Top Environmental Documentaries and Movies

Here is a list of some of the best documentaries and movies with an environmental theme. Many of these films deal with fossil fuels and they all deal with the environmental implications of human activity. Some of the older movies like "Baraka" and "Koyaanisqatsi" date back more than two decades while others like "Promised Land" and "Chasing Ice"  were released in 2012.

All films are linked to sites that offer a review and a trailer, some of the links go to the full length video. Here are 42 of the best movies and documentaries related to the environment:


Promised Land

Chasing Ice

On Coal River

Gasland

Gashole

The Alberta Tar Sands

The Age of Stupid

The Antartic Ozone Hole - from Discovery to Recovery

Ecosystem in Crisis

Greedy Lying Bastards

Who Killed the Electric Car

Revenge of the Electric Car

Who Bombed Judi Bari?

Education for a Sustainable Future

Cradle to Cradle

Sustainability

No Impact Man

Trashed

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

Artic Tale

King Corn

Flow

Sleep Dealer

Baraka

Koyaanisqatsi

Home

The 11th Hour

An Inconvenient Truth

Patagonia

Patagonia Rising

The Story Of Stuff

BagIt

Dirt!

The Cove

Fresh!

Vanishing Bees

Human Footprint

Why We Fight

The End of Suburbia

A Farm for the Future

Waste Land

Tapped

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Promised Land: A Review by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Written by costars Matt Damon and John Krasinski, this Gus Van Sant film shows how farmers hit hard hit by recession must decide whether they are going to take the money offered by gas companies that want to employ hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on their lands. In this article Robert F. Kennedy Jr. offers his comments on the movie.

A December 2012 Siena College poll shows that upstate New Yorkers oppose fracking by an astounding margin of 45-39. Those numbers surprise New York politicians who can generally count on the support of upstaters for virtually any industrial or commercial enterprise that promises even the faintest chance of economic development for New York’s impoverished rural communities.

Matt Damon and John Krasinski’s new film Promised Land answers the question of why even the poorest rural communities are standing up against fracking. Damon and Krasinki both co-wrote and star in the film. At a screening Tuesday night, Matt told me why the pair undertook this enterprise:

Everyone knows that fracking poisons the air and water. We wanted to show how it tears apart local communities and subverts democracies and corrupts political leaders and eviscerates all the things that Americans value.

The film, which ends with a surprise twist, does all these things. It also serves as a primer for communities that are seduced by the whiff of big money and the lies of a smooth-talking landman. Damon plays a particularly convincingly landman, the gas industry’s front line magician whose job it is to deceive rural landowners into signing away their mineral rights for a song filled with empty promises.

Any community that is seriously debating fracking ought to screen this film publicly. As we debate fracking in our state, every New Yorker owes it to go to their theaters Dec. 28 and see this extraordinary film.

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Infrastructure Planning: The Planning Inspectorate, Hybrid Bills and Community Engagement (Event)

This event will take place on Tuesday, 22nd January 2013 at the Johnnie Walker Room, The Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin Street, London. This seminar will provide a timely opportunity to discuss how planning for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) is being handled under the new system. This event is CPD certified.

Guests of Honour: Sir Michael Pitt, Chief Executive, Planning Inspectorate and Giles Scott, Head of National Infrastructure Consents, Department of Energy and Climate Change

This seminar will provide a timely opportunity to assess how planning for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) is being handled following the transfer of the Infrastructure Planning Commission's responsibilities to the Planning Inspectorate - as well as what the Growth and Infrastructure Bill might mean for the national planning regime and Planning Inspectorate.

It will bring together stakeholders - including local authorities, environmental groups and energy and transport companies - to engage with policymakers on their experiences and priorities for the new regulatory situation moving forward.

Planned sessions focus on current issues including what can be done to balance the infrastructure development agenda with the concerns of local communities that it will affect. The economic case for investing in NSIPs and the actual capability of UK businesses to do so will also be examined in light of the Government's new UK Guarantees scheme aiming to help underwrite currently stalled private investment via a fund worth £40 billion, as well as offering £6 billion in direct government loans to encourage new infrastructure development. Delegates will also consider concerns that future Hybrid Bills could undermine UK planning by offering a possibility that planning consent could be individually legislated for on a case-by-case basis.

