Appalachia: hillbilly country, coal country, mountaintop removal country. Massey vs. The People of Appalachia replaces the mythic antagonisms of Hatfields and McCoys. i can't review this film because i haven't seen it, but based on these clips and the extensive, informative interview with Robert Kennedy, Jr. and The Last Mountain film director Bill Haney, my instinctive critical eye tells me it's a film worth watching. A close friend and eco-warrior comrade of mine has been in and out of jail/court for a few years now for getting in the way of Massey Energy, and i know that promoting this film is right now the best thing i can do to support those efforts.
NB: West Virginia is hardly the only place in the world where mountaintop removal is being executed. Gold mining companies are engaging in this on many islands and most continents; it's also become de rigueur for other precious metal ventures. While distinguishable from open pit (UK: open cast) mines only in that some of the mountain is left behind to serve as walls for the massive, contaminated water-filled pits left behind, as far as i'm aware, there is little difference in the final devastation, i.e. long-term environmental impact. Coal Country has a list of documentaries which address mountaintop removal and mining, generally; this report by Oxfam and Earthworks looks primarily at the impacts of gold mining - it's disturbingly global in its scope. If you're thinking about what you can do to challenge these megaprofiteering monster companies, No Dirty Gold offers some ideas.
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