Podcast appearances and mentions of king coal

Coal once powered the Industrial Revolution and made Britain the richest country on earth. Now with the closure of the country's last coal-fired power station, it will cease to play any meaningful part in the economic life of the nation. Aside from welcoming a cleaner, greener future, what are we to make of this momentous departure? Together with Ewan Gibbs from Glasgow University, Neil and Jonathan look at the epic decline and fall of King Coal. Presented by Jonathan Ford and Neil Collins.With Ewan Gibbs.Produced and edited by Nick Hilton for Podot.In association with Briefcase.News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Commonplace, we have filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon (@elainemcsheldon, director of King Coal (@kingcoalfilm) which is now available via @povdocs. The documentary showcases how the coal industry looms over West Virginia both economically and culturally, honoring the work of those in the past while acknowledging the need to move forward. In our conversation, we talk about the struggles of independent filmmaking and how it shaped the documentary, her entry into the medium and the success of Heroine, and why she narrates the documentary even though she was initially hesitant.  Stream King Coal via POV here.

Could 75,000 train fare evasion prosecutions be unlawful? We discuss train operators' use of the Single Justice Procedure and the rather extraordinary situation that appears to be unfolding in the courts. The Isle of Wight railway - Island Line - faces LONG closures for maintenance – AGAIN. LNER and other train companies launch a Be Kind initiative to tackle unacceptable abuse towards staff. It's the end of the line for King Coal on rail – a 200 year old relationship ends when the final coal train runs. And in good news, the railway family raise £200,000 in the 3 peaks challenge! This week's quiz: My first is in copper but not in gold, my second is in tin but not in bold. My third is in magnesium but not in silver. My fourth is in zinc, but not in river. And my fifth is in metal, but not in wood. I am sleek and I am fast, but who am I? Subscribe: If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. Better still, hit that subscribe button. It supports the channel and means you'll be notified whenever we publish something new. Green Signals: Website - http://www.greensignals.org YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@GreenSignals Newsletter - http://www.greensignals.org/#mailing-list Follow: X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/greensignallers LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/green-signals-productions-ltd Instagram - https://instagram.com/greensignallers Credits: Presenters - Nigel Harris (@railnigel on X) & Richard Bowker CBE (@SRichardBowker). General Manager: Stef Foster (@stefatrail)

Alberta's last coal-fired power plant stopped burning coal on June 16, 2024 at 10:57 pm. The coal phase-out was originally proposed for 2061, but in 2015 a new target was set for 2030. On June 16 the last lump of coal was burned to produce electricity six years ahead of schedule. The phase-out represents the largest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of any initiative. We talk to Scott MacDougall of the Pembina Institute about what this all means for Alberta's grid. King Coal is Dead, so we set out to find out who the new king is and how long the new monarch will reign. GreenEnergyFutures.ca CKUA.com Podcast

On this West Virginia Morning, each year, tens of thousands of Americans die from firearm injuries. In 2022, that figure included more than 300 West Virginians. Nationally, U.S. residents are split on a solution. But residents of a town in Brooke County are advocating for an end to gun violence through political organizing, public art and prayer. The post A Conversation On Documentary ‘King Coal' And W.Va. Town Advocates For End To Gun Violence, This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

In the final part 3 of our series on Ludlow, we talk about the massacre itself and the Rockefeller PR campaign that came afterward. Sources: Andrews, Thomas G. Killing for Coal: America's Deadliest Labor War. Harvard University Press, 2010. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. Basic Books, 2016. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal. BIBLIOTECH PRESS, 2022.

In part 2, we will talk about the company, the union, and the personalities that come with both, when the strike broke out in 1913. Join us! Sources: Andrews, Thomas G. Killing for Coal: America's Deadliest Labor War. Harvard University Press, 2010. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. Basic Books, 2016. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal. BIBLIOTECH PRESS, 2022.

The Ludlow Massacre, a part of the wider Colorado Coalfield War, was the deadliest strike in American history. This episode we talk all about the rock that burns, how to get it out of the ground, and the dangers that come with it. Sources: Andrews, Thomas G. Killing for Coal: America's Deadliest Labor War. Harvard University Press, 2010. Freese, Barbara. Coal: A Human History. Basic Books, 2016. Sinclair, Upton. King Coal. BIBLIOTECH PRESS, 2022.

CLIMATE ACTION SHOWAPRIL 15TH 2024PRODUCED BY VIVIEN LANGFORDRISE UP AGAINST MORE COAL AND GASGuests:Gavan Mc Fadzean - Climate and Energy Programme Manager AUSTRALIAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION Court Case 2024 (acf.org.au) Natasha Abayawickrama - Australian Youth Climate Co alition- Rise Up! 12 Days of Action: 29 April - 10 May - Move Beyond Coal David Rovics -  "Land and Freedom" a song from his new album Notes from a holocaust Notes From A Holocaust | David Rovics (bandcamp.com)King Coal is opening up what they call "greenfields sites" in this country. And they are green sometimes when the rains come, and they are already inhabited. The Doongmabulla Springs in Wangan and Jagalingou country are a sacred place and should be sacred to all of us, but Adrian Burrugubba, who is a senior custodian is taking the Qld Government to the Supreme  court on human rights grounds. The Adani company has already overstepped the environmental limits imposed to protect the springs. In a statement I received Mr Burrugubba said "If water extraction and pollution from the Adani mine are allowed to continue, the springs will be destroyed forever. [ermanently breaking our spiritual connection to our ancestors and creation stories." On April 29th we will hear their legal council Alison Rose explain their case. Meanwhile if you care about these people on a front line of climate change,trying to stoip a coal mine, trying to preserve a water source in this dry continent please donate to their legal fund W&J Nagana Yarrbayn Cultural Custodians Legal Defence Fund | Chuffed | Non-profit charity and social enterprise fundraising Also on April 29th you can join the "Rise up like the flood and flames"  action organised by Moive beyond Coal Rise Up! 12 Days of Action: 29 April - 10 May - Move Beyond Coal

WV Treasurer & Congressional Candidate Riley Moore stops by the studio. Fill maker Elaine McMillion Sheldon, discusses her documentary "King Coal" ahead of a screening this weekend in Morgantown.

Join Stu as he sits down with Academy-Award-nominated documentary-filmmaker, Elaine McMillion Sheldon to talk about Elaine's new film KING COAL which premiered at the 2023 Flyover Film Festival to immediate acclaim. Listen in as Elaine and Stu talk about her documentary filmmaking style, her life and family in West Virginia, and what it's like to work alongside her husband and direct her children.  Elaine's Website:  https://www.elainemcmillionsheldon.com Heroin(e) Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khSO7qEKbvo Recovery Boys Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSS9kYipRLk John Prine - Summer's End:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXbEFTv9zr0&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.spin.com%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title Reunacy:  https://reunacy.com Louisville Film Society: https://louisvillefilmsociety.org  

In this episode, we welcome Emmy-winning Documentary Editor Arielle Amsalem. Arielle has worked on docs including By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, “The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth,” Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, Whose Streets?, The Education of Dee Dee Ricks, Coming Back with Wes Moore, and They Called Him Mostly Harmless. In our chat, Arielle shares about her upbringing, path into film editing, education at NYU, and mentorship by legendary editor Sam Pollard. She also talks about her creative process on projects — and offers insights on the art of non-fiction storytelling. The Making Of is presented by AJA Video Systems.Maximize the production power of AJA BRIDGE LIVEWhether facilitating remote production, two-way interviews, live event streaming, multi-cam backhaul, field contribution, confidence monitoring, collaborative production, or ABR ladder profiles, AJA BRIDGE LIVE supports many streaming and contribution codecs, including NDI, H.265, H.264, MPEG-2, JPEG 2000, and now JPEG XS. The device also includes support for RTMP, ST2022-7 hitless redundancy, and input auto-reconfiguration for video and audio formats.Learn more at www.aja.com/bridge-liveFrom our Friends at Broadfield…Now through Feb 15, 2024, you can buy your RED camera from a Broadfield Authorized Dealer and get a FREE Memory Card!Buy RED KOMODO-X or V-RAPTOR Brain and get a Free 325GB OWC CFExpress - $399.99 value.Buy RED KOMODO and get a Free 256GB SanDisk CFast Card - $329.99 value.Find your Broadfield & RED dealer Here ZEISS Conversations with Curren Sheldon Thursday, February 1stJoin ZEISS Conversations to explore coal country and discuss the ASC Award Nominated documentary, “King Coal.” Filmmakers Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Curren Sheldon have received accolades including an Oscar nomination and Emmy Award for their documentary filmmaking which frequently seeks to shine a light on their home state of West Virginia. The pair's latest film is the 2023 Sundance premiering “King Coal,” a lyrical tapestry focused on the complex history of the coal industry and the communities that have grown up in its embrace. The filmmakers chose to mix verité with magical realism to stylistically honor the Appalachians who make up the story.Sheldon selected ZEISS CP.3 lenses with a Canon C300 and a C70 as his primary camera package throughout filming. We are excited hear more about Curren's novel approach to the cinematography of “King Coal.” Register below to join a virtual Q&A with Curren this Thursday, February 1st at 12pm PST, 3pm EST.Register for Free HereFeatured Book: In the Blink of an Eye is celebrated film editor Walter Murch's vivid, multifaceted, thought -- provoking essay on film editing. Starting with what might be the most basic editing question -- Why do cuts work? -- Murch treats the reader to a wonderful ride through the aesthetics and practical concerns of cutting film. Along the way, he offers his unique insights on such subjects as continuity and discontinuity in editing, dreaming, and reality; criteria for a good cut; the blink of the eye as an emotional cue; digital editing; and much more. In this second edition, Murch reconsiders and completely revises his popular first edition's lengthy meditation on digital editing (which accounts for a third of the book's pages) in light of the technological changes that have taken place in the six years since its publication.Get a copy herePodcast Rewind:Jan. 2024 - Ep. 24…The Making Of is published by Michael Valinsky.If you'd like to be considered as a guest, or to promote your products to over 10K top film & TV production pros reading this newsletter, email us: mvalinsky@me.com Get full access to The Making Of at themakingof.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of the Energy News Beat Daily Standup - year-end review of the energy landscape, notable developments include the US allocating billions for wind and solar projects, Pioneer Sheffield predicting $90 to $100 oil by early summer and planning to operate 24 to 26 horizontal drilling rigs, with over 100 extra-long wells expected to be in production. Tesla's Germany facility is ahead of schedule, producing 4,000 cars per week. However, Atlantic LNG is laying off staff, India sees a resurgence in coal, and Ford reportedly loses nearly $60,000 for every electric vehicle sold. Texas is urged to upgrade its energy grid for renewables, and there are concerns that recent grid reforms may not be sufficient for Virginia to meet clean energy targets. The global oil demand is projected to reach a record high in 2023, as per the IEA, while Kerry's trip to China yields no breakthrough on climate. A federal judge orders the expansion of the Gulf of Mexico oil auction, and there's a call for more action from the US government to prevent oil prices from reaching $150 per barrel. Shell's CEO faces pressure regarding the company's shift towards renewables. The energy sector appears resilient, with analysts stating it's better positioned for a recession.Highlights of the Podcast02:52 – The U.S. has billions for wind and solar in projects.06:47 – Pioneer Sheffield, predicting 90 to $100 oil by early summer12:48 – Tesla's Germany plan is producing 4000 cars per week, three weeks ahead of schedule.15:02 – Atlantic is one of the largest producers of LNG15:50 – King Coal is coming back with a big bang19:23 – Investing in energy transition24:36 – Larger regional banks will get swallowed up eventually by JPMorgan27:05 – No energy better positioned for any kind of recession30:26 – Louisiana oil and gas still has a place in the future of energy32:43 – Ford loses nearly $60,000 for every electric vehicle sold34:37 – Americans don't want electric cars38:59 – Texas is the number one in wind energy.42:39 – Cyber risk in the big picture45:20 – Global oil demand to reach record high in 202348:24 – Kerry's trip to China yields no breakthrough on climate.52:20 – Recent grid reforms might not be enough for Virginia to hit its clean energy targets, advocates say.55:38 – Federal judge orders the Biden administration to expand the Gulf of Mexico oil auction.01:01:28 – The Prime Minister that the political motive1:02:14 – Oil is added as high as at $150 a barrel unless the US government1:08:39 – The US Supreme Court ruling in West Virginia versus EPA last year.1:12:25 – This one shell is now under the pressureHighlights:Renewable Investments: The US allocates billions for wind and solar projects, emphasizing a commitment to clean energy.Oil Price Predictions: Pioneer Sheffield foresees $90 to $100 oil by early summer, while concerns arise about the impact on the energy market.Tesla's Efficiency: Tesla's Germany plant exceeds expectations, producing 4,000 cars per week ahead of schedule.Energy Transition Challenges: Financing the energy transition becomes a focal point, emphasizing the need for a strategic plan to achieve cost-effective kilowatt-hour rates.Market Dynamics: JPMorgan eyes First Republic after a potential market shakeout, and analysts suggest that the energy sector is well-positioned for economic downturns.Diverse Energy Landscape: Louisiana's oil and gas industry remains relevant, while Texas faces the imperative to upgrade its energy grid for renewables.Global Oil Demand: IEA projects a record-high global oil demand in 2023, raising questions about the long-term impacts of energy transitions.Clean Energy Challenges: Recent grid reforms may not be sufficient for Virginia to meet clean energy targets, highlighting the complexities of transition.Judicial Intervention: A federal judge orders the Biden administration to expand the Gulf of Mexico oil auction, revealing ongoing debates about oil exploration.Shell's Dilemma: Shell's CEO faces internal pressure on the company's shift towards renewables, underscoring challenges in the industry's transformation.Follow Stuart On LinkedIn and TwitterFollow Michael On LinkedIn and TwitterENB Top NewsENBEnergy DashboardENB PodcastENB Substack– Get in Contact With The Show –

