VIDEO: Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars

Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars Synopsis

From the outset FIGHTING GOLIATH: TEXAS COAL WARS was intended to serve as a tool for raising awareness, inspiring action, and creating a meaningful dialogue about how to overcome one of the greatest threats to public health contributors to global warming faced by the U.S. - conventional coal-fired power plants.

FIGHTING GOLIATH follows the story of farmers, ranchers and Mayors fighting against the construction of 18 new coal-burning power plants in Texas.

TXU Corp. withdrew eight of the 11 permit applications shortly before the case went to court, when it was announced that shareholders would sell the utility to private equity firms. The film was produced by the Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve and Alpheus Media, and directed by Mat Hames and George Sledge.

Film Credits

Narrated by Robert Redford
Written and Directed by Mat Hames and George Sledge
Executive Producers: Julie Mack and Jill Tidman
Producer: Cara Carney
Director of Photography: Shane Kelly
Editor: Sandra Guardado
Associate Producers: Beth Hames, Mat Hames and Anne Nagelkirk
Location Sound: Mark Lutte and Djakhangir Zakhidov
Assistant Camera and Photography: Stuart McSpadden
Production Assistants: Taryn Hall and Djakhangir Zakhidov
Additional Cinematography: Wilson Waggoner
Post-Production Supervisor: Mat Hames
Post-Production Assistants: Jeff Spross, Taryn Hall and Ginny Patrick
Archival Footage Coordinators: Cara Carney and Dacia Saenz
Graphics: Erik Lauritzen
Audio Design: Carl Thiel
Music By: Steve Bernal, BerxWerx, Sean Craypo, Tom Hamer, Sativa Quartet, Peter Stopschinski and Adam Sultan

Mother’s Care: Empirical Evidence Shows That Convening With Nature Can Heal the Mind

Image via Wikipediaby Richard Louv, from The Nature Principle, on UTNE: Best of the Alternative Press: http://www.utne.com

As director of the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, Allen Fish teaches raptor migration study and wildlife monitoring. Ninety percent of his work is with adults, the hundreds of volunteers who count, band, and track hawks.

“Many of our volunteers hang on for five or more years. Their raptor work becomes deeply therapeutic in their urban lives,” he says. “I have heard stories of self-healing here that would make a therapist tear up: of manic depression, of abuse, of chemical dependency. The strength that these people bring to their resolve to connect with nature is utterly stirring.”

To find hope, meaning, and relief from emotional pain, our species embraces medication, meditation, merlot, and more. These methods work for a time, some longer than others, some quite well, and some to our detriment.

But the restorative power of nature is there, always. Spending time in natural settings is no panacea; it’s not a total replacement for other forms of professional therapy or self-healing, but it can be a powerful tool in maintaining or improving mental health.

Read more: http://www.utne.com/Mind-Body/Ecopsychology-Restorative-Power-Of-Nature.aspx#ixzz1fQjtPzp2