BY KAREN BOSSICK
Did you know that nearly a third of the electricity in the United States is generated by coal, even though it’s the most polluting form of energy on the planet?
Or that coal is the biggest contributor to climate change?
Or that our country is filled with “ticking time bombs”—unlined pits full of coal ash. Coal ash, the waste material produced from burning coal contains arsenic, mercury, lead and other heavy metals.
If you want to learn more—perhaps, as a way to commemorate Earth Day—you might want to belly up to a free screening of “From the Ashes” at 5 p.m. Sunday, April 22, at Ketchum’s Limelight Hotel.
The National Geographic documentary is presented by the Idaho Conservation League’s Emerging Leaders for Idaho’s Environment (ELIE).
ELIE is a new initiate comprised of active young people between the ages of 25 through 39 across the state who are working to create an informed and engaged conservation community in Idaho.
The Central and Northern Idaho ELIE groups have decided to focus their attention on a campaign to have Idaho become coal free.
“As one of the only states in the nation that imports all of our coal-based energy, Idaho is in a unique position to transition from coal to more reliable, sustainable and affordable forms of energy,” said Emily Williams.
The film visits communities from Appalachia to the Powder River Basin to present stories about what the legacy and future of the coal industry means for the American economy, health and climate. The film features John Mellencamp singing Merle Travis’ 1946 song “Dark as a Dungeon,” describing the dangerous conditions coal miners experience.
It premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film festival and on the National Geographic Channel.
Sun Valley’s part-time homeowner John Kerry, former U.S. Secretary of State, called it a must-watch film that’s “heartbreaking and enlightening at the same time.”