Joining host Michael Azevedo on this episode is Oscar-nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon. Elaine joins Michael to discuss her very personal--and mesmerizing--documentary "King Coal."   A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, "King Coal" meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has shaped, and the myths it has created. Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life.   Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Director / Producer / Co-Editor) is an Academy Award-nominated, and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker. Sheldon is the director of two Netflix Original Documentaries - HEROIN(E) and RECOVERY BOYS- that explore America's opioid crisis.   She has been named a Creative Capital Awardee, Guggenheim Fellow, a USA Fellow by United States Artists, and one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film,” by Filmmaker Magazine. KING COAL, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and is currently enjoying a successful theatrical run. The film will be available for VOD and streaming in early 2024.   Elaine McMillion Sheldon was raised in West Virginia and lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.   Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.   About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead     

Filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon joins us to talk about her award-winning documentary ‘King Coal,' a film that reframes our understanding of Central Appalachia where every aspect of life is permeated by coal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Germany reopens coal plants. They have been committing energy suicide with their obsession with wind and solar. Now they're pulling back from the brink… The liberals and left live in a fantasy world. Reality has a way of intruding… A star pitcher has his career derailed by a phony sexual assault charge.  Dennis talks to Mark Helprin, Senior fellow at the Claremont Institute and one of America's foremost novelists. His new book is The Oceans and the Stars: A Sea Story, A War Story, A Love Story.  Dennis talks to Tom Sowell, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. His new book is Social Justice Fallacies.Thanks for listening to the Daily Dennis Prager Podcast. To hear the entire three hours of my radio show as a podcast, commercial-free every single day, become a member of Pragertopia. You'll also get access to 15 years' worth of archives, as well as daily show prep. Subscribe today at Pragertopia dot com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Un épisode chargé dans lequel on parle de 4 films cette semaine : une comédie noire : Le Comte (1min12) un documentaire : King Coal (3min52) un film d'action : Gran Turismo (6min15) un film d'horreur : La maison aux fenêtres qui rient (9min14)

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Saturday, Sept. 9  A job fair in Beckley aims to give a second chance to former substance abusers…Fruits of Labor training center opens a pizzeria in Beckley…and WV State Archives works to preserve a crucial slice of the Mountain State's history…on today's daily304. #1 – From JOBS AND HOPE – Jobs & Hope WV aims to bridge barriers and empower futures by connecting employers and workers during the inaugural Second Chance Job Fair in Beckley on Wednesday, November 8.  Jobs & Hope WV is the state's comprehensive response to the substance use disorder crisis, and was established by Governor Jim Justice and the West Virginia Legislature.  “We all make mistakes, but that should not deny us an opportunity to redeem ourselves,” Gov. Justice said. “This fair is designed to help people get back on their feet and find good-paying work.” Free services offered during the event include résumé preparation and printing and professional headshots. To register for the Second Chance Job Fair, visit the official Jobs & Hope WV website, social media channels, or use the following link: Second Chance Job Fair – Jobs and Hope (wv.gov)  Read more: https://jobsandhope.wv.gov/bridging-barriers-jobs-hope-wvs-inaugural-second-chance-job-fair-aims-to-empower-future-opportunities/   #2 – From THE REGISTER-HERALD – The basement of the Fruits of Labor building in Beckley is now featuring a new wood-stone pizzeria, ice cream and coffee shop. Fruits of Labor is a Nationally Certified Culinary & Ag Training Center in West Virginia supporting adults recovering from addiction. Two of the program's recent graduates are managing the new restaurant, owner Tammy Jordan said. “We deeply believe in investing in each student and allowing them to grow and expand their skills,” Jordan said. “We are excited to welcome three new students to join our education, certification, training, and employment program.” Seven new jobs have been created at the pizzeria, which offers seating for 64 people indoors and 20 on the outdoor patio. The pizzeria specializes in artisan style pizza and a wide range of specialty coffees and smoothies. Read more: https://www.register-herald.com/news/life/fruits-of-labor-owner-invites-community-to-pizzeria-grand-opening/article_fff16c64-4c42-11ee-9484-0fe99dd0c952.html   #3 – From WV WATCH – About 30 minutes into director Elaine Sheldon's new film “King Coal,” the sides of the frame suddenly begin to creep inward, revealing old snapshots of the good times, when the industry was booming, employment was high and coalfield communities were full of life.  But these images are not presented in grainy black-and-white. They come onto the screen in full, vibrant color. “It looks like it could've been shot yesterday,” said Richard Fauss, audiovisual archivist at the West Virginia State Archives. “They're kind of the gems of the collection.” Fauss has managed the state archives' massive collection of film and sound for the last 40 years. He's the one who found the footage for Sheldon and her team.  His workshop is a living museum of 20th century recording technology. The bulk of the collection came from West Virginia television stations. Beginning in the 1950s until the early 2010s, television news operations sent footage their reporters collected in the field to the archives for safe-keeping. Sheldon would like to see the state allocate money to the audiovisual archive, to help Fauss and digitize the entire audiovisual archive.  “Those are our stories, those are our origins,” she said of the materials in the West Virginia State Archives collection. “There's an incredible wealth [there]. We cannot afford to neglect our history.” Read more: https://westvirginiawatch.com/2023/09/04/west-virginia-state-archives-film-collection-gets-big-screen-treatment-in-king-coal/?es_id=5082ade459   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Larry Mantle and LAist film critics Wade Major and Tim Cogshell review this weekend's new movie releases in theaters, streaming, and on demand platforms.   “The Equalizer 3” Wide Release “Fremont” Laemmle Glendale & Landmark Nuart Theater [West LA] “Our Father, The Devil” Laemmle Royal [West LA] “The Good Mother” In Select Theaters “Scout's Honor: The Secret Files Of The Boy Scouts Of America” Streaming on Netflix September 6  “Before, Now & Then” Laemmle Royal [West LA] “A Day And A Half” Streaming on Netflix “King Coal” Laemmle Glendale “Goldfish” Laemmle Town Center [Encino]

Today on AirTalk, the increase in illegal border crossings this month– we breakdown the number. Also on the show, food friday; the best LA BBQ; FilmWeek; and more. Border Crossings Of Migrant Families Increased In August—We Breakdown The Numbers (0:15) The Age Of Avoidance (16:20) Food Friday: What's Your Favorite BBQ Spot In SoCal? (37:28) FilmWeek: ‘The Equalizer 3,' ‘Fremont,' ‘The Good Mother,' ‘King Coal' And More (50:37) FilmWeek Feature: Larry Mantle's Interview With Actress Nancy Olson Livingston (1:21:41)

Today on KIOS at the Movies, Joshua LaBure, highlights three very different films. A new documentary “Filling in the Blanks,” a surreal horror film called “Caverna” and the new cinematic documentary “King Coal”.

A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, KING COAL meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry, the communities it has built, and the myths it has created. Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life, imagining the ways a community can re-envision itself. Central Appalachia is a place of mountains and myth and Academy Award-nominated and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon knows this well, calling those mountains home. KING COAL has had a profound influence on this community's identity, but Sheldon dares to consider what future stories might look like out of the shadow of coal, now that relationships to coal are changing. She takes us on an alluring cinematic journey through the past, present, and future of Appalachia. Sheldon's distinct vision remixes present-day moments of life in a coal-mining town with archival footage and atmospheric invocations of the land to alchemize something new — a rare, nuanced depiction of this community. A young girl learning the story of coal anchors the journey while Sheldon's poetic voiceover guides us through the experience and an expressive score differentiates the reality of coal from a more imaginative world. This hybrid approach allows our guest, Elaine McMillion Sheldon to explore the act of storytelling itself and is a magical reclamation of the power of stories to shape how a region sees itself. Emerging from the long shadows of the coal mines, KING COAL untangles the pain from the beauty, and illuminates the innately human capacity for change. Directed by Emmy-winning & Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Elaine McMIllion Sheldon. Produced by Oscar & BAFTA winners, Shane Boris and Diane Becker For more go to: kingcoalfilm.com Los Angeles, CA - August 25 @ Laemmle Glendale

documentary King Coal. Told in an intimate and reflective manner, King Coal details the history of the all powerful fossil fuel in Appalachia, stretching back in time to the foundation of the mining region and utilising the imagery of the coal miner's daughter to explore the myth and dominance that the black rock has on the region. King Coal never condemns those who have worked in and relied on the mining industry as a source of income or stability, with Elaine's supportive narration being one that highlights the importance that coal once held for those in the region, while also spotlighting the need to navigate a path out of relying on it. It's with the focus on two young girls who grow up in the region that we follow this tale of coal and the almost fanatical adoration that people in the region still hold onto it. There's a touch of fantastical realism to King Coal which is amplified by the stunning cinematography that reinforces just how nourishing nature can be. In this interview, recorded ahead of King Coal's national release in America, Elaine talks about the need to explore the story of coal in a tender manner, the importance of telling it from her own lived experience, as well as the vision of hope that it gives at its end. King Coal is screening across America from August 11th in New York, with further screenings: New York City - August 11th @ DCTV TheaterWinston-Salem, NC - August 18th @ Aperture CinemaCharleston, WV - August 31st @ Floralee CinemaAkron, OH - September 1st @ The NightLightCincinnati, OH - September 4th @ The Woodward TheaterColumbus, OH - September 8th @ Wexner Center for the ArtsQueens, NY - September 9th @ Museum of the Moving ImageBlacksburg, VA - September 21st @ Lyric TheaterBluefield, WV - September 22nd @The Granada Theater See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

documentary King Coal. Told in an intimate and reflective manner, King Coal details the history of the all powerful fossil fuel in Appalachia, stretching back in time to the foundation of the mining region and utilising the imagery of the coal miner's daughter to explore the myth and dominance that the black rock has on the region. King Coal never condemns those who have worked in and relied on the mining industry as a source of income or stability, with Elaine's supportive narration being one that highlights the importance that coal once held for those in the region, while also spotlighting the need to navigate a path out of relying on it. It's with the focus on two young girls who grow up in the region that we follow this tale of coal and the almost fanatical adoration that people in the region still hold onto it. There's a touch of fantastical realism to King Coal which is amplified by the stunning cinematography that reinforces just how nourishing nature can be. In this interview, recorded ahead of King Coal's national release in America, Elaine talks about the need to explore the story of coal in a tender manner, the importance of telling it from her own lived experience, as well as the vision of hope that it gives at its end. King Coal is screening across America from August 11th in New York, with further screenings: New York City - August 11th @ DCTV TheaterWinston-Salem, NC - August 18th @ Aperture CinemaCharleston, WV - August 31st @ Floralee CinemaAkron, OH - September 1st @ The NightLightCincinnati, OH - September 4th @ The Woodward TheaterColumbus, OH - September 8th @ Wexner Center for the ArtsQueens, NY - September 9th @ Museum of the Moving ImageBlacksburg, VA - September 21st @ Lyric TheaterBluefield, WV - September 22nd @The Granada TheaterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Friday, Aug. 4  From whitewater rafting to SUP boarding, adventure awaits on the water in Almost Heaven…WV documentary “King Coal” rakes in praise from critics…and the new Omnis manufacturing facility in Bluefield is hiring--#YesWV…on today's daily304. #1 – From WV TOURISM – Whether you're looking for serious, high-intensity water sports or you prefer to float, paddle and dive in peace, there's a body of water in West Virginia that's calling your name. Lively rivers, pristine lakes and wild water sports unlock plenty of opportunities to go with the flow. Looking for some wild adventure? Check out whitewater rafting. Rapids range from beginner-friendly Class I-III on the Shenandoah and Potomac to the adrenaline-charged Class V of the Upper Gauley in the fall.  Summersville Lake is a prime spot for scuba diving. Rent a houseboat on Sutton Lake. Or paddle the water trails of the Elk and Coal rivers. Whatever you choose, you're sure to find Almost Heaven waiting for you on the water. Read more: https://wvtourism.com/the-best-spots-for-water-sports-adventures-in-west-virginia/   #2 – From THE FILM STAGE – One of the most impressive films at this year's Sundance Film Festival was the latest work from Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon. With stunning cinematography, King Coal explores the lives in Central Appalachia and how the effects and bonds instilled by the coal industry.  The film has been described by one reviewer as “A poetic ode to the blue ridges of Central Appalachia.”  “King Coal often evokes an IMAX educational film in its scope, space, and presence. The film explores the complex history of coal as a specter that looms over the region,” writes John Fink. “The precious rock is celebrated throughout, the picture never veering off-course to engage in a discussion of contemporary politics. It's instead built on West Virginia itself, a land still tied to mythology in some ways.” “Who are we, without a king?” asks Lanie Marsh, the young star of the picture. “King Coal” debuts in Charleston on Aug. 31 at the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema. Read more and watch the trailer: https://thefilmstage.com/king-coal-trailer-takes-a-lyrical-look-at-lives-in-central-appalachia/   #3 – From METRO NEWS -- Omnis Building Technologies is nearing completion of a new $40 million manufacturing plant in Mercer County and now has begun the process of building a staff. “When we're up and running we're looking at a first wave of about 35 to 45 employees per shift. We'll look to be running first shift when we get up and running, then we'll add a second shift and eventually go to a 24/7 production schedule,” said Matthew Hart, Vice-President of Human Resources. Omnis uses state of the art building materials to create pre-fabricated home building blocks. The blocks are then used to pre-assemble sustainable and energy efficient homes. The company is headquartered in California and announced Bluefield would be the site of their first operation in the eastern United States in March 2022. Officials anticipated by the time the new plant is at full operational capacity, they'll have close to 200 full-time employees.  Read more: https://wvmetronews.com/2023/07/24/omnis-seeks-workers-for-40-million-bluefield-operation/   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Michael Cerveris is a two-time Tony Award winner, actor, musician and Huntington is his hometown. He'll be back home August 19th to join the Appalachian Film Festival for a screening of Oscar-nominee Elaine McMillion Sheldon's newest film King Coal where he will join the director in conversation on stage after the film. Find tickets for the festival here. In our conversation, Michael and Nathan talk about his roots doing community theater in Huntington, how The Who's Pete Townshend helped him step into the role of 'Tommy' on Broadway, and performing with music legend Bob Mould.

