FUEL
Eleven years in the making, FUEL is the in-depth personal journey of filmmaker and eco-evangelist Josh Tickell, who takes us on a hip, fast-paced road trip into America's dependence on foreign oil.
Combining a history lesson of the US auto and petroleum industries and interviews with a wide range of policy makers, educators, and activists such as Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young and Willie Nelson.
Animated by powerful graphics, FUEL looks into our future offering hope via a wide-range of renewable energy and bio-fuels. Winner of the Sundance Audience Award.
The events of Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina factor in both visually and thematically, providing provocative anchors for the movie's indictment of what Tickell believes is the Big Oil-cozy, ecologically indifferent Bush administration.
Johnny O'Hara's WGA Award-nominated script doesn't dwell on muckraking, however; it's more focused on broadly inspiring viewers than preaching to the converted.
Interviews with a wide range of environmentalists, policy makers and educators, along with such "green" celebrities as Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow and Larry Hagman offer serious fuel for thought - as well as for action.
Smartly animated interstitials, memorable archival material and a lively soundtrack round out the fast-paced proceedings.
Now this is REALLY SHOCKING!! Europeans always think wisely for the people & to the people! Unlike the U.S. where the people are slaves according to the industries!
excellent write up
great, thank you so much!
Don't forget that the guy who invented the car that ran on water was assassinated !! Great movie loved it and felt very moved. We have to move in this direction or it's game over!!
I remember when I purchased gasoline for 19 cents a gallon. That was before the EPA and the US government taxed and regulated the oil companies out of the country. There is a chance now that the US could become self sufficient but this Obama administration does everything in its power to punish and suppress the oil companies. Hence 4 dollar gasoline with an abundant supply of oil just waiting to be pulled out of the ground.
did you actually watch the documentary??
You obviously have no idea what this documentary is about!
This is a beautiful piece of work. I did gardening work for Josh and his partner Rebecca for several years and helped them grow their own organic produce.
What promted me to comment here is an experience as a kid. Riding on the scholl bus, I was frequently overwhelmed by toxic fumes that wafted in through the widows that made my lungs and eyes hurt. In the fifth grade, I started riding my bicycle 5 miles to school to avoid the pain.
really nice love it that post and also wounderful
The problems still are: 1. tonnage of metal vehicles still will kill people on the roads. 2. People are still getting fat and suffering diabeties through lack of exercise. 3. With humans addiction to assisted transport, the right to a car is overshadowing that humans need to eat. What, people go hungry to give energy to a machine? Solution: 1. people live close to what they need through social organisation and they WALK to where they need to go, without getting run down. 2. People are healthier because walking is good for you. 3. the best machines humans have is their own bodies. Energy is dedicated to organic and sustainable food sources.
They've made cars that run on water but destroyed them because it interferes with the oil warlords and their money.
It just has to happen please just keep reminding the guys upstairs!
I really enjoyed the movie. I found it very informing. Now I feel a change. I want to know more. I find my self searching for answers to questions I didn't have before. I see a lot of you mention several different options for leaving the oil generation behind. You say the like it can only be one or the other. But why can't we use all of them? Just a thought. It seems the fungus they can grow is the most efficient way to produce bio fuel. Solar power would be to the ultimate but we have not gotten there yet with 100% efficiency.
I know because of this film and, Gasland, The Union I will be trying to figure out how to become part of the movement. We have a river there is got to be a way to work with that and we have a lot of wind. I would hope every one would start trying to make the change instead of just talking about it. It may be a pipe dream to some. But I have learned that you have to set goals to achieve them. I'm so glad they made this movie. :)
as an engineer i agree with the comments that bio diesel, as grown in fields is not the answer, however using old cooking oil as diesel is better than throwing it down the drain, causing more polution, the answer is totally electric vehicles, powered by electricity from wind mills, wave energy, and other forms of renewable, none poluting energy...
just to point out that diesel engines were orignally made to run on vegetable oil, and most modern diesel engines will run on any such oil, with no additives!!...i know, i'm an engineer and i've done it...and the idea of making a pump to collect the oil is ridiculous, its already in big cans so pick it up carry it to the vehicle, put a funnel in the filler hole of your vehicle, cover the top of this funnel, with two or three pairs of ladies hose stretched, across the top of this funnel, and pour the oil directly into your tank through this funnel...all you need to do is remove the larger bits of debris from this oil and away you go....warning don't do this with a petrol engine...it wont work....the operating principle is different for petrol engines
My husband has been a tractor dealer and says biofuel can only be added to fuel up to 15% otherwise it will become solid. He says farmers would love to use all biofuel, but it only works in warm environments. ?
just to point out that diesel engines were orignally made to run on vegetable oil, and most modern diesel engines will run on any such oil, with no additives!!...i know, i'm an engineer and i've done it...
