From the Ashes: Seeing Coal Clearly.
That’s why Bloomberg Philanthropies produced a new movie called From the Ashes about a critical and urgent issue that is often misunderstood: coal.
Coal is at the center of some of the most important decisions facing our nation.
The good news for public health and the planet’s health is that, thanks to cheaper renewable energy and public demand for cleaner power sources, coal use is shrinking.
But as the industry has shrunk in the U.S., so has the number of jobs it supports.
In the 1920s, there were more than 800,000 coal miners in the U.S. By the time coal production peaked in 2008, the number was down to 82,000.
From the Ashes, a new documentary film produced by Bloomberg Philanthropies & RadicalMedia, aims to change that, by showing both sides of the story in the “war on coal.” The film focuses on some of the communities where coal’s impact is being felt and its future decided, from mining regions in West Virginia and Montana, to neighborhoods in Texas and North Carolina where pollution from coal plants is endangering people’s health, to communities in the Pacific Northwest considering whether to build a coal export facility and a railroad to supply it.
Over the last month, mayors around the country and around the world have been hosting screenings of From the Ashes in their cities.
National Geographic is distributing From the Ashes for free nearly everywhere this week and I hope you’ll tune in, and continue important conversations on the issues it covers.
Katherine also oversees Bloomberg Philanthropies’ support for film, TV and digital projects and serves as an Executive Producer on From the Ashes, the first feature film produced by Bloomberg Philanthropies and RadicalMedia.