January 19, 2017
The film profiles individuals building a new future in the coalfields of central Appalachia and Wales. Welsh coalfields were shut down in the 1980s, eliminating more than 20,000 jobs while Appalachian coalfields lost 20,000+ mining jobs from 1994 -2014. Both regions have survived disasters associated with mining production & waste disposal, and each has explored strategies for remembering the past while looking to the future. What lessons does this film have for us today?
Half Life: America’s Last Uranium Mill describes the Ute tribe’s concern that toxic and radioactive contamination from the White Mesa Mill in SE Utah threatens their water supply and way of life. Why is this a common outcome of so many mines and/or mineral processing facilities? How can we change the ending?
Location: G002 Hesterberg Hall, Michigan Tech Forestry Bldg. (all films)
Time: 7:00-8:30 pm; enjoy coffee, dessert and facilitated discussion
Cost: FREE, $3 suggested donation