For 200 years, the people of central Appalachia in the US have lived off the industry of coal. Now, though, times are changing, and the coal industry is dying. One day, it will become no more than a memory.  Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon describes King Coal as “part documentary, part fable”, and the film aims to not only tell the story of Appalachia and its coal, but also to preserve Appalachians' memory of it.  And that is not all. Through Lanie and Gabby, two young Appalachian girls, Elaine looks to the future, to the new world that is now coming into being. In doing so, she is able to say truthfully that far from now ending, Appalachia's story is just beginning. In the course of their conversation, Elaine discusses her own intimate connection to Appalachia, the surprising origin of one mark of deep respect given to miners, and how she broke her filmmaking rules in order to make the documentary. Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com  “... if this was just a story about facts and figures, it would make no sense. But this film is really about the psyche and soul... I think that King Coal dominates a time when work, and pride in work, of belonging was a huge part of our identity.” – Elaine McMillion Sheldon

What Makes You Wonderful and Dave Lavender with the West Virginia Film Office get into all the film festivals you can get into this season. There's something for everyone and we get the details on what you'll experience.    Lurch Fest   Lurch Fest at Barbour County Historical Museum, 13 Museum St., Philippi, WV, honors late TV and film star Ted Cassidy, known for playing Lurch on the Addams Family. Event on Aug. 4-5 features Ted Cassidy trivia, 30+ vendors selling "Lurch Merch," food, art, live music, craft beer, ax throwing, and a costume contest. Special guest: Sean Cassidy. More info at https://www.barbourcountyhistoricalmuseum.org/.   Appalachian Film Fest  The Appalachian Film Festival returns Aug. 18-20 at the Foundry Theater, Huntington City Hall. Categories include student, music video, shorts, and feature-length films celebrating the Appalachian region. Saturday features the award-winning film "King Coal" and a Q&A with filmmaker Elaine Sheldon and actor Michael Cerveris. "Best in Fest" winner receives $500 and a Blenko Glass Appy. Screenwriting brunch with Mickey Fisher on Sunday at Bahnhof WVrsthaus and Biergarten. For more info, visit https://filmfreeway.com/AppalachianFilmFestival and find AFF on Facebook. Email directors at info@foundrytheater.org.   Huntington Music and Arts Festival - 72-Hour Film Challenge The 72-Hour Film Challenge is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 28 at the Foundry Theater in Huntington. Short films (5 to 7 minutes long) created within 72 hours in early August will be showcased, with prizes for the top filmmakers. The challenge is part of the 13th annual Huntington Music and Arts Festival, running from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2. For inquiries, contact hmaf72hour@gmail.com, and learn more about HMAF at https://www.hmafestival.com/home.   House of Clouds Premiere The West Virginia International Film Festival presents the world premiere of the documentary 'HOUSE IN THE CLOUDS: The Artistic Life of Robert Singleton' on The Clay Center main stage at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17. The film portrays the remarkable life of an American artist who has resided on a remote West Virginia hilltop since 1978. Get tickets at 304-561-3570 or https://secure.theclaycenter.org/9971. For more information, visit houseintheclouds.movie, and contact director Doug Imbrogno at douglaseye@gmail.com. The screening will be preceded by a 6 p.m. reception in the Clay Center art gallery featuring one of Singleton's paintings, followed by a Q-and-A with the artist on stage.   Mothman Festival  The Mothman Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16-17 in downtown Point Pleasant, WV. Hosted by The Mothman Museum, the event commemorates the 1966 Mothman sighting, giving rise to the infamous red-eyed winged legend. The festival features cryptid films, paranormal speakers, special guests from TV shows, and cryptid vendors. Visitors can explore the TNT area (where Mothman was sighted) and more. For additional details, visit https://www.mothmanfestival.com/.   Mtn Craft Film Festival  The Mtn Craft Film Festival will be held on Friday, Sept. 29, and Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center in Clarksburg (444 W Pike St.). The festival, curated by Clarksburg-based production company Mtn Craft, will showcase four WV films: "Brawlers" and "King Coal" on Friday, and "Impossible Town" and "O'Pioneer" on Saturday. Each screening will be followed by a Q&A panel with the filmmakers. The event also includes an art gallery, VR film experience, and various short films in different genres. Passes can be purchased online or by calling the Robinson Grand Ticketing Center at (855)-773-6283. Prices: Full Festival (2-Day) Pass - $40; Single Day Pass - $25. Get tickets at https://tickets.therobinsongrand.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=191.   Appalachian Queer Film Festival  The Appalachian Queer Film Festival (AQFF) will take place from Friday to Sunday, Oct. 6-8 at the Foundry Theater in Huntington (800 5th Ave). Founded in 2014 by Jon Mattews and Tim Mann, the AQFF aims to bring Queer and Trans films from around the world to Appalachia and support LGBTQ+ filmmakers in the region. The festival features acclaimed films like "Kokomo City," which premiered at SXSW. Attendees can look forward to special guests, Q&As, awards, panels, and an after-party. For inquiries, email festival organizers at aqffwv@gmail.com. Festival passes and tickets are available at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/026eff75-acef-4a82-9d23-85ec41c2f521.   Premiere of “Redhead”  The horror film "Redhead," by the filmmaking duo Sam and Johnna Hodge (creators of "Twelve Pole"), premieres at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30 at Pullman Square's Marquee Cinema. Starring Johnna Hodge as the widow Autumn Blacksmith seeking revenge, the film features Tri-State celebrities, including Barboursville mayor Chris Tatum. The Red Carpet event starts at 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Redhead Movie FB page. Don't miss this splatterfest!   Vandalia TV  Vandalia TV, curated by Nate Cesco, is a streaming channel hosting over a dozen creative outlets, including Shine On WV, Brainwrap Productions, Mtn Craft Productions, and more. It serves as a gateway to the thriving West Virginia film scene, encouraging viewers to watch local films and connect with filmmakers from across the state. The platform aims to elevate indie film alongside music, visual arts, and storytelling that West Virginia is renowned for. Experience WV film through their streaming service at https://www.vandaliatv.com/, supported by the collaborative efforts of filmmakers and artists in the community.   West Virginia International Film Fest - Floralee Hank Cohen Cinema Established in 1985, the Charleston-based West Virginia International Film Festival (WVIFF) has steadily expanded its impact. Presently, the WVIFF runs the Floraless Hank Cohen Cinema, showcasing award-winning indie films from the local community and around the world with regular weekly screenings. Attend "Movies That Matter Mondays" to support regional non-profits and causes. Additionally, you can rent the cinema for private screenings. To learn more about the West Virginia International Film Festival and explore volunteer opportunities, visit https://www.wviff.org/.  

Elaine McMillion Sheldon is a director and writer known for documentaries, such as the Netflix Original Documentaries, Heroin(e) and Recovery Boys. Her latest film, King Coal, premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. This “part fable, part documentary” is about the complex, coal culture in Central Appalachia. In this episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins speaks with Emmy-winning filmmakers, Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Curren Sheldon to discuss:  The inception of the film and how it became a hybrid style What the lens vetting process was like Not using any artificial light The reason behind focusing on the young characters in the film  Why it's important to have bad ideas Pushing through moments of vulnerability Where Elaine got inspiration from  Working with a breath artist to create all the crazy sounds in the film All the wonderful support they received from labs and grants  Why you need to have a long-term version Memorable Quotes “How do we make this feel almost like a dream, almost like an imagined future?” [7:51] “This film required a level of failure and vulnerability that made me insecure at moments. But ultimately made me grow as a filmmaker.” [14:09] “Having a long view of your career is so healthy otherwise you're gonna get burnt out and depressed.” [31:20] “Most of this industry lives in a bubble, on a coast.” [42:08] Resources: King Coal trailer King Coal official website King Coal on Instagram Here is the upcoming 2023 theatrical: August 11th - DCTV- New York City, NY (weeklong) August 18th - Aperture Cinema - Winston-Salem, NC (weeklong) August 25th - Laemmle Glendale - Los Angeles, CA (weeklong) August 28th -Harris Theater - Pittsburgh, PA (Select shows during the week) August 31- Floralee Theater - Charleston, WV (Select shows) September 1st - The Nightlight - Akron, OH (weeklong) September 1st- Zoetropolis Cinema - Lancaster, PA (two-week run) September 1st - Central Cinema - Knoxville, TN (weeklong) September 4th - The Woodward Theater - Cincinnati, OH (one night) September 8th - Wexner Center of the Arts - Columbus, OH (one night) September 9th - Museum of the Moving Image- Queens, NY (one night) September 15th- Raleigh Playhouse- Beckley, WV (one night) September 21st - The Lyric Theater- Blacksburg, VA (one night) September 22nd - The Granada Theater- Bluefield, WV (one night) Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web https://nofilmschool.com/ Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Twitter  https://twitter.com/nofilmschool YouTube  https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Thursday, June 29  The “King Coal” documentary debuts at the Culture Center next month…Brad Smith is takingAscend West Virginia to a new level with two vertical programs…and ya gotta Regatta! The festival kicks off tomorrow in Charleston…on today's daily304. #1 – From WV EXPLORER – “King Coal,” a feature-length documentary by West Virginia-raised and Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Curren Sheldon and Elaine McMillion Sheldon, makes its home-state premiere at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston next month. The West Virginia International Film Festival presents the event at 6 p.m. July 8. The event includes the 75-minute film screening, a live Q&A discussion with filmmakers, food, and music. The film is rated "Y" and is appropriate for families and children. A lyrical tapestry of a place and people, “King Coal” meditates on the complex history and future of the coal industry and the communities it has shaped. The film remixes present-day moments of life in the coalfields with archival footage and atmospheric invocations of the land to alchemize something new — a rare, nuanced depiction of the community. Read more: https://wvexplorer.com/2023/06/20/king-coal-premier-at-charleston-west-virginia/   #2 – From WV NEWS – The Ascend West Virginia program soon will go to the next level, according to Brad D. Smith. Smith, the former CEO and later executive chairman of Intuit and the current president of Marshall University, and his wife, Alys, developed the program to attract remote workers to the Mountain State. Since launching in April 2021, the program has brought 142 new residents to the state, who in turn have brought 172 others with them. There have also been five brand-new West Virginians born. The program's success has inspired a pair of what Smith calls “vertical programs.” First Ascent will help recent West Virginia college graduates find remote work and placement in remote worker programs, while offering them the same sort of outdoor-based incentives to continue living in the state. Another program, Military Ascent, is designed to attract those who served our country to move to West Virginia. More details of the “vertical programs” will be announced during the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce's 2023 Annual Meeting and Business Summit at the end of August. Read more: https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/brad-d-smith-looks-to-take-ascend-west-virginia-program-to-the-next-level/article_7a598c7e-11c0-11ee-81e7-5fbede0bc7c6.html   #3 – From CHARLESTON REGATTA – Ya gotta Regatta! Make plans for the annual Charleston Sternwheel Regatta returning to the Capital City on June 30 through July 4.  Highlights include concerts, car shows and even wiener dog races. The event includes food vendors and a carnival and of course, sternwheelers.  This year's live music lineup features Better Than Ezra, Flo Rida, Kool and the Gang, Jo Dee Messina.  Download the app Visit Charleston WV for a full schedule of events! Learn more: https://charlestonregatta.com/   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