We are delighted that Sir Michael Pitt, Chief Executive, Planning Inspectorate and Giles Scott, Head of National Infrastructure Consents, Department of Energy and Climate Change have kindly agreed to deliver keynote addresses at this seminar.

Other confirmed speakers include Kristine Beuret, Director, Social Research Associates (SRA); John Hoad, Head of Planning, Campaign to Protect Rural England; Dr Tim Marshall, Reader in Planning, Oxford Brookes University; Andrew Neill, Co-Head, London Advisory Team, Investec; Hector Pearson, External Affairs Manager for Land and Development, National Grid; Keith Perry, Head of Asset and Investment Finance, EC Harris; John Rhodes, Director, Quod; Simon Ricketts, Partner and Head, Planning and Environment Group, SJ Berwin; Martin Tugwell, Deputy Director (Growth and Infrastructure), Oxfordshire County Council and Angus Walker, Partner, Bircham Dyson Bell, together with a speaker confirmed from KPMG.

Clive Betts MP, Chair, Communities and Local Government Select Committee and Mark Pawsey MP, Member, Communities and Local Government Select Committee have kindly agreed to chair part of this seminar.

For more information click here.

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Water Industry Customer Conference (Event)

This event will take place on January 24th 2013 in Birmingham, UK. The conference will address the role of the customer in the changing water industry. No longer a silent service provider, the sector has to realign as customer-facing, not only in the call centre, but throughout the supply chain. The rewards for successful engagement are multi-fold, including resource demand reduction, smoother project delivery, improved revenue collection and better environmental management.

The Water Industry Customer Conference aims to give professionals in the sector the opportunity to better understand the policy framework around the customer experience and share best practice with their peers.

Expert speakers include:

  • Sonia Phippard, Director, Water & Flood Risk Management, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Dame 
  • Yve Buckland, Chair, Consumer Council for Water 
  • Luis Garcia Berenguer, Chief Executive Officer, Bristol 
  • Water Barbara Hughes, Director of Consumer Policy, 
  • Ofwat Belinda Oldfield, General Manager Regulation, Scottish Water 
  •  Louise Hunter, Director of Corporate Affairs, Northumbrian Water 
  •  Andy Pymer, Director of Customer and Retail Services, Wessex Water 
  •  Victor Freeney, Head of Stakeholder Engagement, Thames Water Utilities 
  •  Martyn Oakley, Director of Customer Services, Anglian Water Roger Darlington

For more information click here.

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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2013 (Events)

Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2013 includes five major events that will take place January 13-17th in the United Arab Emirates. These five events offer a significant platform for international dialogue and cooperation. Together they are expected to welcome over 30,000 participants from 150 countries, including world leaders, policy makers, thought leaders, decision makers, experts, scientists, business leaders and academics, in an effort to:
  • Tackle the world’s pressing issues in energy, water and environment 
  •  Accelerate the global adoption of renewable energy 
  •  Address water challenges in arid regions Elevate the water - energy nexus topics on the global agenda 
  •  Encourage the dialogue between broad industry stakeholders to strengthen strategic partnerships 
  • Stimulate investment in water, energy and environment projects 
  •  Empower the young generations and entrepreneurs Conferences and Events

The International Renewable Energy Agency General Assembly Date : 13 - 14 January | Location : Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week will commence with the 3rd session of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) General Assembly*, on the 13th & 14th of January 2013, It will be followed by events that will take place throughout the week.

The International Renewable Energy Agency General Assembly is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to renewable energy. IRENA’s objective is to promote the widespread and increased adoption and the sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy. This concerns energy that is produced from renewable sources, including bioenergy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean, solar, and wind energy. IRENA was founded on 26 January 2009 in Bonn, Germany by 75 states which signed its Statute. It became a fully established international organisation headquartered in Abu Dhabi at its inaugural Assembly on 4-5 April 2011. To date, the membership of IRENA comprises 158 states and the European Union.

