Between November and March, Kootenai Environmental Alliance will host five free admission film screenings at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library with guest speakers and light refreshments. 

Each film is selected by the KEA volunteer board and focuses on themes of environmental conservation and climate change. According to KEA Board President Dave Muise, the primary goals of the green screen series are education, advocacy, and public engagement.

“It’s trying to show the truth behind things like global warming,” Muise said. “To me, it’s a huge issue that a lot of people choose to ignore.”

The first screening, held on Nov. 7, will be an episode of documentary series “Global Warning,” titled “Decarbonizing the Global Economy.”

“This one really gets me angry, and that’s why I picked it,” Muise said. “It’s difficult to find recent documentaries about climate change because of the mentality of the current administration.”

Each film screening will be followed by a discussion led by special guests. The first screening’s guests will be Kara Odegard, lead instructor for the Certificate in Climate Action Planning at Gonzaga University, and Environmental Programs Manager for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe Dr. Laura Laumatia. 

Some of the other selected films include “Beyond the Mirage: The Future of Water in the West,” an award-winning documentary about water shortages, and “Public Trust,” a documentary about efforts to protect public lands. 

According to Muise, attendance for each film screening last year was around 20 people. He said the discussions following the screenings help audiences connect the information in the documentaries to environmental issues facing Kootenai County. 

“We’re trying to increase our visibility in our local community,” Muise said. “The biggest problem is that CO2 is invisible. If it were purple, people would care a lot more.”

Each screening will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturdays in the Community Room in the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. The dates of the screenings will be Nov. 7, Dec. 5, Jan. 9, Feb. 6 and March 6. Visit kealliance.org to learn more.

    One of Kootenai Environmental Alliance's green screen events last year.