Great Doc.
Cheesy, biased doc. Style is totally b- grade Michael Moore. Plus he only deals with vehicle fuel, which is only part of the problem of our dependence on oil. watch Collapse (Mike Ruppert doc) instead for a much more informed and complete picture.
So much of this documentary is bullshit. Bio diesel is a panacea, it takes energy and a lot of water and land to make it. The entire system is ****** and the director of this doc should know that!
your tripping
The changes aren't going to happen. People are dumb and dumber by the day.
why dont we just grow Hemp again for fuels
sorry world, didn't know
As one of the co-producers of the film, and after many showings, it is very interesting that some people understand the concept of growing your own fuel supplies and some still do not. Our new Global headquarters to supply 2,000,000 trees per month to our International contracts in Vietnam and Africa will achieve us purchasing biofuels from them instead of producing it ourselves, growing our trees only on polluted lands such as the Nevada Test Site, the Hanford Site in Washington State, the Salton Sea Project in California would supply millions of gal of biofuels per year and give us clean air to breath. Why am I going to Hanoi to plant trees when we need them here in the good ol USA? Critics, Critics, Critics. Get on my soap box with me and demand the trees planted in polluted locations here.
Dr. Ray Allen
Emerald Energy
What can i do in my town of Kahuku, HI and my home back on the mainland, Orange County CA?
Give me a job :) LOL, I am doing PHD in Biology. so wait me a lil :p haha, I have done green energy before. I will do again, I like the algae thingy. Just messing with you on the job....Now I go back home to hund green rabbits
Bio fuels are not the solution!
For some reason your comment reminded me of the opposition's main argument for opposing wind mill towers in the UK: That they're ugly and ruin the landscape of the terrain ;(
I haven't watched this yet, just read the comments.
Corn isn't the only plantation we can use for biofuels. Technology has advanced and we are in the process of making a biofuel from algae. Algae won't affect the cost of our food, it will most likely correlate with a drop in food cost. Also, algae can grow virtually anywhere on this planet including deserts with some water. Algae plants are very "gas dense" (I can't think of how to word it) so this would wipe out the use of corn or any other plant grown for biofuels. We wouldn't be having this problem if Rockefeller didn't manipulate the original diesel engine which ran off peanut oil.
Yeah, and then there was Durban.
:-(((
I am beginnning to SERIOUSLY believe that the human species is simply too ill equiped to survive another 100 years. People (masses of them) are SO EASILY MANIPULATED by self serving greed people at the top.
Look at how we follow false gods, politicians and worse of all MONEY.
I have watched nearly ALL of TDF's documentaries, watched Peter Joseph struggle to educate us and how Occupy Wall Street goes unheard.
Just look at history! World War 1 and 2 ... and down to Roman and Greek times. ALL of them failed... what makes the present time any different?
If you think technology will save us... well think again. It is technology that is going to kill us and the atmosphere... yes, I know technology is used for good or Ill... but I am sad to say it is used mostly to control and manipulate minds.
Just look at FOX NEWS.
Sure you and I can say we know our problems... but the percentage of you and I that are good and thoughtful is FAR BELOW the percentage of those that are childish followers to their death.
My wife is 50% Native American. She reminds me of how brutal and hateful white people are... even the greatest Philosophers has SERIOUS doubt that we can change (all of us, not just a few thousand that watch TDF) in time...
Human beings are simply not going to make it.... after all... does it matter? The sun will burn out and that will be that ... we are only going to burn out the atmosphere MUCH sooner.
Im sorry folks... but anyone that believes we can overcome money, twisted human concepts that go against nature are fooling themselves.
I DID have hope... and I got into many MANY arguments with my Native American wife that white people can change IN TIME.... but I see now we will not.
THERE WAS A UTOPIA.. but that was destroyed long LONG ago. Just be happy for the life we have now... love yourself and your friends and the Earth. But, our time is up and we are on our way into extinction.
Scary? Why be scared... it is what it is.
Man, you speak only truth. LOTS of death is coming, our world cannot sustain a species like ours for much longer we have become too numerous.
