FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 17, 2015
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Carlo Voli, Rising Tide Seattle, (206) 992-7474
Jennifer Ekstrom, Director – Last Rush for the Wild West, (208) 304-2319
Seattle, WA – An award winning documentary film that exposes plans to strip mine vast landscapes in Utah will screen at Seattle University on February 22, 2015 at 7:00 pm. The screening is hosted by Rising Tide Seattle and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance.
Last Rush for the Wild West: Tar Sands, Oil Shale and the American Frontier highlights efforts already underway to strip mine almost a million acres of tar sands and oil shale deposits located across eastern Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. Potential strip mines would overuse and pollute the delicate Colorado River watershed that 36 million people living in drought-stricken areas downstream depend on for drinking water, agriculture and recreation. The film was named as one of the 10 Best Eco-Docs of 2014 by EcoWatch and also earned the Audience Appeal Award from Moab International Film Festival.
The film’s director, Jennifer Ekstrom, will attend the event to introduce the film and join a post screening question and answer session with Chris Wilke, Executive Director of the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, Rachael Stoeve, a local journalist who has written about the subject, and a member of Utah Tar Sands Resistance who will join in via Skype.
Click here to view the film’s website and trailer: Last Rush for the Wild West
“People need to know that the massive strip mines already approved by the State of Utah are setting the stage for what would be one of the most destructive and polluting industrial complexes in our Nation,” said Jennifer Ekstrom, producer and director of the film. “Utah’s approval process did absolutely nothing to protect public health or the environment, but there is still time to stop these devastating projects before it’s too late.”
“This is also an issue that will affect us here in the Northwest,” said Carlo Voli with Rising Tide Seattle. “There are already 7 to 10 trains per month travelling along the shores of the Columbia River loaded with Canadian tar sands destined for refineries in Washington and California. If this tar sands operation succeeds in Utah, we could see many train loads of this dirty extreme type of energy coming our way.”
Last Rush for the Wild West highlights a resolute contingent of Utah citizens and local experts, as well as indigenous leaders from tar sands impacted communities in Alberta, Canada, as they encourage American taxpayers and voters to stand up with them and stop this impending disaster.
WHAT: Screening of Last Rush for the Wild West: Tar Sands, Oil Shale and the American Frontier
WHERE: Wycloff Auditorium, Seattle University (900 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122)
WHEN: February 22, 2015 at 7:00 PM