On this West Virginia Morning, Elaine McMillion Sheldon's latest documentary is called “King Coal.” The imaginative film focuses on central Appalachia, how coal mining has influenced its culture and how that may be changing. Inside Appalachia host Mason Adams spoke with Sheldon and co-producer Molly Born about the film. The post Sillier Side Of Minor League Baseball And A Look At New Film ‘King Coal,' This West Virginia Morning appeared first on West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Many assaults on the environment happen slowly and continually, almost invisibly to us: starting a car engine, buying meat at the grocery store, throwing away a plastic straw.Mountaintop removal is different. It is sudden and violent and intentionally, unmistakably destructive. Coal companies will blow off the tops of mountains with explosives in order to more easily and cheaply access the coal seams underneath vast swaths of forest, streams, and wildlife habitat. They destroy massive areas of wild land to produce a dirty energy that heavily pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. Their use of explosives also allows them to employ many fewer miners.Mountaintop removal was one of the big environmental stories in the media in the last couple decades. There were massive protests and a lot of bad press for the coal companies.Now coal production is down in the US, and dramatic and shocking stories about mountaintop removal have largely disappeared from the headlines, but mountaintop removal has not gone away. As the easier-to-access coal is mined, the amount of land that must be destroyed by mountain removal to produce the same amount of coal has increased.One report that demonstrates this is from SkyTruth, an environmental advocacy group that uses satellite imagery and remote sensing data to study environmental damage. They published a study showing that the amount of land needed to produce a unit of coal in 2015 was three times more than it had been in 1998.Vernon Haltom and Junior Walk haven't forgotten what's happening in West Virginia and Appalachia, because they live it every day. They both work for Coal River Mountain Watch, the organization previously directed by Judy Bonds, the renowned mountaintop removal activist from West Virginia, who was the daughter of a coal miner and died of cancer in 2011 at age 58.Vernon and Junior's stories are urgent environmental ones, but they are also stories about the media and how we forget and move on.This episode of Chrysalis is the first in the Chrysalis Projects series, which highlights the work of community-based environmental projects.You can listen on Substack, Apple Podcasts, and other podcast platforms.Please rate, review, and share to help us spread the word!Vernon HaltomVernon Haltom has a BS in Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace Option) from Oklahoma State University and a BA in English Education from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He served six years as an officer in the US Air Force, specializing in nuclear weapons safety and security. He then taught high school English for two years and English as a Second Language to college students for four years. He began volunteering for Coal River Mountain Watch in 2004 and has served on the staff since 2005, serving as executive director since 2011. He was involved in founding the regional Mountain Justice movement in 2004, the Alliance for Appalachia in 2006, and the Appalachian Community Health Emergency (ACHE) Campaign in 2012.Junior WalkJunior Walk grew up on Coal River Mountain in Raleigh County, WV, taking part in traditional Appalachian activities such as harvesting ginseng and mushrooms. He worked for a time in a coal preparation plant and then as a security guard on a mountaintop removal site, where he learned firsthand the damage coal harvesting had on the mountains and the communities below.  He began working with Coal River Mountain Watch and other groups in 2009. In 2011 he was awarded the Brower Youth Award. Since that time his work has taken various forms, including lobbying on federal and state levels, gathering data for lawsuits against coal companies, and even getting arrested doing direct action at surface mines and corporate offices. In 2021 he was awarded a fellowship with Public Lab to help support his work monitoring the coal mines in his community via drones. Junior now serves as the outreach coordinator for Coal River Mountain Watch, monitoring coal mines in his community for environmental violations and guiding tours for visiting journalists and student groups.About Coal River Mountain Watch Coal River Mountain Watch (CRMW) is a grassroots organization founded in 1998 in response to the fear and frustration of people living near or downstream from huge mountaintop removal sites. They began as a small group of volunteers working to organize the residents of southern West Virginia to fight for social, economic, and environmental justice. From their humble beginnings, they have become a major force in opposition to mountaintop removal. Their outreach coordinator, Julia Bonds, was the 2003 Goldman Prize winner for North America. CRMW's efforts figure prominently in Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s book Crimes against Nature. They have been active in federal court to challenge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits for valley fills and made regional news with demonstrations against a sludge dam and preparation plant near Marsh Fork Elementary School. Find CRMW online: Website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.About Judy Bonds“Born and raised in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, Julia “Judy” Bonds was a coal miner's daughter and director of Coal River Mountain Watch. Bonds emerged as a formidable community leader against a highly destructive mining practice called mountaintop removal that is steadily ravaging the Appalachian mountain range and forcing many residents, some of whom have lived in the region for generations, to abandon their homes.” - Learn more at The Goldman Environmental Prize Website.Recommended Readings & MediaSee more of Junior's drone work here and other Coal River Mountain flyovers here.TranscriptionIntroJohn FiegeMany assaults on the environment happen slowly and continually, almost invisibly to us: starting a car engine, buying meat at the grocery store, throwing away a plastic straw.Mountaintop removal is different. It is sudden and violent and intentionally, unmistakably destructive. Coal companies will blow off the tops of mountains with dynamite in order to more easily and cheaply access the coal seams underneath vast swaths of forest, streams, and wildlife habitat. They destroy massive areas of wild land to produce a dirty energy that heavily pollutes the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. Their use of dynamite also allows them to employ many fewer miners.Mountaintop removal was one of the big environmental stories in the media in the last couple decades. There were massive protests and a lot of bad press for the coal companies.Now coal production is down in the US, and dramatic and shocking stories about mountaintop removal have largely disappeared from the headlines, but mountaintop removal has not gone away. As the easier-to-access coal is mined, the amount of land that must be destroyed by mountain removal to produce the same amount of coal has increased.One report that demonstrates this is from SkyTruth, an environmental advocacy group that uses satellite imagery and remote sensing data to study environmental damage. They published a study showing that the amount of land needed to produce a unit of coal in 2015 was three times more than it had been in 1998.Vernon Haltom and Junior Walk haven't forgotten what's happening in West Virginia and Appalachia, because they live it every day. They both work for Coal River Mountain Watch, the organization previously directed by Judy Bonds, the renowned mountaintop removal activist from West Virginia, who was the daughter of a coal miner and died of cancer in 2011 at age 58.Vernon and Junior's stories are urgent environmental ones, but they are also stories about the media and how we forget and move on.I'm John Fiege, and this conversation about Coal River Mountain Watch is part of the Chrysalis Project series. Here are Vernon Haltom and Junior Walk.---ConversationJohn FiegeI was hoping that you all could start by telling me a bit about your backgrounds and how you both came to work for Coal River Mountain Watch.Vernon HaltomMy background is, I was raised in Oklahoma, went to Oklahoma State University, went into the Air Force, went back into education, got my English teaching degree, and taught English for a while in high school, taught English as a second language. Just before I moved to West Virginia, I started learning about mountaintop removal. And while I was there I saw it in person and I met Judy Bonds and began volunteering with Coal River Mountain Watch in 2004. Came on staff at the beginning of 2005, and I've been there since.When I heard Judy Bonds on the radio in 2003, she was the Goldman Environmental Prize winner at the time. She was so inspirational and so motivational that seeing the problem of mountaintop removal and seeing what the coal companies were doing to the communities was unbearable.John FiegeAnd how about you, Junior?Junior WalkYeah, so I graduated high school in 2008. Shortly before I graduated, I realized that in this country you kind of need money to go to college. And so realized I wasn't really going to be able to do that. And so I was stuck here in southern West Virginia. And like many people who are in that situation, I went to work for the coal industry. At 17 years old, I went to work for the Elk Run coal processing plant in Sylvester, West Virginia. I worked there for about six months as I graduated high school and quickly learned that that's not something I wanted to do with the rest of my life. It's dangerous work, it's difficult work, and it doesn't pay enough.And so did some minimum wage work for a while, Dollar Store, Dairy Queen, that sort of thing. And eventually, I was offered a position as a security guard on a surface mine, and I figured sitting on my butt for 12 hours a day making money, I could handle that and so I did that. I did also for about six months, but within the first couple weeks of me working up there, I felt miserable about it. Sitting up there, watching that machinery work and them tearing down the mountains and knowing that the people who live below that mine site were going through the same stuff I went through when I was a kid. Contaminated water, dust, coal trucks rumbling by your house, trains. I felt bad about putting other people through that, continuing that cycle of exploitation.John FiegeWhen you were a kid, how aware were you of that as a problem versus just your reality that you didn't question?Junior WalkWell, we had well water at my house when I was growing up and they were doing coal slurry injection on the hillside above my family's home. And so coal slurry is a byproduct of coal processing. When coal is mined regardless if it's taken from an underground mine or a surface mine, the first stop for that coal is a processing plant. And that's where it's put through a series of chemical washes to be suitable to burn in a power plant to fit within clean air act regulations. And the byproduct of that is that coal slurry. So that's everything in the coal that they're not allowed to burn and put into the atmosphere as well as all the chemical agents that are used to take those impurities out. And they dispose of that in a few different ways, but one such way is by injecting it into old abandoned underground coal mines. And that's what they were doing right above my family's home. And so our water came out of my tap red for years, and I always knew that had something to do with the coal industry.In addition to that, through my entire elementary school career, I attended Marsh Fork Elementary, which at the time, was situated directly next to a coal processing plant and a coal slurry impoundment, which is the other way that the industry disposes of this coal waste. They put it into these huge earthen dams. So when you think about a dam, you are usually thinking about concrete and steel and that sort of thing, like the Hoover Dam. But when you're talking about a dam as in a slurry impoundment, you're talking about a bunch of dirt and rubble and trees that are dumped into the face of a valley, used to create a giant berm up to the top of the hilltop almost. And that whole holler back in behind there is back filled with liquid waste. And so that was right directly next to my elementary school.John FiegeWow. And that was one of the projects that you all did in terms of relocating that elementary school?Junior WalkIt was, yeah.John FiegeWere you part of that project?Junior WalkYeah. So essentially, while I was a security guard up there, I decided to come and have a conversation with Judy, who'd I'd known ever since I was a little kid, because I went to school with her grandson. And I think she also worked with my grandma at various times at gas stations and stuff. But from there, I started volunteering with Coal River Mountain Watch while I was a security guard. And a few months down the road, I was offered a position on staff. And I started on staff at Coal River Mountain Watch in January of 2010, and that's what I've been doing ever since.John FiegeWell, could each of you also describe the mountains and forests and waterways and biodiversity in Raleigh County and the area around Coal River Mountain?Junior WalkThe topography is large valleys with a bunch of smaller valleys jutting off from it, which are known as hollers. And then each of those little hollers have hollers branching off from it, just going way back into the mountain and up to the tops. And it can feel very isolated here because it takes so long to get to anywhere else. If you think about it, if you're up in the head of a holler that's in a holler, then you've got to travel out two hollers before you even hit the main road. In a lot of places around here, it's like an hour to your closest McDonald's or Walmart or any of that stuff.John FiegeAnd what are some of your memories from childhood of being within that?Junior WalkGoing hunting with my dad and my uncle, my papa. Traveling way back into the woods either in trucks and then later on, four wheelers caught on, and we'd take those. And just being in the forest and being taught how to bring food back out, why it's important for us to take care of these places where you can do those sorts of things.John FiegeRight. Right. Well, as the production of coal has been plummeting in the United States over the last few years, it's easy to think of American coal mining and mountaintop removal as vestiges of the past, but they're not. Can you all describe what mountaintop removal is, what it's like to witness it, and what's going on right now with coal mining in Raleigh County and in the surrounding areas?Vernon HaltomMountaintop removal is still going on. It's still expanding. They don't stop. There are new permits. The Turkey Foot permit on, it's well over a thousand acres, I want to say 1700 acres, on Coal River Mountain was approved last year. The valley fill permits for that will bury over three miles of streams, and that's just part of the overall 12 square mile complex on Coal River Mountain that includes the 8 billion gallon Brushy Fork sludge dam. So the myth that it's over is just that, a myth. And that's one of the biggest obstacles to our work because it's hard to get somebody to listen about your cause if they think that your cause is over.And our backyard is Cherry Pond Mountain, the Twilight complex there is 12 square miles and the coal company operating there, they have 81 civil penalty delinquency letters since December 14th. And they're still allowed to operate, they're still getting permits renewed.John FiegeYeah, I think that's one of the dirty secrets of our environmental regulations in this country is, industry is constantly violating those regulations and often being even fined for it, if not warned about it, but they keep operating. The money they're making is so much greater than the costs of dealing with those petty violations.Vernon HaltomOne of the permits that was recently renewed, it was actually signed on April 1st, April Fool's Day, the day after the company received a civil penalty delinquency letter. And the same company also had received a show cause notice just before that. It was something that we had requested because they had so many violations within the previous year. But the corrective action is what's called a consent order, where the company agrees to comply with the regulations and the laws, but there's really no teeth involved. They tell them they have to have three consecutive days of no coal removal and they're just going to schedule that in it. It's not going to be punitive.John FiegeAnd then there are no consequences. And the threat is, we might be mad at you.Vernon HaltomNo consequences. Sometimes the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will wag their finger. On rare occasions, they will slap a wrist, but usually it's just a scowl.John FiegeRight. And if you compare it to the daily profits, it's just nothing.Vernon HaltomAnd one thing that I think it's important too, I always say that mountaintop removal is the cradle of the climate crisis. So many people think that this is just a local problem, but it's not just a local problem. The coal that's extracted from the mountains becomes CO2 and contributes to global heating. The trees, the forests that are destroyed, and it's not just the trees, it's everything in the forest, is demolished. So there's no longer a carbon sink there and the blasting dust that goes into the communities, and Junior has a video, a drone video of a blasting cloud coming from Coal River Mountain drifting down through the communities of McDowell Branch and Workman Creek at least two miles. And that is deadly. Those health consequences that have killed so many of our friends continue unabated.West Virginia DEP will not issue a violation for fugitive dust. They just never do. That is what the main culprit in over 30 health studies now that have been done. It's increasingly apparent that breathing this ultra fine silica that's like very, very fine glass that goes right through your cell membranes is not good for you. It causes cancer and heart disease and birth defects. We've lost Judy Bonds for the cancer. We've lost Joanne Webb to cancer. We've lost Larry Gibson to heart disease. We lost Chuck Nelson to heart disease. We lost Carol Judy to cancer. We lost Vicki Terry to cancer.John FiegeAnd Junior, can you talk about, having grown up in those forests and on those rivers, what is it like for you on an emotional and a visceral level to witness the mountaintop removal and these other side effects of it?Junior WalkWe've lost a lot of friends in the course of fighting against this stuff. And seeing some of these places that I've grown up digging ginseng and hunting and riding four wheelers and hiking, seeing some of these places go from these lush, almost tropical type of forests up on top of these mountains where you're never going to run into another human being, into just a bare rock face, just a vast moonscape. It's like losing a friend.John FiegeYeah. I think one thing that's difficult for a lot of Americans to recognize is that close connection to the land, because so many people in our country have lost that close connection to the land.Junior WalkCan you blame them? Look at the land that they're given. You know what I mean? Most people looks out their window and they see a big old four-lane with stop lights and billboards and gas station signs and all that mess. And it's hard to feel a connection to that. I'm lucky for where I come up at.John FiegeLucky on the one hand, and then feeling the pain of watching it be destroyed on the other. And can you all catalog for me the impacts on ecosystems, on water and air quality, on flood risk, on human health, of mountaintop removal and other coal production in that area?Vernon HaltomWhen I first moved to West Virginia in 2001, the place was flooding. Some of the communities lost several homes, and most of that was in areas near mountaintop removal. Now, there are more valley fills and more mountaintop removal coming so the flood impacts is one of the first things that propelled the formation of Coal River Mountain Watch. So many people concerned about their homes from flooding in 1998 that killed two people in Artie, West Virginia. So that's one of the first concerns. Then you have the blasting, which emits the ultra fine silica dust and other pollutants as well into the lungs of children and elderly and everybody in between in the communities. And blasting also cracks foundations, cracks walls.If you're prone to PTSD and hear these massive explosions every day, that's not helpful for your mental health. The health impacts from mountaintop removal are deadly, so there's that. There's water pollution. The valley fills that are created continue to pollute the water for decades. We don't know yet how long, because the earliest valley fills are still polluting after 30 years or so.John FiegeCan you describe what a valley fill is and how it's done and why it's done?Vernon HaltomOkay, thank you. Because a lot of people get this wrong. So when you take the top off a mountain, you use a lot of explosives and you break the rock up and then you bulldoze it out of the way to get to the coal. Well, that rock and rubble has to go somewhere. So what the coal companies do is they dump it into the creeks and streams and hollows that are the natural contours of the mountains. They compress it, they pack it down. And some of them are miles long, and the miles of streams, over 2000 miles of streams have been impacted by valley fills.John FiegeCovered up, and they're gone?Vernon HaltomThey're covered and they're gone. They're buried. They're completely buried. They're hundreds of feet under this rubble. And so that contributes to the flooding, but you also have that contributing to pollution in the water because all this rock that was segregated from the rain and the sun and the wind for millions of millions of years is now broken up into smaller chunks. If you imagine grinding your coffee and putting it in a basket to make coffee, that's a similar process. So the rain leeches through that and the various minerals and pollutants that were locked up in the rock for all those millennia are now seeping back into the streams. And we don't know how long that will last, but considering the vast scale of these, it'll be forever. You have sediment ponds at the toe of these valley fills where the treatment is done, and that has to be done forever.We've seen coal companies go bankrupt or those obligations not being taken care of, otherwise. The coal companies aren't going to be there forever. When they stop doing that, it's still going to be polluting the streams. So we've lost a large fraction of the species of fish in a lot of the streams and a large fraction of the numbers of fish too, at least a third. So that is a huge impact.John FiegeThe forest itself in the valley is covered in this rubble as well, right?Vernon HaltomIt is.John FiegeSo you have a functioning forest ecosystem in addition to the stream ecosystem that are both completely covered with dirt and destroyed.Vernon HaltomAnd they're all interrelated. The leaves that fall from the trees are processed by the bugs in the streams, and those bugs feed the fish and some of the fish and bugs are eaten by birds. And it's a whole system of overlapping cycles that is part of the beauty of the Appalachian forests.John FiegeWell, and the rest of the country often views folks in West Virginia, and especially folks from coal mining towns and coal mining families as being diehard coal supporters and extremely anti-environmental. And the industries and politicians who profit tremendously from coal production, love to use the West Virginia coal miner as this symbol of American freedom and hard work and that type of thing. The view from the ground is always much more complicated. Can you all talk a bit about the communities in Raleigh County and the views of folks there toward coal mining and mountaintop removal and these coal companies, like Massey Energy, that profits so handsomely from this exploitation and destruction?Vernon HaltomReally quick, just let me point out part of the myth that everybody is for mountaintop removal. Consistently the polls and surveys show that people in West Virginia and elsewhere in Appalachia oppose mountaintop removal two to one. That's not insignificant. And the idea that everybody in West Virginia works for the coal industry is also a myth. Less than 3% of West Virginia's workforce works for the coal industry. Less than half of 1% works in mountaintop removal. Some of that's clustered in specific places. There are a lot more teachers than there are coal miners in West Virginia.Junior WalkThings are always a lot more complicated than they initially seem from the national headlines, at least in most cases. And definitely, there isn't like a homogenous view that everybody in southern West Virginia shares about the coal industry. Opinions and political beliefs and everything else is just as diverse down in here as they are anywhere else. Sure, you've got people who are die hard coal industry supporters that whether they work in the industry or somebody in their family does or not, they're still going to believe whatever the right wing news media shoves down their throat about the coal industry and all that. But then you also have a lot of people who don't feel that way about it.The vast majority of people around here are apathetic about the coal industry because whether that apathy stems from just not thinking about it that much, or whether that apathy stems from a defeatist attitude of, oh, the coal industry, that's the people who have the money and the power and they're going to do whatever they want. That's probably different on a person by person basis. But then you also do have a segment of the population here who are vehemently against stripping the land. Even if they think that the economic benefits of the coal industry and of the past underground mining and stuff like that have been worth it, they'll still draw the line at mountaintop removal or surface mining.John FiegeSo one thing I see over and over again and all across the country, different industries, is this argument that industry tries to make, that the people in the communities where these polluting and destructive activities happen, they want that