Name: _____________________________
The Last Mountain Movie Questions
Day 1 (0:00-48:00 minutes)
 In the beginning there is a shot of a coal burning power plant…what are the tall/skinny smoke stakes emitting from the exhaust of burning coal?
 What are the wide smoke stacks emitting?
 What type of mining is shown in the beginning of the video?
 What is a “hollow” …or “hollar” as they say on Buckwild?
 What is overburden?
 Why would a hollow be especially susceptible to mountaintop removal (2 reasons at least)?
 How much of a mountain will they take off sometimes…and where does that overburden go?
 What do you notice about he reclamation site? What does it look like? As a knowledgeable student, does this seem right to you? Explain WHY USING WHAT YOU KNOW!
 The scientists are testing water…and finding “heavy metals”. Where do they come from?
 When were the first federal regulations passed to insure clean air and water? Does that surprise you?
 Thinking like “Forest Wars”…who are the “Mountain Wars” between?
 Describe the conflict between them? What is each side of the story?
 What are “coal impoundments”?
 List at least 3 major problems if a “coal impoundment” were to break (own your own..not in video).
 What “grassroots” actions are taken to stop mountain top removal by the environmentalists?

Day 2 (48:00 minutes- End)
 Why does “Don Blankenship” have incentive to say that global warming is a “hoax”?
 Why is coal considered to be such a contributor to Greenhouse Gases?
 Bobby Kennedy and leader of the Coal Industry sit down and have a conversation about coal use.
Please summarize each person’s position.
 Why do some people resort to civil disobedience?
 What is the problem with older coal burning plants built before the Clean Air Act?
 How does mountaintop removal reduce the ability for sustainable wind energy in the future?
 What are the overall two sides of the story here? What are the arguments of the coal industry?
 What are the arguments for the environmentalists?
 Are there solutions? Please list some.
 What are your overall thoughts on the situation with coal and coal mining?