Let’s just hope that it is the enlightened realistic people who remain after the dust settles, to teach of the past mistakes. As the false leaders, their constructed reality, and those who do not seek change need to go...
If you agree and see the future; try to live free of your capitalist constraints, learn to be free of the system, or at the least, prepare for the inevitable.
The ongoing fight is for survival, our species has forgotten this.
Fox news should be the new comedy central. Laugh riot!
Have ever heard of a faith that preaches the earth will be clean and celestialized?
All indigenous faiths,....also Judaism *to plant trees, and be a steward of the earth./...Xtianism and Islam are too foccused on the world to come, however they could be re-engineered too, these religions are prisoners of corporate interests (example, Jesus, a comunist is the champion of right wing)
In general, I agree with the Jesus statement considering the church was essentially an aristocracy, and Jesus (according to the New Testament) was set on destroying the church and re-balancing power.
I'd say that had more to do with Rome's new influence over the Jewish state, and a public that was upset about complacency to a foreign power overall. In other words, the world Jesus grew up in was controlled by a foreign state, and thus by definition a military occupation (completely opposed to a communist state). Even if Jesus did not exist his mythological figure would simply represent the hopes of a tormented society; pillaged by a foreign occupation, and disgruntled by a complacent church, which back then was equivalent to local government.
Whether Jesus existed or not (based on a true story perhaps?) the idea that such a figure came about at such turbulent times is a reflection of the civil strife that envelopes any society subject to foreign rule.
There are so many holes in this documentary I don't know where to begin. First he recommends the use of an oil substitute based on the refuse of fast food which is killing a lot of poor folk who cannot afford to eat better but that's the least of the problem here. He doesn't highlight the problem that arises from ethanol in a world where population is exploding, namely the replacement for the scarce fertile land from food production to corn for food. The UN is already reporting food shortages for 2011 as prices for wheat rise. As noted by Yale's C. Ford Runge who wrote an article called The Case Against Biofuel: Probing Ethanols hidden cost:
"In light of the strong evidence that growing corn, soybeans, and other food crops to produce ethanol takes a heavy toll on the environment and is hurting the world’s poor through higher food prices, consider this astonishing fact: This year, more than a third of the U.S.’s record corn harvest of 335 million metric tons will be used to produce corn ethanol. What’s more, within five years fully 50 percent of the U.S. corn crop is expected to wind up as biofuels.
Here’s another sobering fact. Despite the record deficits facing the U.S., and notwithstanding President Obama’s embrace of some truly sustainable renewable energy policies, the president and his administration have wholeheartedly embraced corn ethanol and the tangle of government subsidies, price supports, and tariffs that underpin the entire dubious enterprise of using corn to power our cars. In early February, the president threw his weight behind new and existing initiatives to boost ethanol production from both food and nonfood sources, including supporting Congressional mandates that would triple biofuel production to 36 billion gallons by 2022.
Yet a close look at their impact on food security and the environment — with profound effects on water, the eutrophication of our coastal zones Subsidy supports are a testament to the power of the farm lobby and its sway over Congress. from fertilizers, land use, and greenhouse gas emissions — suggests that the biofuel bandwagon is anything but green. Congress and the administration need to reconsider whether they are throwing good money after bad. If the biofuel saga illustrates anything, it is that thinking ecologically will require thinking more logically, as well."
It takes too much land to grow ethanol, huge acreage. These crops releases nitrous oxide into the atmosphere — a greenhouse gas 296 times more damaging than CO2 — and contributes more to global warming than biofuels save through fossil fuel reductions. This film is offering a misguided solution and if you want to address really what needs to change and what we really face in terms of crude oil then watch 'Blind Spot' and 'A Crude Awakening'. This guy is just proposing one disastrous solution to amend the present disastrous solution.
Biofuels are unsustainable!!! Ethanol is an agribusiness get-rich-quick scheme that will bankrupt our topsoil. Fertile soil will be destroyed if crops and other "wastes" are removed to make cellulosic ethanol. The government has studied the effect of growing continuous corn, and found it increases eutrophication by 189%, global warming by 71%, and acidification by 6% (Powers 2005)
Wait a second. Do you work for an oil corporation?
Ethanol is stupid your right, but the fuel this documentary address in-depth not like Ethanol.
Please refer to 1:13.00-1:16.40, then history to see the perseverance of human ingenuity.
Humans will build societies around resources that are simple and convenient for the population nearby. Oil was simple and convenient in the past as people didn't care about the planet, so we built our society around this resource, but now we see many major issues. Same deal with Ethanol, Time to move on right? Just don't generalize you will slow any progress.