to go on. They want those jobs, they want the economic activity, they're supportive. The people who are against it are outside agitators or urban environmentalists or professional activists. All these terms you hear thrown around. And I was just wondering if you all could talk about that a little bit and this image that industry often tries to paint of the division between people from the community who are supportive and people from outside the community who are in opposition.Junior WalkFor sure. And I'll say that around here, the vast majority of the good paying coal mining jobs do not go to people who live directly around those coal mines. These people drive in an hour down into here to work, and when they get done working, they get to go back home and turn on their tap water and it comes out clean. They get to send their kids to school somewhere that ain't in danger from being too close to coal operations. They get to drive on roads in their little cul-de-sacs and middle class subdivisions and not have to be worried about getting flattened like a pancake by a coal truck.Those are the people who benefit from the coal industry. It ain't the people who lives in the trailer park right below the big strip mine who are now dealing with a bunch of runoff water and a bunch of dust and everything else.John FiegeAnd those micro differences of different communities is completely lost in the national conversation about these things, I think.Junior WalkAbsolutely.Vernon HaltomOne of the things in West Virginia is you have so much of the industry propaganda infiltrating the schools, even on Earth Day, Alpha Metallurgical Resources hosted kids from Clear Fork Elementary School onto their mountaintop removal site. They had big banners, their trucks. All that's really fun and cool if you're a kid, but Clear Fork Elementary is also within a mile of three mountaintop removal sites and a fourth one if Alpha gets their permit for that one. So there's that support, sometimes locally, but I think the people who are often opposed to it are intimidated, either intimidated by violence or intimidated by opinions of somebody's cousin's nephew's brother-in-law who happens to work for the industry.John FiegeAnd coal supporters often claim that shutting down coal production will destroy communities that grew up around coal and the economies that support them. What do you all make of those claims?Junior WalkI think if the coal industry brought prosperity and economic vitality for southern West Virginia, we wouldn't be some of the poorest counties in the entire nation. And I think that's the only argument that needs to be made about that.John FiegeRight. Well, y'all have mentioned Judy Bonds already, but she's such a big figure. She's the founder and director of Coal River Mountain Watch. She won the 2003 Goldman Environmental Prize. Her unofficial title is The Godmother of the Anti Mountaintop Removal Movement. I know you both knew her and worked with her. Can you tell me a little bit more about her and just her personality and what role she played in bringing these issues to the national stage?Vernon HaltomI first met Judy in 2004. I first heard her voice on the radio in 2003 after she won the Goldman Environmental Prize. She was not tall. What she lacked in stature, she made up with in heart and passion. She was brave. There's a story of her chasing a bear off because it was intimidating her dog. She used her grandson's track shoes to throw at the bear. She was from a coal mining family. I was one of the people who helped carry Judy's casket to her grave in her backyard. She was the last person out of Marfork Hollow in the community of Packsville, that used to be there before the coal industry made it unbearable to live there.She cared deeply about her family. That's what got her into activism, seeing her grandson standing in a stream holding dead fish. I traveled some with Judy. Driving her car, you had to remove the pillow and scoot the seat back so that you could actually get behind the steering wheel. She loved her community, she cared about her community, even the people that wished her ill. And one of my sons middle names is Jude, and that's for Judy. She had such a huge impact on thousands and thousands of people that her shoes were hard to fill and nobody's tried to fill them and nobody can. But her loss from cancer from breathing mountaintop removal dust for all those years is a huge loss.Junior WalkI was real lucky to know her when I was a kid. My mom actually volunteered with Coal River Mountain Watch in 1998 right after everything was started up. She didn't do it for very long or anything, but I can remember going in there as a kid and they had big pieces of butcher block paper, essentially, on a easel, and she'd let me draw on them and stuff. And it's one of the first places I ever messed with a computer at, was at the old Coal River Mountain Watch office there. The one story that really sticks in my mind about Judy and me is, so when I was about eight years old, this is around '98, there was a community meeting at the old Pettus School, which doesn't exist anymore. Now, it's a parking lot for coal mines. I went there, my mom brought me there when I was a little kid, and I remember standing up and asking Judy if they want to blow up the mountains, why don't we all just hold hands around the mountains and they can't? I was a little kid.And then years later, you fast forward and I started working for Coal River Mountain Watch and all that. And there's this one point in time Judy looks at me and she said, "Junior, do you know you're the first person to ever bring up direct action to me?" Referencing all the way back to that. And that ain't something I talk about an awful lot because that's kinda unbelievable. When I first started working for Mountain Watch and stuff, the actions and all that had been going on for quite a few years-John FiegeReally?Junior Walk... from when I was a teenager and stuff. And I wasn't involved in any of that, so it's crazy to think.John FiegeWow, that's amazing. And Judy's known for doing this non-violent direct action. And at this point, I know you all are doing a lot of monitoring work on foot with GPS and with small planes and drones. Can you talk about the various strategies that Coal River Mountain Watch uses and how they relate to the work the organization has done historically?Junior WalkYeah, you pretty well hit the nail on the head there as far as our current strategy, which is the monitoring work, either going up in flights with one of our partner organizations, South Wings, in small aircraft to monitor these mines or with drones or on foot and just hiking around in the mountains and trying not to get seen by security guards. And yeah, I'd say over the years, Coal River Mountain Watch has employed a lot of different tactics, and we've had a lot of different campaigns to the ends of trying to be a nemesis to the coal industry. That's always been our main goal is to be as much of a pain to the coal industry as humanly possible. And so whatever projects we can figure out to work on to meet that goal, that's what we do.And over the years, we've done everything from lobbying in the state capital in Charleston, in Washington, DC, gathering scientific data from lawsuits, traveling around and telling the story of how coal mining has affected our community at various universities or events and things like that, to doing direct action work, getting arrested, doing tree sits and blockades and things of that nature.John FiegeAnd what has changed? I know you were doing more direct action before. What has changed? Has the political environment changed? Do you feel like other tactics are more successful now? What's the thinking there about the shifts in emphasis?Vernon HaltomA lot of the shift in emphasis is the myth that the coal industry is over. In 2015, it was in pretty much every major media outlet that King Coal was dead when Alpha Natural Resources, at the time, requested bankruptcy relief. That was taken as a sign that it was over. And we had allies who said it was essentially over. That's the quotation from their fundraising letter. And some of the minor victories, I call them minor victories, in lawsuits were over-hyped, I think. So a lot of the energy from direct action campaigns went to other related issues, pipelines, fracking and things like that.John FiegeAnd Junior, you went to Marsh Fork Elementary School. What was it like, one, to be there? What did you notice about going to school there? And then secondly, what was it like to then witness this fight as you got older and became an adult and then started working with Coal River Mountain Watch that was doing all this work with Judy around relocation?Junior WalkYeah. So I went to Marsh Fork Elementary from kindergarten through sixth grade, and that would've been from 95 until 2001. And yeah, I can remember dust in the playground, just like when you'd be let out for recess, if you was the first one over to the slides and stuff, there'd be a layer of dust just laying on everything.John FiegeAnd that was silica dust?Junior WalkIt was coal dust.John FiegeIt was coal dust.Junior WalkFrom the processing plant.John FiegeBut the ultra fine silica, that would be more in the air then-Junior WalkIt would be. And that's more from-John FiegeOh, that's from the mountaintop removal.Junior WalkBlasting. Yeah, exactly. Which there is a mountaintop removal site directly behind the processing plant beside the old school, but it wasn't active yet at the time I went there.John FiegeGotcha. So this was straight coal dust?Junior WalkYeah, it was just coal dust. So it got worse after I left, essentially. And I do remember the first silo that they built there, right directly behind the school. It's the only one that they actually built, but it was there when I was a kid, and I can remember the noise of them loading train cars. So imagine a train pulling through a tunnel in the bottom of a massive silo and then just a bunch of coal dropping into each one of those cars every few seconds. It was difficult to concentrate on anything.John FiegeWell, I'm sure that Joe Manchin's kids had to deal with the same stuff in their school-Junior WalkOh yeah.John FiegeDon't you think?Junior WalkGuarantee you that. Is that his daughter's the one that hiked up the price of EpiPens a while back? Yeah, no, I bet she's breathed all kind of coal dust in her life, huh? So from the time I got out of elementary school until I graduated high school, there was two kids that I went to elementary school with that had had cancer by the time we graduated high school, and one of them passed away. And I've had other people that I went to elementary school with who since then until now have passed away. I don't even know how many, but more than a couple. There was a girl that was in my grade that just died, I think last year-John FiegeWhoa.Junior Walk... from cancer. And I solidly blame the coal operations that we were going to school next to.John FiegeWow. And what's it like to see the school moved later and then to begin working for the organization that was responsible for that?Junior WalkTo know that the kids that would be going to school there now have a safe, clean school that they can go to just a few miles up the road from that one. It's amazing. That, to me, even though I was only involved a little bit right at the very end, that's still one of the proudest things I've ever been involved in in my life.John FiegeWell, and just makes it so much more powerful having gone to that school yourself. That's really an incredible story.Vernon HaltomYeah, I guess the sad thing is the new school is two miles from the Eagle 2 mountaintop removal permit. So when they get around to that portion of it, there's kids going to be endangered from that too, if the wind's blowing from the correct direction.John FiegeRight. And I think when people think of coal mining, they think of that, you dig a tunnel in the mountain and you go down there and the coal is there and you knock it off and you put it in rail cars and you send it out. Can you talk just a bit more about why they're doing this mountaintop removal? I know you mentioned it's cheap, but why is it cheap and why are they having to go for these thin sections of coal in the mountain now?Vernon HaltomIt's cheaper because it takes fewer people. If you go and watch a mountaintop removal site, you may see just a handful of people. There will be a guy driving that truck, a guy driving that truck, a guy driving that bulldozer, a guy driving that bulldozer, a security guy and a few people operating the explosives. So the energy and work that used to be done by miners is now done by explosives. And the explosive equivalent of 20 Tomahawk missiles is pretty substantial even though the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection calls that a small blast. It does a lot of damage and it breaks up the rock, and then you just scoop it up, push it down the valley, or push it onto another section of the mountaintop removal site and then scoop up the coal. It's fast and efficient. It's the low hanging fruit of getting to the coal.And if they want to come back later, they just spray some of those grass seed and fertilizer over it and call it good until they want to come back to it. The companies get a variance. They have all these variances, all these regulations and laws that they get the approval to violate, essentially, and they're not able to comply with the regulations. They can't even maintain a ditch. Right now they have a very bad open violation on Coal River Mountain because their ditch failed. The ditch that's supposed to catch the runoff and the sediment, and it's just too steep. And the laws of physics still apply in West Virginia regardless of what the coal industry and the DEP think.John FiegeAnd what's the danger of company abandonment and bankruptcies and all of that, thinking about these issues?Vernon HaltomA lot of the companies had what was called self-bonding, where they themselves guaranteed the money to fix up any reclamation if they were to abandon it. And that's not a good idea. And there are also other companies, insurance companies or what have you, that a company can get their reclamation bond through. But so much of mountaintop removal is subject to failure with too many bankruptcies or too many companies abandoning their obligations, that there is a real potential that the actual cleanup costs could fall on the taxpayer. And frankly, West Virginia taxpayers can't afford it. The state budget already gives more to the coal industry than they get from it.John FiegeWell, in the context of all this, Judy Bonds had to deal with continual threats of violence toward her, as have so many other people who've worked to stop mountaintop removal, like Larry Gibson, well-known activist who was working right near there. How much do you still encounter violence or threats of violence in this work?Junior WalkI'll say, when I first come on staff at Coal River Mountain Watch in 2010, before Judy would start her car, she'd have me go around and look at the underside of it with a mirror to make sure that there wasn't nothing going to surprise her when she started her car. And I think that since then, between the coal industry just generally not employing as many people as they did in 2010, as well as the shift of attitude of a lot of the local people after the Upper Big Branch mine explosion and the drop off of attention from the national news media about surface mining here in West Virginia as an issue. Also, something that's went away with all that has been a lot of the real visceral threats of violence and stuff from the other side, from the coal industry supporters. And that's not to say that it don't still happen, because it most certainly does. And I'm real careful anytime I leave the house just to remember that there are people around here that would rather see me dead. But in recent years, it hasn't been as bad as what it was at the height of the resistance to surface mining here.John FiegeAnd how about you, Vernon? What have you seen?Vernon HaltomBack in 2009, in June of 2009 when we had the big rally at Marsh Fork Elementary School and the protest and the march down to the preparation plant, pretty much everybody had their lives threatened then. My life was threatened, my wife's life was threatened. Judy Bonds was sucker punched. It leaves an impression that regardless of where you are, am I safe here? When is it coming? You're always looking over your shoulder. And some people get treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. Well, when that trauma and that stress is ongoing, there's that concern, that anxiety, that it could happen. And there's also the concern and anxiety for ongoing mountaintop removal. It's a violent process. It kills people.John FiegeWell, what is y'all's vision of what a future Raleigh County or a future West Virginia could look like and how the communities there could find themselves in a much better place than what they have to endure currently?Junior WalkI do not care. It's not my problem what the future is going to look like around here. It's not my problem how a coal miner is going to make their truck payment that they went out and financed some ridiculous big old truck. You know what I mean? That's not my responsibility to come up with what a future's going to look like here. Just because I'm the one that's standing here saying that what's going on now is a problem and it needs to stop, that don't put the burden on my shoulders to tell these people what they're going to do next.John FiegeAnd Junior, is there a world that you want to live in there? For example, do you imagine, hope for, dream of a world without the coal industry operating? Or do you have a vision, not to speak for everybody there or the coal miners or anything like that, but for yourself? What would you like to see there that would be better for you?Junior WalkThe only thing I could see to make this area a better and more livable place is to do away with the coal industry, to stop them from operating completely like 10 years ago, and we haven't done that. They still get to do what they want, and it still makes this place miserable to live for most people or for a whole lot of people. And yeah, I would love to see what this area would look like without the exploitation of the coal industry. I'm sure we would be just fine. The vast majority of the people that live in these communities around here are all retired or disabled. The coal industry dissolving overnight isn't going to affect them. It's going to affect the people, like I said, driving in an hour every day. And whatever happens to them and their cul-de-sac and gated communities, I could care less.John FiegeRight. And why have you stayed?Junior WalkWell, I've stayed here because this is where my family is. Like I was talking about, I've traveled all over the country. I've been to almost every single one of the lower 48, and I've never found anywhere else that I'd rather live. This is a beautiful place. I'm lucky to be from here.John FiegeWhat keeps you going through this difficult work?Junior WalkWell, for me, personally, I'll say that I still feel like I owe it to the people who took me under their wings when I was first starting out in this stuff. Judy Bonds and Larry Gibson, Chuck Nelson, Sid Moye. There's many people that really put a lot of faith into me and put a lot of effort into molding me into who I am today. And I'll be eternally grateful for that. And I still owe it to them and to their memories to keep doing this work until it's done, until there is no more coal industry in southern West Virginia, because that's what they asked of me. And so that's what I'm going to keep doing.And then on top of all that, you can't live around here and see the way that people are exploited and the things they're expected to live through and live with and be okay with and not stand up and say something about it. If you can sit there on your hands and keep your mouth shut just to protect your paycheck from seeing some of the things I've seen, then you're not a good person, and I try to be a good person.Vernon HaltomThe persistence, I think, is something that Coal River Mountain Watch is known for since we started so long ago. We tend to be stubborn and we tend to be bulldogs in the sense of hanging on and sticking to it. I think our passion is seeing it through and not walking away from it. And that's something we do for the love of friends and family that aren't able maybe to take that stand or who would like to, but for whatever reason are intimidated by the threats of violence. But when you have family members who have died from it and you see it, or you stand in it, or you breathe it, or you feel the dust in your teeth, it's gritty. You become a part of it and it's more infused into you. And it's very much a battle, not just for the community, but for the sake of the planet. What happens in West Virginia affects people in the low-lying islands in the Pacific. It affects people impacted by hurricanes.John FiegeAnd you hinted at this idea earlier of, if we can't stop mountaintop removal, what hope do we have of dealing with these big global issues of climate change? It feels like such low hanging fruit and so obvious that if you're going to start somewhere, let's start with that.Vernon HaltomExactly. There's no better low hanging fruit in the climate crisis battle than mountaintop removal.John FiegeNot only do we not need coal anymore, but we don't need to destroy mountains to get to it.Vernon HaltomWe don't need to destroy mountains and kill people to profit a few coal barons who control the state legislatures and much of the government itself. That wealth has power, and the people who breathe air and drink water have very little power in comparison. But eventually, there are more of us than there are of them, and we'll eventually outlast them. We've gone through how many iterations of Alpha Natural Resources, Alpha Metallurgical Resources, and whatever company name they're going to pick next year, that we'll eventually wait them out.John FiegeWell, what do you all hope that listeners can take from this conversation and your stories, and how can they get involved and support some of the work that you're doing at Coal River Mountain Watch?Junior WalkIf there's some big problem in your community that you feel passionate about, do something about it. First and foremost, do whatever you can, devote your life to it. But don't just let injustice stand because when you're quiet about it, everybody else is going to be too. It only takes one person to stand up and raise hell about it for other people to get brave. And then the second part that I'd like for people to take away from this is that these issues that we deal with down here in southern West Virginia related to the coal industry, they are just one issue in a sea of similar problems that goes on around this nation and around the world when poor people get exploited by wealthy people. And that's really the root issue that we're dealing with here, is the exploitation of this land and the people who live on it by wealthy interests that live elsewhere.And this issue here, it's not the capitalist system that we live under gone wrong by any means. It's the capitalist system that we live under going directly 100% according to plan. This is their plan. We live on a planet of only a set amount of resources. And the capitalist system that we live in is based upon this concept of exponential growth of more and more and more and more, consume, consume, consume, consume. And those two facts are going to eventually come to a head. Both of those can't coexist, and that's what they're trying to make happen right now, globally. And that's just not how that works.Vernon HaltomI'd like to echo what Junior said about tackling the challenges in your own backyard. There's something everywhere that people can be plugged into and have that local voice. If somebody wants to help, if they want to help our organization specifically, it's CRMW.net. We're always underfunded. There's more work to do than we have time to do.John FiegeJunior, one more thing I wanted to ask you. Could you talk a little bit more about the drone work you've been doing and more about what it is you're filming and what impacts either you're hoping it's going to have or that you actually seen it have already?Junior WalkFor sure. So I've been using drones to film and document these mine sites since about 2016. And generally, the idea is you fly the drone, you find something that they shouldn't be doing or that's messed up on their site that they're going to have to fix. You take that information to the DEP, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, and then you make them make the coal company fix whatever it is that you found. And so generally, the fines and stuff that they get are just a slap on the wrist. They're factored into the cost of doing business. But what really hurts them is when we find stuff that they then have to take workers and equipment away from actively mining coal to then go to a different section of the site and repair, and that's what really hurts them economically. And in our hope, that is what will make it less economically feasible for them to keep their operations open.John FiegeGreat. And have you seen results from that?Junior WalkTo some extent, for sure. We've definitely had to force, or we've been able to force coal companies to have to go back to sections of their site that they're pretty far away from and fix crumbling high walls or dig stuff out of a sediment ditch. And I don't think I'm wrong in assuming that, yeah, we've been able to cost them a pretty penny.John FiegeWell, Vernon, Junior, thank you so much for joining me today, and thank you for all this amazingly difficult, but important and vital work that you're doing. Thank you. Thank you for keeping at it.Vernon HaltomThank you, John, for providing us a platform to tell the story and let people know.Junior WalkYeah, I appreciate you. It was great talking to you.---OutroJohn FiegeThank you so much to Vernon Haltom and Junior Walk. Go to our website at chrysalispodcast.org where you can find out more about Coal River Mountain Watch and the legacy of Judy Bonds. Plus, see some of Junior's drone footage of recent mountaintop removal operations.This episode was researched by Lydia Montgomery and edited by Brodie Mutschler and Sofia Chang. Music is by Daniel Rodríguez Vivas. Mixing is by Juan Garcia. If you enjoyed my conversation with Vernon and Junior, please rate and review us on your favorite podcast platform. Contact me anytime at chrysalispodcast.org, where you can also support the project, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.chrysalispodcast.org

