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Home Latest Updates Coal Block News Austin Film Premier, Fighting Goliath, Takes On Coal Plants, Stars Texas
Austin Film Premier, Fighting Goliath, Takes On Coal Plants, Stars Texas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 Media Contacts: Anna Pierce, 214.212.1033

October 14, 2008                                                                   Jill Tidman, 415.260.8438

Austin, TX—The documentary film, Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars, will have its Austin premier at University of Texas, Austin’s Thompson Conference Center on Thursday, October 23, 2008. The 34-minute film screening will be followed by an open panel discussion with local politicians, energy experts, and students.

ReEnergize Texas, a UT student group, is arranging the screening as part of their Power Vote campaign.  Power Vote is a national student campaign to engage political candidates on climate change by building a voting block of 1,000,000 people for clean energy.

“Our political leadership needs to understand that addressing climate change presents a great economic opportunity for Texas,” says Patrick Meaney, co-president of ReEnergize Texas. “This event will educate voters on the importance of our energy future and help them vote for clean energy candidates.”

Fighting Goliath was produced by The Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve and Austin-based Alpheus Media with the goal of boosting awareness of and engagement in the global battle against conventional coal-fired power plants.

“The heart of this film is really about issues of health, future generations and the value of our own land and resources. The film was made to support the story of the Texas coalition and their struggle against a giant power company. It is our way of giving other states and communities a model for what can happen when people take personal responsibility and get results. We want to let people know that they don't have to give up hope,” says Robert Redford, who also narrates the film.

In America coal is the largest source of global warming pollution and coal-fired power plants are responsible for more than 30 percent of all carbon dioxide pollution, according to leading non-profit NRDC. Coal causes more damage to people and the planet than any other energy source.

According to the Sierra Club, currently 111 conventional coal-fired power plants are slated for construction in the U.S., with 67 of the 114 plants either under construction, near construction, or already permitted. Nine plants are slated for Texas.

Fighting Goliath uses the example of Texas to take an intimate look at today’s global energy challenge of powering communities in a way that supports the local economy and protects public health. It follows

the story of Texans fighting a high-stakes battle for clean air and centers around the unlikely partners—mayors, ranchers, lawyers, cities, citizens, green groups, and CEO’s—that came together to oppose the construction of 19 coal-fired power plants that were slated to be built in Eastern and Central Texas and being fast-tracked by the Texas Governor.

The event is being co-hosted by The Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve, Public Citizen and Clean Water Action. Admission is free. Seating is limited. Doors open at 6:30pm. Program starts at 7pm.

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The Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve is located in Sundance, Utah in the heart of the Sundance Preserve, 5,000 acres of protected lands that provide a place for inspiration and reflection and a haven for the creative process and the human spirit. A culmination of 25 years of public policy and other transformational work, the Redford Center is about new ideas. It is devoted to a distinct brand of problem solving, which embraces the belief that creativity and innovation are at the core of any significant social or sector change. The Center applies its well-tested and unique formula to the equally unique challenges of the 21st Century. Unlikely collaboration between diverse people, disciplines, and professions generate interplay and challenge, which often results in the best thinking and new ideas. These new notions and approaches need compelling narratives and innovative delivery systems to disperse them to wider audiences. Simply put, the Center believes that the value of new ideas can be best defined by the changes they inspire. This is the hallmark of the Redford model. www.sundancepreserve.org

Public Citizen Since 1984, Public Citizen's Texas State Office has concerned itself with: environmental enforcement policies, global warming, promoting renewable/clean energy, product safety, nuclear safety, medical safety, auto safety/quality, pesticide safety, insurance reforms, campaign finance/ethics issues, improving state government agency operations and fair trade policies. We have trained over 300 interns and have worked with/mentored numerous grassroots organizations. www.citizen.org/texas

Clean Water Action is an organization of 1.2 million members working to empower people to take action to protect America's waters, build healthy communities and to make democracy work for all of us. For 36 years Clean Water Action has succeeded in winning some of the nation's most important environmental protections through grassroots organizing, expert policy research and political advocacy focused on holding elected officials accountable to the public. www.cleanwateraction.org

ReEnergize Texas is a coalition of students fighting climate change across the Lone Star State. We have central staff on duty to assist young people and student groups who want to get active on their campuses and/or in their communities.  The UT Austin Chapter is currently engaged in the Power Vote campaign to build a 1,000,000 strong voter block for clean energy.  This campaign focuses on ending dependence on virtually all fossil fuels and building a clean energy economy that can restore economic growth domestically and American credibility abroad. www.ReEnergizeTexas.org

Alpheus Media is a film production studio located in Austin, Texas, which specializes in motion picture, documentary, and broadcast storytelling.  Their highly creative work has garnered awards in both the world of film and commercial advertising, and their staff excels at creating entertaining stories that blend substantive content and human emotion. Recent projects include the regional Emmy Winning PBS series ‘State of Tomorrow’, which explores topics like energy, medicine, and science; and the Silver Hugo Winning documentary ‘Last Best Hope’, an intimate, little-known story about the courage exhibited by ordinary men, woman, and youth in the Belgian Underground in their efforts to hide and repatriate Allied airman downed in German-occupied Belgium during World War II. More information about Alpheus Media can be found at www.alpheusmedia.com

 
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