Showcase."

Check it out here.
Or copy/paste http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/movies/16docs.html?_r=2



EPA enforces Clean Water Act closes down mine in Maria's backyard

1/13/2011
 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/14/science/earth/14coal.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y


Marsh Fork Elementary School receives grant to relocate

5/12/2010
 http://www.good.is/post/marsh-fork-elementary-school-will-escape-the-mass-of-toxic-coal-sludge/


Charles Annenberg put up 2.5M and is the hero that made this happen. He is also one of the largest funders of LINK TV, one of the first broadcasters to call attention to Burning the Future:


DVD's on sale

3/5/2008
There are different versions of the dvd available for purchase on the website, www.burningthefuture.org.

The institutional version contains robust teaching guides and a license to display the film within the institution. This version is distributed by The Video Project, a premier educational media distribution company.

A consumer version is available as well directly from the website. It is a rich resource, with a DVD-ROM section called the "Coal Impact Guide." This will contain important materials to round out the viewers' education and help them to dig even deeper.

Stay tuned.