Without Coal

Without Coal

4 Episodes

West Virginia used to run on coal—but no longer. In this four-part documentary series, former miners, union members, environmentalists, and students work to bring their beloved home state into the 21st century.

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Without Coal
  • Episode 1 – Billy Jack Buzzard

    Episode 1

    Just like his forefathers, Billy Jack went to work in the mines of West Virginia. But after he was laid off, he realized he needed to find a way to “get paid from the neck up.”

  • Episode 2 – Trapped Energy

    Episode 2

    The closure of West Virginia’s coal mines is more than just an economic shift. For a state built on extractive industries, it’s an identity crisis.

  • Episode 3 – Left Behind

    Episode 3

    Members of the United Mine Workers devoted their lives to working in coal. Now faced with the prospect of losing their pensions, they’re calling on their country to pay them what they’re owed.

  • Episode 4 – Class of ’18

    Episode 4

    The young people of West Virginia are clear-eyed about what will help their state move forward—and it’s not more mines.