“Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars” is an inspiring film that tells the story of how a coal-busting Texan coalition of local mayors, ranchers, CEOs, community groups and citizens went up against Republican Governor Rick Perry and his Big Coal buddies - and won.

It’s been a year since this group of unlikely partners claimed victory in their battle for clean air against the Governor, who attempted to fast-track the building of 19 coal-fired power plants in Central and Eastern Texas. A state judge overturned the order, resulting in a record $45 billion dollar takeover of Texas’ largest electric company, TXU, and the scrapping of plans to build 8 of the 11 plants.

The 34-minute film is narrated and produced by film icon and environmentalist Robert Redford, who is no stranger to the fight for clean air against Big Coal. Redford successfully fought to keep coal-burning plants out of Utah’s national parks in 1975, and has been working toward ending the building of new coal-burning plants around the world, including those in China.

“We see people taking action against the toxic paralysis from leaders higher up,” Mr. Redford, 71, said at the March 27 screening by the Progressive Forum, a speakers’ group. “For me it’s a question of hope, a small sliver of light from the dark we’ve been thrown into the last seven years, so I hope you appreciate it.

“We hope,” he said, “that the fight we had here in Texas represented in this grouping inspires people in other states and other countries to stand up and say, ‘Not in our backyard, not in our community, not in our state, not in our time.”

StoptheCoalPlant.org provides information on not only the environmental ramifications of coal-burning plants, but also the effects on our health:

• Pollution from coal plants shortens the lives of 1,160 Texans each year. It also causes 196,149 lost work days, 1,105 hospitalizations and 33,987 asthma attacks every year.
• Each year, 144 lung cancer deaths and 1,791 heart attacks in Texas are attributable to power plant pollution.
• A UT Health Science Center San Antonio study found that autism increases by 17% for every 1,000 pounds of mercury that is emitted locally in Texas.

Check out the YouTube clip below for more information on Texas Coal Wars, or visit the official website for the film at www.fightinggoliathfilm.com. and sign the call to action for Citizens Lead for Energy Action Now (CLEAN). You can also at coalblock.org and find out where the presidential candidates stand on the issue of coal energy.