*IRENA’s General Assembly coincides with the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

World Future Energy Summit 2013Date : 15 - 17 January | Location : ADNEC

The World Future Energy Summit (WFES) is the world’s foremost annual meeting committed to advance future energy, energy efficiency and clean technologies by engaging political, business, finance, academic and industry leaders to drive innovation, business and investment opportunities in response to the growing need for sustainable energy.

International Water Summit 2013Date : 15 - 17 January | Location : ADNEC

The International Water Summit is a new, global platform for promoting water sustainability in arid regions. As a natural extension of the UAE’s commitment to sustainability, the first IWS will be co-located with next year’s World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. It will bring together policy makers, scientists and business leaders to tackle urgent water issues.

The Zayed Future Energy Prize Awards Ceremony Date : 15 January | Location : Emirates Palace

The Zayed Future Energy Prize represents the vision of the Late Founding Father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, who championed sustainability and environmental stewardship. The prize categories (Large Corporation, SME, NGO, Lifetime Achievement and Global High Schools Prize) focus on supporting emerging businesses and individuals. It also supports future generations that have innovative ideas and projects that can create a positive impact on meeting the requirements of our greatest energy and sustainability challenges by providing real-world solutions.

Each of these categories is evaluated based on the four core criteria: Leadership, long-term Vision, innovation and impact

The Zayed Future Energy Prize gives innovators a unique meeting platform and aims to become a catalyst for the adoption and dissemination of renewable energy and clean technology solutions worldwide.

The Abu Dhabi International Renewable Energy Conference 2013 (ADIREC)Date : 15 - 17 January | Location : ADNEC

The International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) is a high-level political conference series dedicated exclusively to renewable energy and hosted by alternate governments every two years. Convened by REN21, IREC is for government, private sector and civil society leaders to jointly address the goal of advancing renewable energy and has provided the impulse for several momentous initiatives over the past decade. Next year’s IREC in Abu Dhabi (ADIREC) will continue to build on the successes and outcomes of the previous conferences held in Delhi in 2010, Washington in 2008, Beijing in 2005 and Bonn in 2004.

The 1st Energy Meeting of the Arab League and the Latin American Energy Ministers

Date : 16 January | Location : Abu Dhabi

The UAE will host, in partnership with the Arab League and the Union of South American Nations, the 1st energy ministerial of the 24 Arab and 12 South American countries on 16 January. This meeting will focus on current and future investment opportunities and energy cooperation in the two regions’ hydrocarbon and renewable energy markets.

For more information click here.

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Ninth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability (Event)

This event will take place on January 23-25 2013 in Hiroshima, Japan. Opportunities will be provided for conference participants to interact, converse, and learn from each other. Built in to the conference program are a number of sessions and events that are designed specifically to promote interactions among the on-site members of the knowledge community. These range from more formal plenary sessions, through parallel presentations, to informal coffee breaks and optional activities. Some of these, like Talking Circles and Garden Sessions, may be new experiences for participants. Our approach to organizing Parallel Sessions has some unique features, as well. Learn more about these session types under On-site Presentations.

The sustainability knowledge community is brought together by a common concern for sustainability in an holistic perspective, where environmental, cultural, economic and social concerns intersect. The community interacts through an innovative, annual face-to-face conference, as well as year-round online relationships, a family of peer reviewed journals, and book series – exploring the affordances of the new digital media. Members of this knowledge community include academics, researchers, policy makers, public servants, members of government and non-government organisations, consultants, educators and research students.

Members of the Sustainability Community meet at the International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability, held annually in different locations around the world. Our community members and first time attendees come from all corners of the globe. Intellectually, our interests span the breadth of the various sustainability disciplines and fields of study. The conference is a site of critical reflection, both by leaders in the field and emerging scholars. Those unable to attend the conference may opt for virtual participation in which community members can either submit a video and/or slide presentation with voice-over, or simply submit a paper for peer review and possible publication in the journal.