King Coal : a Novel

In this episode, Kenny talks with cinematographer Curren Sheldon about the Sundance documentary "King Coal." Enjoy the episode! Follow Kenny on Twitter @kwmcmillan and give him some feed back on the show! Frame & Reference is supported by Filmtools and ProVideo Coalition. Filmtools is the West Coasts leading supplier of film equipment. From cameras and lights to grip and expendables, Filmtools has you covered for all your film gear needs. Check out Filmtools.com for more. ProVideo Coalition is a top news and reviews site focusing on all things production and post. Check out ProVideoCoalition.com for the latest news coming out of the industry.

Doug, Chris and Aaron cover another legislative rundown, with a special focus on the especially heinous, anti-trans treatment/don't say gay/bathroom bill, SB 150. We also touch on King Coal's anti-arrow darter, anti-climate action legislative agenda and Chris brings us a rare bipartisan rural healthcare victory. We then head to the campaign corner to meet trans activist Mason Chernosky, who has been all over the capitol fighting the #SlateOfHate and we hear about what we need to do next, and the importance of trans joy, at summer camp and beyond. We also have an interview with the legislature's first elected openly gay state representative, Keturah Herron, who shares her perspective on the session thus far, with a special focus on juvenile justice reform in Frankfort. FINALLY, we close out with an extensive, multi-part, critical Call to Action! NEWS OF THE WEAK:https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/17/kentucky-senate-bill-150-anti-transgender-legislation-questions-answers/70020693007/ https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article273107225.htmlhttps://www.wkyufm.org/2023-03-13/ky-bill-would-relax-mine-pollution-protections-for-endangered-specieshttps://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article273181200.html https://www.richmondregister.com/ap/state/beshear-signs-bill-to-bolster-kentuckys-rural-hospitals/article_f7eadf37-4572-5d44-baaf-8871d39884f1.html CAMPAIGN CORNER: Mason Chernosky http://campbeacon.org/ https://www.facebook.com/campbeaconky INTERVIEW: Representative Keturah Herron (D-42) https://legislature.ky.gov/Legislators/Pages/Legislator-Profile.aspx?DistrictNumber=42 CALL TO ACTION: Stop SB 150! Tell the KY GOP Supermajority there is no place for hate in our state! 1) Send a message to Gov. Beshear, your representatives and key Senate leaders demanding they reject this hateful legislation - We've made it super-easy for you to email all the critical decision-makers - just click here: https://bit.ly/StopSB150 2) Make a PHONE CALL 1-800-372-7181 & leave a message for "My Representative & House Leaders to vote NO on an override vote on SB 150 3) Join our Caravan for Compassion in the Lexington area - Friday afternoon - we'll be meeting up at Malibu Jack's parking lot at 3:30 to decorate our cars - we're printing up “Y'all means ALL” signs, and we'll have window markers - bring your pride flag and any specific signs - we'll then caravan to three stops, targeting three key senate GOP votes. RSVP to the event and get the details on our FB page: https://fb.me/e/2G5juLnqR 4) Get to Frankfort on Wednesday, March 29th - There's a Stop SB 150 event at 9:30 am with a youth-led rally on the steps of the Capitol Annex building. After the rally, stay and pack the main Capitol building with LGBTQ+ supporters as the legislature gavels into session at noon.   The rally is being organized by students from various high schools across Kentucky as well as supportive teachers, parents, and other allies. To RSVP and for details as they develop: https://fb.me/e/2DbrA1p1n 5) Do your own thing (with some support) - Check out the organizer's toolkit to stop SB 150 for great ideas and resources. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vShkisITx6iH1f348KuH9JPk7cCrp_uxnfO_num-a58/edit #ProgressKentucky - #ColonelsOfTruth Join us! http://progressky.org/ Support us! https://secure.actblue.com/donate/progressky Live Wednesdays at 7pm on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/progressky/live/ and on YouTube http://bit.ly/progress_ky Facebook   @progressky Instagram  @progress_ky Twitter   @progress_ky Episode 105 was produced by Annabel Nagel Theme music from the amazing Nato - hear more at http://www.NatoSongs.com Logo and some graphic design provided by www.couchfiremedia.com

