Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Mountaintop coal removal discussion

Antioch College to present scholar on mountaintop coal removal

When: Thursday, August 23, 2012
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: Antioch College, McGregor 113

Appalachian scholar Shirley Stewart Burns will speak about the impact of mountaintop removal on Appalachian communities at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, August 23, at Antioch College in McGregor Hall, Room 113. This free event is co-sponsored by the Antioch College Diversity Committee and open to the public.

Stewart Burns is a guest speaker in the College’s global seminar on energy, one of series of courses at the revived college that addresses critical issues of national and international concern. Her presentation will include a public screening of the feature-length documentary Coal Country, a riveting exploration of the environmental, political, and societal impacts of coal mining in Appalachia .

An open discussion with Stewart Burns will follow the presentation and film screening. Contact Maya Nye at mnye@antiochcollege.org for information.

She is the author of Bringing Down the Mountains: The Impact of Mountaintop Removal on Southern West Virginia Communities, the first academic book on mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia and is widely considered the most complete look at the topic to date. Stewart Burns’ presentation will cover the complex social, cultural, political, and environmental relationships resulting from the process of mountaintop removal coal mining.