We need to work together to re-build society from the ground up to implement any solution to almost ANY global issue including this one. It won’t be easy, but we need to be open to real options.
Be open minded, don't generalize, and if you have an issue with your government DO SOMETHING just saying... The US is supposed to be run by its people not corporations.
Really? I'd like your sources please. Sounds like some crap Runge from Yale would write.
Did you even watch the whole documentary? It's not just about Ethanol. Furthermore oil was a bigger get rich quick scheme than ethanol ever was and no one is going to let ethanol destroy agriculture or food sources. YOU CAN'T CLAIM A PROJECTION AS FACT with all your statistics and comments they're utter and complete here-say made people to be afraid of change.
We should continue this discussion after you supply your sources of information.
To Lucy Saw,
I watched the documentary and have read your comment. Now, I come to the discussion on biodiesel as a novice really. I am passionate about sustainability and, in particular, the potential of solar energy but on biodiesel, I must confess that I do not know any detail.
Your criticism of the documentary seems to focus on the point that growing corn, with all the agricultural land that requires, conflicts with the uses to which the land could otherwise be put. Namely, to grow food.
Now, Tickell seems to have addressed this head on in the latter parts of the documentary. Biofuels are not just corn based or ethanol based but can include fuel grown from growing algae. The benefit of this is that wastes from other processes can be used as inputs for algae production and that it can be done on land which is not suitable for other purposes.
Briefly, I think the thing at the beginning with McDonalds was to show that wastes from traditional processes can be thought of as inputs in others, a core point to any sustainable system.
He makes the point in the documentary that environmentalists need to distinguish between different types of biofuels. That not all are equivalent with one another. Interviewees (not that I have delved deeply into their qualifications) back him up on this. Finally, he proposes that biofuels can be thought of as one component of the sustainability mix. He mentions my personal favourite - solar energy - where enough sunlight reaches the surface of the planet in an hour to meet our worldwide energy needs for one year. I have done the numbers myself on this and it is about right. I say "about" because the numbers involved are so massive (the sun has a volume which is 330,000 times that of earth).
Yes; direct solar energy conversion would be the ideal solution, but we're not quite there yet. Most attainable energy on earth comes in one way or another, from the sun anyhow. It's just a matter of an conscious preferred choice. Biofuels seem like a good compromise; and at least a hell of a lot better that traditional petrol ones...
An interesting & thought provoking documentary but been a few years since it was made.
I see no change in my community, my goverment or how people view oil consumption, the main reason money.
People that are unemployed, live on or below a minimum wage, or live in third world countries are not thinking how they can be part of projects suggested in this documentary that think of the future but how they can live now.
Over 160million people in Europe live in poverty. I have no doubt these people could make a difference some more than likely would actively do so but given their situation majority of what they think about is how can they get their next meal, education, health care & getting out of poverty.
Taking into account the percentage of the global population that lives in poverty, thats alot of people that could be added to "the masses" of people that could impact their goverment's, but see no change in their circumstances today. How can they see a future thats improving the planet when at present goverments cant provide for the people that live on this planet.
So considering that "the masses" will lead the goverment's maybe first "the masses" need a present then we can think of the future.
need to take in account that in some countries it aint eazy nor cheap 2 be enviromental friendly..... So besides the fact that u get educated in ^^(what to do to be environmental friendly ) ^^^^ u gotta have a second and a third job to do so.... Hybrid cars solar panels Bio fuels???? Diezel aint allowed in Greece hmmmm love it all but tooo expensive..... Make it cheaper and it works for everyone ..... 30 000 euros to put panels in our house in Greece hehehehe .... no matter the money u save u gotta get loans and when the sallary is 600 euros a month ppl dnt eaven consider that sollution.... The solution isnt ppl for me .... most older generations got no clue but the newer ones know most of this stuff but cnt do nothing because of goverments.... Sux to wanna do smthin but not be allowed to.....
Like i said wanna see what happens :)
Actually most oil companies get massive tax breaks to keep oil prices low, so if we remove these taxes breaks then we factoring in the true cost of oil/coal then well see oil prices hover round 10-15 on the cheaper end. Scary what happens when we change our politics.
naice.... currious 2 c what happens :)
Its an awesome documentary i have seen , and it makes me think that why should I use private vehicle where I can go by public transport.
this was the best documentary hands down. It gives methods, we can use today, to end our oil dependence, war, economic downturn, and do it all, while ensuring our planets survival.