The Sustainability Community enables members to publish through three media. First, by participating in the Sustainability Conference, community members can enter a world of journal publication unlike traditional academic publishing forums – a result of the responsive, non-hierarchical and constructive nature of the peer review process. The International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability provides a framework for double-blind peer review, enabling authors to publish into an academic journal of the highest standard.

The second publication medium is through the book series On Sustainability, publishing cutting edge books in print and electronic formats. Publication proposals and manuscript submissions are welcome.

The third major publishing medium is our news blog, constantly publishing short news updates from the Sustainability Community, as well as major developments in the various disciplines of sustainability. You can also join this conversation at Facebook and Twitter or subscribe to our email Newsletter.

The International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability will feature plenary sessions by some of the world’s leading thinkers and innovators in the field, as well as numerous parallel presentations by researchers and practitioners.

This years speakers include:

Ed Barry is the designer of the Sustainable Living Planner and the director of the Sustainable World Initiative in Washington DC.

Hideyuki Doi is currently working as Tenure-track lecturer in Institute for Sustainable Sciences and Development (ISSD) at Hiroshima University, Japan.

Rohit Jigyasu is a conservation architect and risk management scientific expert from India, currently working as UNESCO Chair and Professor at the Research Centre for Disaster Mitigation of Urban Cultural Heritage at Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan.

Junko Edahiro, Chief Executive, Japan for Sustainability; President, Institute for Studies in Happiness, Economy and Society; Environmental journalist, translator, President of e’s Inc.; Chairperson of Change Agent Inc.; member of Mid- and Long-term Roadmap Subcommittee of the Global Environmental Committee (under Central Environmental Council, Japan Ministry of the Environment); Chairperson of Communication Marketing Working Group, visiting researcher for Research into Artifacts at the Center for Engineering (RACE) at the University of Tokyo; initiator of the Candle Night campaign

William E. Rees is an ecologist, ecological economist, Professor Emeritus and former director of the University of British Columbia’s School of Community and Regional Planning in Vancouver, Canada.

William N. Ryerson is Founder and President of Population Media Center (PMC) (www.populationmedia.org), an organization that strives to improve the health and well being of people around the world through the use of entertainment-education strategies.

amareswar galla Chairperson, Sustainability Knowledge Community.

For more information click here.

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Children and the Future of Sustainability

As the most vulnerable members of our societies, environmental destruction impacts children first and foremost. Children are also those who are most likely to endure the impacts of a polluted environment over the longest period. Climate change is already killing one thousand children every day. The importance of educating children about the environment was addressed at the Rio+ conference. There are some basic sustainability issues that must be addressed. Things like clean water and clean air are basic concerns that are fundamentally important to many children all around the world.

In the world today there are 2.6 billion people are without access to basic sanitation; 67 million children of primary school age are out of school. A lack water and sanitation services which is a leading cause of mortality for both children and their mothers. Indoor air pollution from particulate matter is responsible for 900,000 deaths in children under the age of five.

An environmental education is important to children because they will be called upon to solve unimaginable challenges in their lifetime. They will desperately need the knowledge and tools necessary for survival in the 21st Century.

That is why education is crucial to our children's future and the future of the Earth. However, more than providing accurate science derived information we must counter those who are intent on misinforming our children.

President Obama has frequently addressed the importance of children. In his first term the President emphasized education and greener schools. As Obama said in his 2010 address from the oval office, "We cannot consign our children to this future. The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean-energy future is now."

Part of our responsibility involves the construction of school buildings that are not toxic to our kids. Our schools house our most precious resource, yet many expose children to off-gasing toxins, artificial light and poor air quality. Conversely, green schools contribute to the health and well being of our children.

In addition to reducing environmentally destructive properties of schools that harm their health, greener schools also contribute to a better education. There are a lot of things we can do to green our schools that both help our children and benefit the environment. For example, something as simple as natural lighting is reported to have a positive effect on health and on rates of achievement.

