this just in:
The Beehive Collective presents their innovative True Cost of Coal graphic—
a visual exploration of Mountaintop Removal Mining and Resistance
TWO Presentations in Pittsburgh:
Tuesday, September 22, 4:30 @ Carnegie Mellon University Quad
Thursday, September 24, Noon @ 3 Rivers Climate Camp, Schenley Park Overlook
A swarm is coming! The Beehive Design Collective, a non-profit, volunteer driven, political arts organization based in eastern Maine, is headed this way. They are out to “cross-pollinate the grassroots” by creating collaborative, anti-copyright images that deconstruct complex global stories for use as educational and organizing tools.

The “True Cost of Coal” graphic, about 80% complete, is based on extensive research and ongoing feedback with affected communities in the Appalachian coalfields and environmental justice activists. “It’s extremely important that the story we tell is guided by folks on the ground,” an anonymous worker bee says. Like in a folktale, all human characters are played by animals and plants, directly linking us to the natural world.
The Beehive will be presenting a giant banner reproduction of the graphic to explore the true cost of “cheap” mountaintop removal coal mining, starting from its devastating local impacts to the larger context of systems that both demand coal-fired electricity and suffer the results. The bees interweave anecdotes and statistics that expose dubious “clean coal” rhetoric and connect the dots between American Empire, Climate Change and Resource Extraction. They encourage audiences to help interpret the images. “People learn through visuals and dialogue. You can only absorb so much from the standardized, one-way, ‘talking head at the podium’ setup.”
The Beehive bristles with activity, tackling issues as diverse as biotechnology, corporate globalization, food and agriculture, and colonialism. Their body of work is distributed as “anti-copyright”: individuals and organizations are encouraged to reproduce their graphics for non-profit uses that inspire critical reflection and strategic action.
The Beehive Collective is currently touring the United States to gather feedback in the final stages of creating the graphic and raise funds for the printing and distribution of finished posters and educational materials in the spring. For more information visit
www.beehivecollective.org OR beehivecollective.blogspot.com