ECO-FILMS An Inconvenient Truth Climate change Format: DVD Tony says: What more can be said about a film that feels like it led the way in the debate about climate change. The “slide show” used by Gore is a superb example of how to illustrate your point and drive your message home. The stories of his life shows it is possible to change your ways and by comparing views on climate change with view about tobacco he helps provide the conversation with an analogy that everyone can understand. I cannot recommend it enough - if you are planning an eco-film night start with this one. More info: http://www.climatecrisis.net/
Crude Awakening Sustainability Tony says: An arresting documentary film that shows we are ill-prepared for the move from cheap abundant and easily transportable energy to expensive and hard to get energy. It also makes a strong claim that oil is one of the last things you want to find on your land because it acts as a magnet for war and can cause your economy to stagnate as you focus in on this one cash crop. The film can be a little clichéd at times, when you are talking about peak oil do you really need to show a mountain, but this is easily forgiven because the power of the film comes from the host of experts put in front of the camera, these people have hands on experience with oil and its impact, so their opinions carry weight. It covers a lot of ground and therefore does it in a broad brush strokes Climate change is not discussed or even mentioned, that is not the issue the film is dealing with and there is more than enough information to absorb without it – see below for two films that just cover the oil crashes impact on suburban America. The film gives no easy answers so at the end you might come away with an “okay, we’re all screwed,” attitude – but the film does have a message and that is we must act now, stop spending to preserve the dominance of oil but invest in finding alternatives and preparing for the oil crash. The film’s official UK site
Home Sustainability Climate Change From the film’s website: We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate. The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being. Tony says: taking the viewer on a quick overview of life on earth from the planets formation to the present day the high-definition video shows the planet in all its glory. As the story progresses the effects mankind are explained. Climate change is a big part of the story but not the only part as it is tied to a message of sustainability which also covers water use, power consumption and living patterns, amongst other. Powerfully told, with arresting visuals it does not pull its punches. A must see video and now available free to view on the internet. View online: or Blu-Ray disc.
The Truth About Climate Change Climate change
The Eleventh Hour Climate Change
Garbage Warrior Sustainability Format: DVD Tony says: A great film about someone who walked the talk by theorising, designed and then building environmentally sustainable homes. Who can ignore the fact that he is building homes (in a place that is baking hot in the summer and knee deep in snow in the winter) that exist completely off the grid for electricity, sewage and water. Like all pioneers he paid the price for cutting corners and sailing a bit too close to the wind regarding planning laws and some of the design problems related to the first homes he built are glossed over – we get one description of a house getting so hot it melted a plastic typewriter and a few references to leaks. But it was great to see him come through this process and emerge victorious at the end. More info: www.garbagewarrior.com
The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard Sustainability Format: website video Tony says: Brilliant short animated film that cover consumption, sustainability, fair trade, waste, recycling, big business, government and the links between them. It is told from an American standpoint but the principles and message behind the film cut across national boundaries. Of course it glosses over some issues in order to tell the top-level story and it does not have the time to feature the evidence behind the claims it makes. Given all that, this is still a great film and a perfect way to introduce someone into the issues surrounding trade, sustainability, waste and a host of other often hidden issues. Online/download
Who Killed the Electric Car? Sustainability Alternative energy Format: DVD Tony says: This whole story was new to me, I was expecting to hear that the car never left the drawing board or test track, I never expected to learn that the car was built and leased on a commercial basis by General Motors (GM) which at the time was the biggest producer of cars on the planet. The story of how GM built the car, then turned tail and killed it off, removing it from its driver and smashing the cars into bits is a fascinating one. The past driver of the EV1 are passionate in their love for the car and organised an inspiring grass-roots campaign to save the vehicle. Not long after GM knocked the final nail in the coffin of the electric car they themselves where on the ropes and being overtaken by Toyota with its more economical cars including the hybrid (petrol and electric) Prius, the film makes a strong claim for the plug-in hybrid electric car as the transport device of the future. So who killed the electric car I’ll leave that up to you to decide once you have seen the film. More info: and Website A documentary entitled The Revenge of the Electric Car in the making, more details here
Wall-E Sustainability Tony says: I was so impressed that the summer blockbuster was going to be a film about waste and recycling I organised a free showing for Premier Wastes’ customers. At its heart is the age old story of boy robot meets girl robot, boy robot loses girl robot, boy robot gets girl robot back (okay, so the robot part if new but you get what I mean) but it is surrounded by a tale of sustainability, waste and love for the planet that everyone can understand. It would have been better to have more of the film set on the visually arresting devastated Earth instead of the giant spaceship and a little more sadness for “Earth that was” (to borrow a phrase from FireFly) would have been fitting. Talking about other science-fiction films, Wall-E is full of little references to past films including the voice of Wall-E (Ben Burtt) who also voiced R2-D2 in Star Wars. More info
The Age of Stupid Climate change Indie Screenings Janie says: The most hard-hitting climate change film to date, with no happy ending. Fast paced, with several different story lines, it tracks the lives of people in the developed and developing worlds. The contradictions make you realise that this is so complex and so difficult to resolve. If I have one criticism of it, it offers no hope - but then perhaps that's just realistic..
The End of the Line Sustainability Examines the impact industrialised fishing has on global fish stocks and what that means for us. Not released on DVD yet.
Addicted to Plastic Sustainability ADDICTED TO PLASTIC is a feature-length documentary about solutions to plastic pollution.
Please feel free to send in your own review of any of the above. Let us know of any book or film that you think should be listed here.
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