Momenta producers seeks to
raise funding, awareness through Kickstarter
SAN
FRANCISCO (June 24, 2013) – A Pacific
Northwest coal project is threatening the global environment on a scale greater
than the Keystone Pipeline, but most people have never heard of it. Momenta, a
documentary collaboration between Plus M Productions (The First 70) and Protect Our Winters,
shares the story of the people living along the coal export trail and the
project’s global environmental implications.
Since American demand for coal is
declining, the American coal industry has turned its attention to rapidly
expanding Asian markets. The plan is to extract 140 million pounds of coal per
year from the Powder River Basin and ship it overseas via deep-water ports in
Washington and Oregon.
“The closest way from Montana to
Asia is through our backyards and through our ports here in the Northwest,”
says Power Past Coal Campaign Director Beth Doglio. “If all of the proposals on
the table right now get built, the impacts to climate change and greenhouse gas
emissions would actually be significantly more than those of the Keystone
Pipeline.”
Each day, more than 50
mile-and-a-half-long trains, laden with Powder River coal, will travel from
Wyoming and Montana through hundreds of small towns to ports in the Pacific
Northwest, leaving arsenic and mercury laden coal dust in their wake. The
near-constant stream of escaping coal dust imposes toxic environmental
pollutants and a myriad of health risks to pass-through communities.
“Unless you live there, you just
can’t imagine the hugeness of the Powder River Basin and what 50 coal trains a
day is like – it’s something that needs to be visually illustrated to gain
broader awareness and take serious action. Because of that, we just felt
that a documentary, followed by a strong grassroots effort was the best
approach,” said Chris Steinkamp, executive director, Protect Our Winters.
And those are the domestic
impacts. On a global scale, environmental experts warn that the amount of
carbon emissions produced by burning the Powder River coal deposit would result
in cataclysmic and irreversible impacts on global climate.
About
the documentary
The documentary features
interviews with prominent experts and environmental activists, including Bill McKibben, the nation’s leading environmentalist; and Jeremy Jones, professional snowboarder, activist and founder of Protect
Our Winters.
Through thoughtful interviewing
and breathtaking cinematography, the documentary unveils the coal project’s
devastating potential. The project will be followed by a strong grassroots
effort to engage the community to take action against the proposed construction
of the export terminals.
“Our documentary has a moving
target. New coal ports can be proposed at any time,” says Director Andy
Miller. “We truly don’t know what the outcome will be, but we knew we
wanted to raise awareness and activate communities to stop proposed coal
exports in the Pacific Northwest. There are better ways to produce energy. And
now is the time to transition.”
Grassroots
fundraising
Plus M Productions and Protect Our
Winters contributed the initial funding for the Momenta trailer, which can be viewed online at https://vimeo.com/65533675.
However, they’re looking to the community to raise the remaining funds for the
full-length documentary.
The Momenta Kickstarter launches
today, June 10, with the goal of raising $65,000 within 30 days.
Producers plan for filming to take
place for two weeks in August 2013 with a release at the end of September.
Additional
resources
Momenta Project Website:
http://momentaproject.com/
Trailer:
Kickstarter:
About
Plus M Productions:
Plus M Productions is a San
Francisco based video production company that produces socially-minded
documentary films and video content for a range of clients, from local
non-profits to international companies.
About
Protect Our Winters:
Protect Our Winters is a
non-profit dedicated to engaging the winter sports community to lead the fight
against climate change. The organization’s focus is on educational initiatives,
activism and the support of community-based projects. More information at: www.protectourwinters.org.
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