The 120 page report is dedicated to the men who lost their lives that day—April 5, 2010. But instead of just writing that sentiment in italics on the first page, the investigation panel included a beautiful collection of obituaries—one for each person who died complete with a color photograph of him.

Most of the pictures that the families chose to submit of their lost loved ones are shots taken outside. Two of the miners are pictured standing in water proudly holding fish they had just caught. Many of the brief write-ups about the individual men include words like “he loved the outdoors”, “hunting, fishing, and four-wheel riding”, “avid outdoorsman”, and “enjoyed fishing with his sons”.

These men seem to have loved the water and mountains around them – the very water and mountains that the main provider of jobs in their hometown is destroying through the coal mining industry. Not only is the work of a coal miner extremely dangerous (with an average of 2.7 deaths in every 10,000 American coal miners each year over the last decade), but it is destroying the health of the people living near the mines and the natural heritage that surrounds them.

A new documentary highlighting the colossal problems associated with coal mining as well as homegrown alternative energy solutions titled The Last Mountain is opening in selected theaters across the country this weekend. Take two minutes to watch the movie’s powerful trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Last Mountain is opening this weekend in New York City and Washington, DC. See when this gripping documentary will be playing in a city near you: http://thelastmountainmovie.com/theatres

Learn more about the movie and coal, kids and America’s classrooms.

Take action against mercury and air toxins from coal-fired power plants!

photo credit: Fang Guo via flickr.com

Last week, the global price of oil rose above $105 per barrel and the national average price of gasoline hit $3.55 per gallon– the highest ever for this time of year.  However, if you could plug your car into an electrical outlet tonight instead of stopping at a gas station, you would be paying the equivalent of about 75 cents per gallon to drive it instead of the fluctuating $3, $4 or more at the pump.

Consumers are already taking action to drive cars without gasoline. The U.S. waitlists are growing for the all-electric Nissan Leaf (with more than 20,000 orders) and the plug-in electric hybrid Chevrolet Volt (with more than 50,000 signed up in support).

Rapidly growing global demand for oil means ongoing, high and volatile gas prices. Electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and other new efficient cars and trucks provide real choices for us to cut the money we spend on fuel. Replacing gas-powered cars with electric cars over time will also improve our environment. Even accounting for the electricity, EVs are amongst the cleanest cars on the road—with the potential to become true zero emission vehicles.

Read the PDF below to learn more about the myths and facts of electric vehicles.

High school student Brandon Ford was invited by the first lady because he is a member of the West Philly Hybrid X Team which competed late last year in the Progressive Automotive X Prize, a $10 Million competition for developing the best 100 mile per gallon-equivalent car.  The high school team represents the next generation of automotive engineering in the US.

We caught up with the team at the X Prize competition late last year and heard their message loud and clear that they believe in and are working towards a future of made-in-America advanced vehicles.  President Obama couldn’t agree more.  He has said time and again the he wants to see EVs and advanced batteries “made right here in America, by American businesses and American workers.”

Click here to listen to an NPR interview with another member of the West Philly Hybrid X Team who proudly watched his teammate on TV sitting with Michelle Obama.

The Progressive Automotive X Prize, a $10 Million competition for the best 100 mile per gallon-equivalent cars, attracted teams of innovators from around the world in 2010. The goal of the competition was “to inspire a new generation of viable, super-efficient vehicles that help break our addition to oil and stem the effects of climate change.”

A team of high school students from an urban public high school in Philadelphia, PA took that goal a step further. The West Philly Hybrid X Team entered their EVX GT and Ford EVX Focus cars into the competition explaining that they would not only promote environmental sustainability but also social sustainability by growing jobs at home in Philadelphia. The team will be building a new electric car this spring.

‘“This movement of environmentalism has to be led by people most affected,” said Azeem Hill, a high school senior and West Philly Hybrid X Team Captain. Hear more of Hill’s explanation of the team’s efforts in the following video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

NWF is committed to fair and equitable solutions to climate change that build jobs and revitalize communities– those solutions depend on innovation and leadership like that from the West Philly team.

All over the country, people are coming together to make the new generation of vehicles work – and to see these vehicles work. One more example: We’re just back from The Business of Plugging In conference in Detroit MI, sponsored by DTE Energy and General Motors. The three day event brought together hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturers, alternative energy producers, battery developers and manufacturers, government agencies, venture capitalists, educators, researchers, and nonprofits to talk through the details of getting these vehicles out smoothly and rapidly.

The underlying message was clear: the electric car is alive and kicking. Especially kickin’ was the test drive. Conference attendees could drive three electric vehicles that are already in production: the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the 2011 Nissan LEAF, and the AMP Chevy Equinox– a conversion vehicle. Also there were the BMW Mini Electric, Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid, Ford Focus Electric, and Smart fortwo Electric which are expected to hit dealerships sometime in 2012.

It was great to test out such a variety electric vehicles designed to appeal to a wide range of American drivers, and electrics overall are peppy and quick off the start. But I couldn’t help putting at the top of my list the Tesla Roadster Sport. Not only does this baby get 250 miles of range when fully charged, but it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Most of us won’t be springing for a high-end luxury sports car tomorrow, but it’s great to see – and even better to drive—an all-electric roadster that’s just as sexy as any internal combustion engine muscle car.