In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain, the consequences of which affect every American; it’s a battle that has taken innocent lives and threatens to take more. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal. Mining and burning coal is at the epicenter of America’s struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental and health concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal. David, himself, never faced a Goliath like Big Coal. The group argues that Mountain Top Removal-using dynamite to blast off a mountain’s surface-pollutes the air and water implicit in their neighbors’ deaths, eliminates traditional mining jobs and spreads pollution to other states. Despite support for their claims, Big Coal repeats Mountain Top Removal daily, amassing huge profits that allow their Washington lobbyists to wield influence in both political parties, rewrite environmental laws and avoid violations. The desire to stop Mountain Top Removal comes from a belief that we share responsibility for protecting the air and water; its what drives the group and their supporters from outside of Appalachia, like Robert Kennedy, Jr., to keep fighting. Honoring ordinary Americans fighting for what they believe in, THE LAST MOUNTAIN shines a light on our energy needs and how those needs are being met. Their fight is for a future that affects us all. (Source)
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