Education is key to a healthy future. There are a number of free resources that help kids to understand the key issues involved in sustainability. UNESCO has something called the Young Masters Programme (YMP), this free online initiative helps kids and their teachers around the world to not only understand sustainable development but to get directly involved through local sustainable development programs.

Teachers are providing environmental education for children using videos. Videos from sites such as Green Energy TV foster awareness about what kids can do. Other helpful green education organizations include groups like GEF.

With a science based education , young people can be passionate environmental advocates. However, if we care about our children's future there is much that we must do today. As explained by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, "Lack of action on climate change threatens to make the world our children inherit a completely different world than we are living in today."

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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EPA Chief Forced Out By Dirty Industries and Anti-Environment Republicans

Late in December, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that she will be stepping down after a little less than four years in the job. From the outset Jackson, a chemical engineer, was plagued by conservative critics who did not want the EPA to play a prominent role in environmental protection. Jackson was repeatedly and ruthlessly criticized by Republicans and industry groups for her efforts to protect the health of Americans and reduce the country's contribution to climate change. Given that environmental protection is at the core of the EPA's mandate, their opposition illustrates, yet again, the GOPs anti-environment agenda. It also illustrates how industry controls the Republican party.

Republican resistance to Jackson was due to her brave leadership on issues like the Keystone XL pipeline, greenhouse gas regulations, and power plant emissions reduction. To her credit Jackson did not relent in the face of tireless efforts from House Republicans to undermine the EPA's power.

The GOP chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Fred Upton, had been very vocal about his resistance to her efforts and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney went so far as to call for her firing.

In a statement Jackson quoted President Obama when he addressed EPA employees earlier this year. ‘You help make sure the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat are safe. You help protect the environment not just for our children but their children. And you keep us moving toward energy independence...We have made historic progress on all these fronts."

During her tenure Jackson did succeed on many fronts including reigning in toxic mercury. She established historic fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks (new vehicles must average 54.5 mpg, up from 28.6 mpg). Jackson also set up critical air quality protections against sulfur dioxide and soot pollution.

“In her four years as EPA Administrator, Lisa has been a steadfast advocate for clean air, clean water, a stable climate and public health—often in the face of very vocal and forceful detractors. With her leadership, our country has made a big down payment on its goals to reduce carbon pollution. Millions of Americans will breathe easier and have access to safe, clean water,” said Michael Brune, Sierra Club’s executive director.

President Obama thanked Jackson for serving and praised her "unwavering commitment" to the public's health. "Under her leadership, the EPA has taken sensible and important steps to protect the air we breathe and the water we drink, including implementing the first national standard for harmful mercury pollution, taking important action to combat climate change under the Clean Air Act and playing a key role in establishing historic fuel economy standards that will save the average American family thousands of dollars at the pump, while also slashing carbon pollution."

Jackson realized that action on climate change would be difficult after watching the Democrat controlled Senate shoot down a cap-and-trade bill in 2009. In 2012 clean-air regulation aimed at reducing smog failed to get the support it needed as did efforts to control toxic coal ash.

Despite setbacks Jackson has done a great deal in the service of the health and well being of Americans.

"I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference," Jackson said in a statement.

In the face of harsh criticism Jackson showed the kind of leadership that is woefully absent on the political level. Although she failed to explain the reason for her departure, it may very well be that she is leaving because of the vehement opposition of industry and the GOP undermine the EPA's ability to get things done. Like Van Jones and others, Jackson may very well be a causality of Republican pressure.

© 2012, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Help Support the Training of Climate Leaders

There are few things we can do on this Earth that are more important than supporting environmental education. The Climate Reality Project is an organization of more than 4,000 volunteers who travel the country to deliver Al Gore's climate change presentation to hundreds of thousands of people in schools, community centers, businesses, and places of worship.

"Doing these presentations has led me to the realization that we are all leaders in some way. And we all need to rise to the challenge and fight against climate change.Together." said Harriet Shugarman, one of the Climate Leaders.

Climate Leaders are volunteers and they can't do it without your help. Make a donation to The Climate Reality Project so they can continue this vital work.

