MEDIA ADVISORY – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Turning Tide Productions Contact:
Robbie Leppzer, Director, Power Struggle • (413) 325-7358 • [email protected]

Free Speech TV Contact:
Sunnivie Brydum, Digital Managing Editor, Free Speech TV • (303) 542-4818 • [email protected]

Free Speech TV Announces Facebook Live Series “Power Struggle Continues” to Explore Concerns with Nuclear Energy and Waste

DENVER, April 24, 2019 — Free Speech TV (FSTV) will host “Power Struggle Continues,” a four-part series of Facebook Live conversations about nuclear power, safety, waste, and environmental justice, beginning on Wednesday, May 1 at 2 pm ET. New episodes of “Power Struggle Continues” will go live on Free Speech TV’s Facebook page (Facebook.com/FreeSpeechTV) at 2 pm ET every Wednesday through May 22.

The Facebook Live series “Power Struggle Continues” extends the conversation around and supplements FSTV’s continued on-air broadcasts of Power Struggle, filmmaker Robbie Leppzer’s timely documentary chronicling a successful grassroots citizens’ effort to shutter an aging nuclear power plant in Vermont. Leppzer will serve as the moderator for each Facebook Live panel discussion, which will feature candid and far-reaching conversations with activists featured in the film, as well as thought leaders, organizational advocates, and representatives of communities directly impacted by the usage and dangers of nuclear energy creation.  

For more information about the “Power Struggle Continues” Facebook Live series, and broadcast times for Power Struggle, visit www.Freespeech.org/PowerStruggle.

Filmmaker Robbie Leppzer is available for press interviews about the “Power Struggle Continues” Facebook Live series, as well as his feature-length documentary, Power Struggle. (See contact information above.)

Detailed descriptions of each episode of “Power Struggle Continues” are below:  

Power Struggle Continues: Nuclear Waste (Episode 1) • May 1 at 2pm ET / 11am PT

Filmmaker Robbie Leppzer examines the long-term public health hazards from high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plants, and specific proposals to site nuclear waste dumps in Latino and Indigenous communities in New Mexico, Texas and Nevada. Program guests include Kevin Kamps, nuclear waste specialist at Beyond Nuclear, Ian Zabarte, Principal Man of the Western Bands of the Shoshone Nation of Indians in Nevada, and Rose Gardner, cofounder of Alliance For Environmental Strategies, based in New Mexico and Texas. Get a Facebook reminder for the first episode here: bit.ly/PowerStruggleContinues1

Power Struggle Continues: Economics of Nuclear Energy (Episode 2) • May 8 at 2pm ET / 11am PT

Filmmaker Robbie Leppzer examines the economics of nuclear power and the prospects for renewable energy alternatives, how nuclear power is viewed within the climate justice movement, and how nuclear energy issues are covered in the mainstream media. Program guests include Harvey Wasserman, author of Solartopia!, Tim Judson, executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, and Libbe HaLevy, producer and host of the weekly podcast Nuclear Hotseat.

Power Struggle Continues: Nuclear Safety (Episode 3) • May 15 at 2pm ET / 11am PT

Filmmaker Robbie Leppzer examines current safety issues regarding nuclear power plants across the United States, particularly the 21 operating Mark One reactors that have the same design flaws as the Fukushima reactors that melted down in Japan, along with a look at the ongoing nuclear disaster at Fukushima itself. Program guests include nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen and Maggie Gundersen, President of Fairewinds Energy Education (both are featured in the documentary Power Struggle).

Power Struggle Continues: Indigenous Impact (Episode 4) • May 22 at 2pm ET / 11am PT

Filmmaker Robbie Leppzer examines the public health consequences of uranium mining and proposed nuclear waste dumps on Indigenous communities. Program guests include Leona Morgan (Diné or Navajo), an activist opposing uranium mining and proposed nuclear waste dumps in New Mexico, and Charmaine White Face (Lakota), who is fighting to clean up abandoned open-pit uranium mines in South Dakota.

All Facebook Live conversations in the “Power Struggle Continues” series will be hosted on Free Speech TV’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/FreeSpeechTV, and will be available after completion for additional distribution with permission from Free Speech TV. Promotional assets ahead of each event will be made available through FSTV. For more information, including links to upcoming Facebook Live conversations, visit www.Freespeech.org/PowerStruggle.

About Power Struggle

Filmed over five years, this feature-length documentary chronicles the heated political battle to close the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, located on the banks of the Connecticut River in southern Vermont. The film captures perspectives on all sides of the controversy, including from local residents both for and against nuclear power, elected officials (including Sen. Bernie Sanders and Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin), nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen, a Vermont Yankee spokesperson, and federal nuclear regulators.

Power Struggle is a timely, inspiring story of democracy in action. It’s a story about whether citizens’ voices will be heard against big moneyed interests, and what people are doing locally right now to make a difference for a sustainable energy future.

Official Film Website and Trailer: www.PowerStruggleMovie.com

Film Trailer (available for embedding on media websites): https://vimeo.com/180335949

Free Speech TV Webpage: Freespeech.org/PowerStruggle

Download High-Res Photos for Media Use: www.turningtide.com/POWER_STRUGGLE-HQ-JPEGS.zip

Prior Media Coverage:

WPTZ-NBC 5: “Vt. Yankee Story Finally Hits Big Screen” (3-min video segment featuring Robbie Leppzer, Arnie and Maggie Gundersen)

Vermont Public Radio: “‘Power Struggle’ Documentary Chronicles Efforts to Close Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant”(10-min radio interview with Robbie Leppzer)

Pacifica Radio – Project Censored: “Nuclear Power Problems with Robbie Leppzer, Arnie and Maggie Gundersen” (21-min radio interview with Robbie Leppzer, Arnie and Maggie Gundersen)

About Robbie Leppzer

Robbie Leppzer is an award-winning independent documentary filmmaker and radio producer based in Wendell, Massachusetts, who has directed more than 30 documentaries over the past 40 years. His critically acclaimed feature-length and short documentaries, as well as commissioned television news magazine segments, about contemporary social issues have been broadcast by CNN International, NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation), the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, HBO/Cinemax, PBS, CNN, Sundance Channel, HDNet, Free Speech TV, Link TV, National Public Radio, and Pacifica Radio.

From the environmental protests of the 1970s, to the growing global peace, social justice and environmental movements of the new millennium, Leppzer has chronicled grassroots social movements over the last four decades.

“I film stories of people who stick their necks out to take risks for grassroots social change and build bridges across cultures,” said Leppzer.

Many of Leppzer’s previous documentary films have aired on Free Speech TV, including An Act of Conscience, The Peace Patriots, Columbus Didn’t Discover Us, Harvest of Peace, and Seabrook 1977.

About Free Speech TV

Free Speech TV is a national, independent, nonprofit news network committed to advancing progressive social change. As the alternative to media networks owned by billionaires, governments and corporations, Free Speech TV elevates unique perspectives through daily news programs, independent documentaries and special events coverage.

Free Speech TV reaches more than 38 million households nationally on DISH (channel 9415), DIRECTV (348), Sling TV, and over 150 community cable affiliates. Free Speech TV streams live 24/7 at freespeech.org, is available on-demand and streaming on Roku and Apple TV, and maintains an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Free Speech TV believes a more just and democratic world is possible when the media empowers people with the information they need to fight for what matters.  

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