Where are the environmentalists when whales are dying? Daily Standup Top Stories  Evidence says offshore wind development is killing lots of whales March 1, 2023 Mariel AlumitThe recent deaths of seven whales off New Jersey, mostly humpbacks, got a lot of attention. The federal NOAA Fisheries agency is responsible for whales. An outrageous statement by their spokesperson got me to do […] India Coal is Back in Business March 1, 2023 Mariel AlumitIndia's coal industry celebrated the return of its major conference after a three-year pandemic hiatus by presenting a bullish view of demand, rising supply from new mines and strong demand for imports. “King coal is […] World needs ‘collaborative competition to capture US$4 trillion long-duration opportunity' March 1, 2023 Mariel AlumitLong-duration energy storage (LDES) was firmly on the agenda and one of the main talking points among attendees at last week's Energy Storage Summit EU in London. As the global transition to renewables-based energy systems picks up […] Mexico approves new Tesla plant in northern Mexico February 28, 2023 Mariel AlumitMexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has announced that the electric car manufacturer Tesla will open a large plant in northern Mexico, marking an investment that could be worth up to $10bn for the region. […] SLB New Energy to Target Billion-Dollar Opportunities Only March 1, 2023 Mariel AlumitSLB – known as Schlumberger until three and a half months ago – is aiming for billion-dollar business opportunities only under its New Energy unit. “We look for two things: impact and scale,” Gavin Rennick, […]Follow Stuart on LinkedIn and TwitterFollow Michael On LinkedIn and TwitterENB Top NewsENBEnergy DashboardENB PodcastENB Substack

The U.S. is not in the top 10 ocean polluters; King Coal is "not dead yet,"; The EU looks to increase U.S. oil imports; and Shell in the Gulf of MexicoThis is a great Monday show, and the full transcription is below. If you are a Energy Industry CEO/Thought Leader, please reach out to be on Stu's interviews. We want to talk to all energy market leaders.Climate reparations are not going to be helpful, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham saysAgainst All Odds: The Coal Industry is Back from the Dead – “I am not dead yet, I am getting better” says king coalEurope's Thirst for U.S. Crude To Stay High In 2023 – Good for U.S. marketsCRUDE OIL NEWSFebruary 19, 2023Follow Stuart On LinkedIn and TwitterFollow Michael On LinkedIn and TwitterENB Top NewsENBEnergy DashboardENB PodcastENB Substack

Federal Member for Nicholls, Sam BIrrell (pictured), with the aid of Environmental Leadership Australia, is staging an invite-only meeting this week in Shepparton to talk about growth and economic survival during the rigours of the climate crisis, while in Melbourne on Sunday, February 26, a group of enthusiasts from the Degrowth Network Australia (DNA) will be talking about taking the opposite approach - reducing production and consumption. "Climate change may have encouraged the Huns to invade Europe"; "David Speers interviews Greens Leader Adam Bandt"; "Myth-buster: Why two degrees of global warming is worse than it sounds"; "Al Gore calls the World Bank chief a ‘climate denier.'"; "World Bank chief to step down early after climate controversy"; "America's hottest city is nearly unlivable in summer. Can cooling technologies save it?"; "‘King Coal' is back: Miners post record profits on bumper demand". --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/robert-mclean/message

WATCH the video on YouTube by clicking the RED button above.LISTEN to audio only via the Substack player by clicking the BLUE button above.STREAM audio only on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player app.DOWNLOAD a pdf of the slide deck by clicking the blue Download button below.A videopod that captures the last 3 written posts on Super-Spiked and what can be learned from the global coal sector when evaluating strategies and investments in oil and gas.

The dramatic film Fancy Dance follows an indigenous woman named Jax, who hustles to get by on her reservation in Oklahoma. When her sister Tawi disappears, Jax is responsible for taking care of her niece Roki. The two search for Tawi and ask for help from law enforcement who does little to help. Meanwhile, they steal cars and scam people in card games, which leads to Roki being taken out of Jax's care and placed with her white grandfather. Jax kidnaps Roki, and the two road trip to get to the state powwow to find out more about Tawi's disappearance and where Roki plans to perform a dance. Fancy Dance director and writer Erica Tremblay and cinematographer Carolina Costa met when Erica was searching for a DP and Carolina was on a short list. Carolina loved the script, and felt the film was special just from reading the page- she could see all the visuals in her mind, and felt it was important to see these characters come alive on the big screen. She decided to keep the lighting natural and didn't use a lot of additional lights. They wanted the film to feel specific to the topography of Oklahoma in the summer- a hot, humid time, when the sky is a very washed out blue. Erica and Carolina had a lot of conversations about what the film would look and feel like, including using natural moonlight as a symbol of Tawi, the missing sister and mother. The moon is a symbol of matrilineal kinship which is vital to the Native American community. One of the biggest challenges facing director Erica Tremblay was finding financing for Fancy Dance. It was hard to convince the right people to fund a film whose main character is an abrasive, lawless, queer indigenous woman. Erica grew up in the Seneca Cayuga nation, and drew upon characters she knew. She wanted her script to reflect the issues faced by Native Americans today, especially the crisis of missing indigenous women who are never found. But she also includes humor, loving family connections and the celebration of joyous culture at the powwow. Fancy Dance is seeking distribution. Instagram #fancydancemovie Director Elaine Sheldon describes her movie King Coal as part documentary and part fable, as she takes a poetic and personal look at the influence of coal in Appalachia. It was once King in the region, but as the economic power of coal wanes, Elaine explores the question of what a future without coal might look like. There is no scripting in the film, and she uses two girls who act as characters to bringing the audience for the movie. People continue to celebrate coal culture in these communities, and the film documents some of the interesting rituals around coal festivals, fun runs, beauty pageants and even a coal themed amusement park. Elaine and her husband, cinematographer Curren Sheldon, wanted to tell a new story about the region- for so long, West Virginia and the surrounding areas have been seen as just a place to exploit for coal. Both Elaine and Sheldon grew up in the area, and Elaine wanted her personal storytelling and narration to heighten the feeling of what it's like to be in this place, and imagine what it would be like to exist there without coal. They wanted to show Appalachia as a beautiful, green and forested community, not as a poor, destroyed place. The land itself has meaning, so they shot images of the fog rising, textures of bison, the moss, and sunlight through the trees. Coal came from the earth, and at one time it was just sitting alongside all the other natural elements. Elaine decided to end the film looking ahead to an uncertain future. They held a “funeral” for King Coal and the community turned out, with a casket, music and impromptu eulogies. King Coal is seeking distribution. Find Elaine Sheldon: https://www.elainemcmillionsheldon.com/ Find Curren Sheldon: http://currensheldon.com/ Instagram @kingcoalfilm Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras: www.hotrodcameras.com Sponsored by Greentree Creative: https://www.growwithgreentree.

Premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Academy Award-nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon's ("Heroin(e)", "Recovery Boys") elegiac, stirring, and magical new documentary “King Coal” gives an insider's unique perspective on the profound impact that coal has had on the people and mythos of Central Appalachia. As the daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter of coal miners, Elaine's narrative comes from a place of personal experience and deep reflection — and stretches the boundaries of traditional documentary. Sitting down with Ken in Park City the night before her film's world premiere, Elaine discusses the liberating effect of using hybrid storytelling strategies, the challenges of presenting a nuanced approach to a highly politicized issue, and her nervous anticipation of watching the film with her family for the first time. "King Coal" was produced by Diane Becker, Shane Boris, and Peggy Drexler.   Follow: @topdocspod on Instagram and twitter @elainemsheldon on twitter   The Presenting Sponsor of “Top Docs” is Netflix. A big thanks to Portrait for hosting this conversation at Sundance. 

West Virginia is so rich with coal that the state is synonymous with the mineral, however, long before King Coal, oil ruled the Mountain State's economy and industry. The Ohio Valley states were the first major producers of oil in the United States, and West Virginia was the nation's leading oil producer for the first two decades of the twentieth century. Oil is still produced in West Virginia, though the great boom is over, museums and architecture of the oil towns preserve the heritage for all to experience those heady days of wildcatting and strikes.

Marshall and WVSU receive federal funding to establish a cyber security center … “King Coal”s director discusses her film playing at this year's Sundance Festival … and a Pocahontas County STEM camp's new solar array may become a teaching tool.  -- on today's daily304, listen here…

 Are your retirement funds really YOUR money? The guys talk big-box 401k partnerships and walking the fear-of-missing-out/fear-of-going-lower tightrope before digging into last week's missed sector – coal – and the stocks you'll want to keep an eye on to take advantage in 2024. In this video for educational purposes only, Danny Stewart, Don Vandenbord, […] The post Old King Coal | Your Money Podcast – Episode 422 appeared first on Revere Asset Management.

On Crime time we look at the collapse of Eskom. Amabhungane journalist Susan Comrie chats to Thabo about the years of systemic corruption and political interference that has led to the power cuts we're experiencing today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chuck Keeney is the author of The Road to Blair Mountain: Saving a Mine Wars Battlefield from King Coal, a professor of history at Southern WV Community and Technical College, and a founding member of the Mine Wars museum. He joins the pod to discuss his work in helping preserve the history of one of the country's greatest labor struggles between West Virginia miners and their corporate overlords, his great grandfather Frank Keeney's leadership role, and how that history was covered up and disseminated.

This episode's guest is Natalie Biggs the Director of Thermal Coal Markets at Wood Mackenzie. Natalie is an expert in the coal market and has been very busy this year following all the craziness with the ongoing energy crisis. I was excited to have Natalie on because it seems like coal is an under covered topic in the energy world, as many seemed to have forgotten how meaningful coal still is to the overall energy mix globally. This episode we discuss the current state of the coal markets. We dive into the ongoing energy crisis in Europe and how coal is continuing to play a large role in energy security for countries now faced with a shortage of Russia natural gas. Lastly, we dive into the supply and demand dynamics for thermal coal, and discuss how the rumors of coal's demise have been greatly exaggerated. Hope you enjoy the show! Talk.Energy Podcast: https://talk.energy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/max_gagliardi Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkenergypod LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/talkenergy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TalkEnergyPodcast

The Earth is literally on fire. More than half of the planet is experiencing temperatures that have exceeded 100 degrees. Droughts are widespread, food shortages amass, and hundreds of climate deaths are occurring and yet there is one man that stands in the way of America's action on climate--Senator Joe Manchin aka King Coal. How much money is enough for him to take from Big Oil and Gas?!? How many more millions does his family need to hoard as his actions cause a climate genocide?!? Wajahat and Danielle discuss the world's climate crisis and whether we are too late to stop it.  Hosts: Danielle Moodie & Wajahat Ali Executive Producer: Adell Coleman Senior Producer: Quinton Hill Distributor: DCP Entertainment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the intersection of climate change,  post-pandemic demand and supply chain challenges sits King Coal.  And while coal demand continues to fall across most of the industrialized Western world, it is seeing a resurgence globally as countries attempt to meet the outsized demand for energy as their economies attempt a return to normal.  This is the gap between the promise and delivery of renewables vs the demand and current needs for energy and electricity.  There are no easy answers and the long term impact of this quandary is murky.  

Commonwealth heads of state and government begin two days of talks in Rwanda. Big issues on the table including trade, climate change, and even food on your table.  Bola Mosuro will be telling us more from Kigali. Also, we will also be hearing from South Africa, where the so-called dirty fuel, King Coal is enjoying a rare bonanza. That and other stories in this podcast.

Tyson Fury has come back to reality with a thud, going from the adrenaline rush of beating Dillian Whyte at a packed Wembley, to taking out the bins. A group of Just Stop Oil protesters are expected to be arrested today after breaching an injunction by standing in front of an oil terminal holding placards saying 'dangerous radicals' and 'if only they listened to petitions'. Britain could soon approve its first new coal mine in decades as it tries to reduce reliance on Russian imports. Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove is reportedly preparing to give the thumbs up to a new colliery in Cumbria despite opposition from climate campaigners. Fracking has transformed America from being a net energy importer, reliant on supplies from often unstable countries, to a net exporter. Natural gas produces fewer carbon emissions than oil and coal, so it's ‘greener' and less polluting than they are.Nevertheless, it's still a fossil fuel — and thus, according to environmental activists, should stay in the ground. Two graffiti artists who were killed by an oncoming train while tagging a Brooklyn subway station have been identified as famous French artists Pierre Audebert and Julien Blanc.

In this episode, Neil and Will sit down with award winning documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon.  Better known for her Netflix documentaries "Recovery Boys" and "Heroin(e)", she dives into her overall work, why it's important for her to be in Appalachia and how there are bigger issues to worry about than lazy stereotypes.  As a granddaughter, daughter and sister of a coal miner, she also discusses her upcoming documentary, "King Coal", and the immediate need to focus on what's next.  You also don't want to miss her West Virginia trivia skills and how she calls a place she has never lived "home."  Additionally, find out what Neil thinks of acronyms and "incubators" - it's been a while!  Take a listen! 