Your contribution of $35, $50, $100, or $350 will help The Climate Reality Project achieve their goal of training 4,000 additional Leaders in 2013.

Please support The Climate Reality Project's work to train more than 4,000 Climate Leaders in 2013 by donating today!

Click here to help train a Climate Leader by making a tax-deductible gift today!

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Sustainable Learning Online: UNESCO's Young Masters Programme

In 2011 UNESCO inaugurated a global online education programme for 16–18 year-old students to learn about sustainability issues and solutions. The Young Masters Programme (YMP) is a free global web-based education and learning network about sustainable development. The programme is open for secondary students and their teachers from all over the world.

Extensive on-line teaching material gives the students a thorough understanding of sustainability issues and preventive environmental strategies. The students can also put their knowledge into practical use by starting sustainability projects in their local community.

The course material is in English with built-in glossaries and narrations. Close cooperation with scholars at Lund University, in Sweden, ensures that the content is up to date and in line with recent scientific findings. Challenging assignments inspire students and enhance their interest in the studies.

YMP was first initiated by the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE), at Lund University in 1999 and has since catered to more than 20 000 students from over 110 countries.

The internet is not only used to distribute the course, but to create virtual classrooms where teachers and students from all corners of the world are brought together to compare and discuss their results, share experiences and knowledge, and to receive and give feedback on their assignments. In the on-line community, students learn from each other by sharing first-hand information with their peers in different countries. They also gain an understanding of common sustainability challenges and different local perspectives and solutions. Together, students and teachers learn in a interactive way that textbooks do not allow.

Examples of past YMP work includes a group of students from China’s Gezhi High School who have found a way to harness the energy generated by exercise equipment in parks and residential areas. The group used a generator that can save the energy in a battery pack which can then be used to power LED lights. According to UNESCO, the clean energy produced entails an estimated reduction of carbon dioxide by 66 kg per year for each piece of exercise equipment.

To register of for more information click here.

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Documentary: On Coal River

In the words from Mother and Director Francine Cavanaugh: We are documentary filmmakers but parents first. I was four months pregnant when we began filming over 6 years ago in Coal River Valley WV. Our first visit was to the local elementary school and we were blown away by its proximity to a large coal facility plant and looming sludge pond. We were also blown away by the spirit of resistance and resolve of a few individuals who took on the mission to have the school moved to a safer ground as well as taking on the coal industry that has been entrenched in their community for over a hundred years.

Judy Bonds whose story we follow says “I am first a mother and a grandmother and to the young people in the world today I have to say I am sorry for what we have done to your world because this is your planet first”. I feel her words today as our son is now seven and I continue to feel the responsibility to do as much as I can to make this a better world for him and all of the worlds children to live in and I continue to receive inspiration from people like Judy Bonds, Maria Lambert, Ed Wiley, and Bo Webb who are all parents and grandparents first.

ON COAL RIVER takes viewers on a gripping emotional journey into the Coal River Valley of West Virginia — a community surrounded by lush mountains and a looming toxic threat. The film follows a former coal miner and his neighbors in a David-and-Goliath struggle for the future of their valley, their children, and life as they know it.

Ed Wiley is a former coal miner who once worked at a toxic waste facility that now threatens his granddaughter’s elementary school. When his local government refuses to act, Ed embarks on a quest to have the school relocated to safer ground. With insider knowledge and a sharp sense of right and wrong, Ed confronts his local school board, state government, and a notorious coal company — Massey Energy — for putting his granddaughter and his community at risk. Along the way, Ed is supported by his neighbors Bo Webb and Judy Bonds, who have their own problems with Massey Energy. Ex-marine Bo Webb retired to his childhood home only to discover that this once-idyllic valley is being transformed by a company practicing “mountaintop removal” – blowing up mountains to extract coal.

Shot over a five year period, ON COAL RIVER follows the transformation of these four remarkable individuals as they fight for the valley they love and for future generations — making dramatic changes against all odds.

Click here to learn more.

For a limited time you can watch it for free on Snagfilms, click here.

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