The Future of Energy: Lateral Power to the People

Gr 7 Up—This documentary makes an excellent argument for 100 percent renewable energy. CEOs from energy companies, economist Jeremy Rifkin, environmentalist Bill McKibben, California Governor Jerry Brown, and others provide commentary. (Alert viewers will spot actor and activist Mark Ruffalo in protest footage.) The environmental harm from fossil fuels and the economic distress caused by fluctuating prices for energy are contrasted with the safer, cheaper alternatives offered by wind, water, and solar power. The environmental problems these alternatives present (the effects of wind power on bird and bat migration routes, toxic chemicals in batteries used for solar energy storage) are not discussed in detail. Instead, the program suggests that electric cars are a more practical choice, even if one draws power from conventional fossil fuel sources. Cities, such as Lancaster, CA, that are using or moving toward total renewable power are highlighted. The film equates the democratization of information made available by the Internet with the democratization of energy, which may come about as a result of 100 percent renewable energy. There is much material for class discussions here.