Iowa City Environmental Film Festival

Release: January 13, 2009

Contact: Dawn Suter, [log in to unmask]

Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars screening

The Iowa City Environmental Film Festival and Sierra Club will screen Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars, Sunday, January 18^th at the Iowa City Public Library, Room A at 3:00 PM.  The screening is free and open to the public.  The film tells the story of how Texas citizens from all walks of life joined together to fight the construction of 19 coal burning power plants in Texas.  The construction of the plants had been “fast tracked” by Governor Rick Perry.   The film, narrated by Robert Redford, has received numerous awards.

Iowans face a similar fight here at home with proposed coal burning plants in Waterloo and Marshalltown. Representatives from two groups instrumental in challenging the construction of the two plants will lead a discussion following the film.  Mike Carberry, Sierra Club, will be joined by Carrie LeSeur, founder and Executive Director of Plains Justice to talk about successes and remaining challenges in stopping construction. 

“It is worth noting that the single most important action needed to decrease the present large planetary imbalance driving climate change is curtailment of CO₂ emissions from coal burning.  Saving the planet and creation surely requires phase-out of coal use except where CO2 is captured and sequestered.   Dr. James Hansen, Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA.    Please join us on Sunday to learn what you can do.

The Iowa City Environmental Film Festival collaborates with non-profit environmental groups throughout the region to host one film screening each month through May 2009. Its goal is to present thought-provoking films that connect the environment to our daily lives, creating an urgency to become engaged in environmental issues.

For more information, visit the Iowa City Film Festival website at www.EnvironmentalFilmsIC.com or contact us at [log in to unmask] or call Dawn Suter@319-321-2601.

2.

School Milk Campaign Community Kickoff Meeting
When: Wednesday, January 21st
Time: 7:00-8:15pm
Where: Iowa City Public Library
123 S. Linn St. Meeting Room B
Bring yourself, a friend, and your appetite-- rBGH-free refreshments
will be served!

Do you know what's in YOUR child's milk?
 
Food and Water Watch is launching the School Milk Campaign here in Iowa 
to expel milk treated with rBGH from our public schools. rBGH is an
artificial growth hormone used primarily by large factory farms that
causes cows to produce more milk, but also causes infections in cows and
there are suggested links to cancer in humans.
While most industrialized countries have banned rBGH, from the EU to
Japan, and retailers like Wal-Mart and Starbucks have turned away from
rBGH milk, our public school system has become the dumping grounds for
rBGH milk and millions of children every year are ingesting this
dangerous hormone.
Fortunately, this winter we have an opportunity to change that. This
session, Congress is considering legislation that could ensure schools'
clear choice and right to purchase rBGH-free milk. Over the next three
months, we’ll be building public support here in Iowa City to make sure
our elected officials to stand up for healthy, rBGH-free milk in our
public schools.
We can only make this happen if enough people get involved! The best way
to help right now is to sign our online petition at:
http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/t/5915/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=1796&track=miow

And, to learn how you can make an even bigger impact over the next three
months, definitely come to this meeting. This  campaign has been endorsed by the  Iowa

Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Iowa City Area Group of the Sierra Club.