India is facing one of its worst ever coal crises in decades, with power outages hitting several states. What led to the problem, and how long is it likely to last? Partha Bhattacharyya, former chairman and managing director of Coal India, and Sanjiv Sahai, former power secretary, along with ET's Sarita Singh explain what kindled the shortage. Clip credits: WION, India Today, NDTV, CNBC-TV18, Walt Disney Records, Michael Ghelfi - RPG Audio

Dr. Charles Keeney is the  author of The Road to Blair Mountain Saving a Mine Wars Battlefield from King Coal, which was published in January 2021 of West Virginia University Press and he is founding member of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum. We center the conversation around Dr. Keeney's book and the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial Commemoration over Labor Day Weekend 2021. In this conversation, we discuss: Dr. Keeney's family history steeped in labor struggles going back to his great grandfather Frank Keeney; What was the Battle of Blair Mountain and why it is relevant; His book The Road to Blair Mountain Saving a Mine Wars Battlefield from King Coal; The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum; Politics in West Virginia; and The role of teaching labor history as central to human progress. Follow the relevant links to Dr. Keeney's work and labor struggles in West Virginia: Keeney's book - The Road to Blair Mountain Saving a Mine Wars Battlefield from King Coal West Virginia Mine Wars Museum - https://wvminewars.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbelmontkeeney Frank Keeney - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Keeney   Matewan directed by John Sayles Follow the events around the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial Commemoration over Labor Day Weekend 2021 https://www.blair100.com/. Empathy Media Lab will be in Charleston, West Virginia over the weekend filming and interviewing labor activists. If you have content ideas or want to meet up, please reach out! ABOUT EMLab Empathy Media Lab is produced by Evan Matthew Papp and we are a proud member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network. Support media, authors, activists, artists, historians, and journalists, who are fighting to improve the prosperity of the working class everywhere. Solidarity forever.  Website - https://www.empathymedialab.com/  All Links: https://wlo.link/@empathymedialab    #LaborRadioPod #1U #UnionStrong #Blair100

Photo: A young leader and a driver, Shaft #6, Pennsylvania Coal Company. Pasquale Salvo and Sandy Castina. Location: Pittston, Pennsylvania CBS Eyes on the World with John Batchelor CBS Audio Network @Batchelorshow King Coal again. Vijay Vaitheeswaran @TheEconomist https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/07/31/despite-climate-concerns-demand-for-dirty-fuels-is-surging

All Hell break's loose in this week's inconvenience. A massive situation unfolds in a Dairy Queen location (Involving Nelso and @ryan.resell). hear the story broken down from multiple angles. What would you do? Slippy is obsessed with drone's for some reason. We conclude that some cases are deemed less curious than advertised. We break cover multiple Resell stories with the man himself. Nelso is confused about charcoal use in strange situations, while Slippy can not comprehend. All madness ensues and everyone involved throws fuel into the fire.

Can Culture Save The Environment?© 2021 Podcast ISBN 978-976-96650-6-4 .mp3Through an interest in understanding human impacts on the environment all things being considered given the logistical specificity of this conversation I have arrived at this question Can Culture Save The Environment?© 2021ISBN                      WORKS CITED   "Cultural anthropology". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-02-24.   "Cultural anthropology". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-02-24.   "Nature Reserves, lva Forest and Ecological Parks of Madeira". Madeira Live. Retrieved 2009-07-16.   "Nature Reserves, lva Forest and Ecological Parks of Madeira". Madeira Live. Retrieved 2009-07-16.   "United Nations Population Fund moves Day of 6 Billion based on new population estimates". Population Connection. 1998-10-28. Archived from the original on 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2006-03-11.   Anholt, Robert R. H., and Trudy Mackay. 2010. Principles of behavioral genetics. Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-372575-2. Lay summary.   Boardman, Philip. The Worlds of Patrick Geddes. Routledge, 1978 (pg. 33).   David Urbinato (Summer 1994). "London's Historic 'Pea-Soupers'". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2006-08-02.   Elizabeth A. Minton, Lynn R. Khale (2014). Belief Systems, Religion, and Behavioral Economics. New York: Business Expert Press LLC. ISBN 978-1-60649-704-3.   Gorvett, Zaria (2019). "The Norwegian art of the packed lunch". BBC News.   Kagan, Jerome, Marc H. Bornstein, and Richard M. Lerner. "Human Behaviour." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.   Lizardo, Omar (27 August 2006). "the sociology of culture versus cultural sociology". orgtheory.net – via WordPress.   Lizardo, Omar (27 August 2006). "the sociology of culture versus cultural sociology". orgtheory.net – via WordPress.   Lizardo, Omar (27 August 2006). "the sociology of culture versus cultural sociology". orgtheory.net – via WordPress.   Macionis, John J; Gerber, Linda Marie (2011). Sociology. Toronto: Pearson Prentice Hall. p. 53. ISBN 978-0-13-700161-3. OCLC 652430995.   McNeill, J. R. "The Historiography of Environmental History" (PDF). World Environmental History. Re-trieved 1 February 2018.   Spilka, B., and D. N. McIntosh. 1996. The psychology of religion. Westview Press.   Tylor, Edward. (1871). Primitive Culture. Vol 1. New York: J.P. Putnam's Son  "'How religious commitment varies by country among people of all ages". Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. 13 June 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.  "anthropology". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 August 2013.  "Career Paths and Education - Advance Your Career". www.americananthro.org. Retrieved 2017-11-29.  "Career Paths and Education - Advance Your Career". www.americananthro.org. Retrieved 2020-02-24.  "Environmental movement" article in the French Encyclopedia Universalis  "Heatwave: Is there more crime in hot weather?". BBC News. 2018.  "The fall of King Coal". BBC News. 6 December 1999. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016.  "UK's last deep coal mine Kellingley Colliery capped off". BBC. 14 March 2016.  "United Nations Population Fund moves Day of 6 Billion based on new population estimates". Population Connection. 1998-10-28. Archived from the original on 2006-02-20. Retrieved 2006-03-11.  "What Is Cultural Anthropology? - Cultural Anthropology Program (U.S. National Park Ser-vice)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2020-02-24.  "What Is Cultural AnthroSupport the show (http://www.buzzsprout.com/429292)

Coal provides nearly two-thirds of India's electricity but its long-term future is uncertain due to the rise of renewables. Understanding coal's future requires understanding its past. In our second episode, we spoke to Dr. Rohit Chandra, who is an Assistant professor at IIT Delhi and a visiting fellow at the Centre for Policy and Research. Rohit is an expert on India’s coal sector and public sector enterprises. In 2018, he defended his dissertation at Harvard University that focused on the economic and political history of coal in India. Rohit is one of the most balanced voices on the subject of fossil fuels and energy transition.

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com.

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com.

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill’s EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talked to Chris Hamby about his book Soul Full of Coal Dust: The True Story of an Epic Battle for Justice (Little Brown, 2020). Hamby looks into why there has been a surge in black-lung disease in West Virginia and elsewhere in recent years. Poor self-policing and rapacious business practices go a long way in explaining the upsurge. Add in a tradition of fatalism caused by King Coal, and it becomes a minor miracle –but a miracle all the same—that some miners have been able to secure a measure of justice. Chris Hamby is an investigative reporter for the New York Times. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2014 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting in 2017. Dan Hill, PhD, is the author of eight books and leads Sensory Logic, Inc. (https://www.sensorylogic.com). To check out his related “Dan Hill's EQ Spotlight” blog, visit https://emotionswizard.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/medicine

Once the coal miners lost the Battle of Blair Mountain, the story of their uprising was suppressed, and their leader Frank Keeney eventually faded into obscurity—even among members of his own family. But historian Charles Keeney, Frank Keeney’s great grandson, has made it a personal mission to raise public awareness of the mine wars and the pivotal role his ancestor played. Charles Keeney is the founder of the West Virginia Mine Wars Museum and author of The Road to Blair Mountain: Saving a Mine Wars Battlefield from King Coal. He’s also the vice president of Friends of Blair Mountain, an organization dedicated to the preservation and development of the Blair Mountain Battlefield site. He and Lindsay discuss the circumstances that led to Frank Keeney’s radicalization, his friendship with Mother Jones, and why the miners’ uprising resonates with younger generations today. For more on Charles Keeney: https://twitter.com/cbelmontkeeney Listen to new episodes 1 week early and to all episodes ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App https://wondery.app.link/historytellers.Support us by supporting our sponsors! SimpliSafe - Get a FREE home security camera, when you purchase a SimpliSafe system at SIMPLISAFE.com/TELLERS. You also get a 60 day risk free trial, so there’s nothing to lose.

The problems are systemic and complex. So are the answers. Globally, the United States accounts for 5% of the world’s population, but we produce 15% of the energy-related CO2 emissions. Coastal flooding, hurricanes, drought, and fires are all related to climate change. And who suffers the most from the impacts of climate change? Mostly the poor and vulnerable. Bringing this closer to home, in the US, 5.9 million people live within three miles of a major coal-fired power plant. On average, these people have a per capital income of $18,400, which is 17% lower than the average in the US. A Yale University study found that Hispanics have the highest exposure rates for 10 out of 14 air pollutants. African Americans have higher exposure rates than whites for 13 out of the 14 air pollutants. 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. Black people are exposed to 1.5 times more particulate matter than white people. Hispanics have about 1.2 times the exposure to particulates than non-Hispanic whites. African Americans are hospitalized for asthma at three times the rate of white Americans. And, the death rate from asthma is 172% higher for African Americans than white Americans. Among children, the results are even worse. According to the Centers for Disease Control, black children are twice as likely to have asthma as white children. And black children are 10 times more likely than white kids to die of complications from asthma. And, that is not to mention increased birth defects, heart disease, lung disease, learning difficulties, and lower property values. The average US household spends 4% of their income on energy costs, while low-income families spend 17% of their income. African Americans spend around $40 billion on energy. Yet, 1.1% of energy jobs are held by African Americans. And, only .01% of energy revenue went to African Americans. The Solutions Can Be the Problem At one level, we have the solutions in hand. King Coal is dead. It is more expensive to generate electricity from coal than from either wind or solar. Wind is the cheapest source of new electricity generation in Minnesota. The cost fell by 16% in one year. The price of solar energy in Minnesota has declined 34% over the last five years. LED lighting is energy efficient. Electric cars don’t emit CO2 from combustion. However, as H. L. Mencken said, “There is always a well-known solution to every human problem—neat, plausible, and wrong.” The problems are systemic and complex. The solutions are at the systems level. According to Ry Brennan, a doctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, “Solving the problems with our existing energy infrastructure requires creating resilient energy systems. These systems must be decentralized, diverse, and open to democratic deliberation. This change will require a dramatic remaking of our hard and soft energy infrastructures.” A Call to Action In this episode of Social Entrepreneur, Ry challenges us to think deeply about our electrical system. “Figure out how energy gets from the plant to your light switch. If you're not happy about it, find out what people in your town are doing about it. If they're not doing anything about it yet, ask if anyone wants to help you make some noise. If you are happy about it, share your community's good idea with someone else.” About Ry Brenna Ry Brennan is a doctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where they study energy justice, infrastructure, environmental sociology, prison ecology, and democracy, especially as these themes and fields relate to energy decentralization. They are also a community organizer working in a range of different affinity groups with the simple ambition of ending oppression in all its forms to cultivate the flourishing of humans, non-human animals, and their ecosystems. They do nothing in their spare time because they have no spare time.

How about the episode with a super-insightful discussion about coal between Paolo Coghe, president of Acousmatics, and Laurence Walker, Coal Editor, Montel? Anna takes us behind the scenes of ‘King coal heads for the exit'. Hear the outlook for the dirty fuel and the key market developments to keep an eye on in the remainder of the year.

The Montel energy podcast – market insights from people in the know. Old King coal is on the way out, but somehow remains remarkably resilient in many parts of Europe and the world.Listen to the latest episode of the Montel Weekly podcast to hear the outlook for the dirty fuel and the key market developments to keep an eye on in the remainder of the year. Hosts: Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief Europe, Montel,Anna Siwecka, freelance journalist and podcast producer. Guests: Paolo Coghe, president of Acousmatics, Laurence Walker, Coal Editor, Montel. Produced by Anna Siwecka.Music by Laurence Walker.

Old King coal is on the way out, but somehow remains remarkably resilient in many parts of Europe and the world. Listen to the latest episode of the Montel Weekly podcast to hear the outlook for the dirty fuel.

SB 331 is only three pages long, but is widely seen as one of the most significant and far-reaching pieces of legislation state lawmakers are considering this session.  The bill would allow NorthWestern Energy to purchase an additional 150 megawatts of power from Colstrip Units 3 & 4 at a cost of no more than $1 and would limit the Public Service Commission’s oversight authority over how NorthWestern passes on the costs of acquiring additional Colstrip generation to its customers. Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, isn't the lead sponsor of the bill, but by all accounts, the proposal is his idea.  In the second part of a two-part Montana Lowdown podcast exploring SB 331, Ankney, a former coal miner, explains why he thinks SB 331 is a good bill, and why NorthWestern ratepayers shouldn't fear rising utility cost because of it. 

Gary Bentley, Letcher County native and former undergroud coal miner, sits down with Mountain Talk Monday host Kelli Haywood to discuss his new column for the online publication The Daily Yonder, “In the Black.” Through his column Bentley tells his personal story of life underground, and addresses the stereotypes often portrayed in mainstream media of miners and mining, “King Coal”, and Appalachians in general. Bentley also speaks of the importance of telling one’s stories for the sake of posterity and a broader understanding of the current truth of the coalfields of Appalachia. Listen today for the rare opportunity to hear it like it is straight from the mouth of a miner. See Bentley’s writing on The Daily Yonder website. Each new column appears on Monday.

Coal is both boon and bane of the Navajo people. It provides millions in revenue and many jobs to a community in sore need of both, but carries the obvious cost of pollution, depletion of natural resources, and displacement of Navajo from their ancestral homes. What's the way forward?

Recorded on 5 November 2014. Historian Matthew Wright discusses his recent publication on the chequered history of coal.

King Coal:  More clues turn up, with Jenny making a find at the pottery and Ronnie getting closer to finding out exactly who the victim is.

The importance of realizing the cause of Ted Kennedy's life, health care for all. The latest front groups from Big Oil and King Coal. Plus, Bill Dwight on the childish nature of the health care debate. And Momtroversies essayist Traci Olsen on true wealth in a recession.

Many many thanks to the group Magpie (Greg Artzner & Terry Leonino) for their wonderful song and permission to use it for the Mountain Top Removal podcast. Please visit their website (http://www.magpiemusic.com/) for more great music on the Environment and Political Issues.