Unfortunately biodiesel production uses more than 500 times as much water per unit of energy as a Canadian oil sands plant. So, biodiesel, although it is apparently a "green" fuel has a much greater environmental footprint than the industry that is being vilified as "dirty oil". And if all of the USA's arable land were converted to corn for biodiesel production, it would only replace 75% of America's current oil imports. There would be no land left for growing food. Huge investments are needed in research and technology to come up with the breakthroughs needed to make energy from alternative sources economically and socially viable. Money invested today in mass producing biofuels that are heavily subsidized by government is wasting precious water resources and more importantly time. We need to make progress on the technologies for replacing non-renewable energy sources such as oil. And while we work on that, we also need to find ways to use less energy in our daily lives and act on them. Leave your car in the garage. Ride your bicycle, walk, run. You can make a difference now!
Sooner or later everyone will realize that sustainability + profit are incredibly difficult business practices to incorporate together. It's really only a matter of time before humanity as a whole will be forced to realize that money will not purchase us a new planet.
I encourage everyone to look into any kind of alternate currency system, resource based economics, the venus project etc. There is so many solutions out there worth trying and we as a species will be picking one in the next century.
Wow a great Doco. A must watch for everyone!
It really doesn't take a huge leap of common sense for any one to recognize that what this documentary speaks to is the incredible stupidity of destroying the very life giving thing that sustains us...the Planet Earth...our Mother Earth.
great documentry until they talk about global warming.. Global warming is caused by solar activity not C02 emmissions. C02 emmissions are bad there is no question but its very arrogant notion to think we are the reason. Oh we should probably start taxing Volcanoes next
Oh please son, you are the arrogant one for denying the fact that scientists around the world have agreed that the increase level of CO2 in the atmosphere is indeed caused by human activity. Therefore, it is a direct correlation with global warming because CO2 is a green house gas and green house gas causes global warming. Do some research before speaking your ignorant mind.
Sad this is a infomercial for Bio Diesel. Not the best solution if at all. Google Bio Diesel criticism or something like that if you want to know the dirty truth of this film.
There is an emphasis on bio diesel, but the video does also highlight other actions that need to be taken. At least it's raising awareness about the dependence on oil and offering alternatives, which can't really be a bad thing.
You must work for the oil industry- nice try
@Cryozyme You are correct about us needing to utilize all arable land for food production due to the ever growing population. However, the video began by pointing our or dependency upon oil is fueled by government based incentives and lack of availability of alternative sources of transportation such as the Prius. As is the case, if we do not lower our usage and overall dependency on oil, incorporating such alternatives such as bio-diesel and other renewable resources will be futile.
Not that I don't think we need alternative energy but this film seems biased towards bio fuels and to me reads almost like a commercial. Bio fuels could only ever replace a very small amount of the oil we use because we need most of the worlds arable land to feed our ever increasing population. Unless instead of burning oil we chop down the forests to grow energy crops.
Interesting... We can do better for our kids, country, environment and health!
We the people really don't have the power... but we can if we stood together... will it always be about money? Losing my brother and friends in the attach of September 11, 2001, opened my eyes to many things...
Zatarra
in 10 years or so when China kicks your totally financially indebted china importing walmart buying 1 trillion dollar oil importing butts I will look forward to your comments.
The only reason you have troops around anything is because you can print money to make it happen. Good luck with the sutainability of that venture.
Only real chance we have is Fusion Power.
photovoltaics is totally inefficient at the moment, I have thousands of wind turbines, that I see from my window. it is still in question whether the investment will be returned - but I am aware of the "cheap oil" deal and investments covering...
I liked the algae the most.
Planting fast growing trees on soil, uses up the potential of soil. But this kind of set can be dealt with circulation of crop... anyway, the beautiful yellow fields of rapeseed are fertilized, that is oil. Even agricultural system has to be changed. Unless the algae, which could be easily genetically modified and controlled, do not win the day.
Go with biofuel... americans are dumb sometimes learn a thing or two from the Germans.
@Waldo
First of all Zatarra needs to realise sarcastic remarks can get lost in translation on the internet.
Secondly i know America is not the only country that is hungry for the oil and no im not blind to all else that moves bit i can say ive got my crosshairs pointed at America, for being not only the biggest player in the global oil scandal but America is also the biggest player in STOPPING clean fuel.
I agree its going to take a worldwide change to stop what is happening, but i will say that the oil rich nations do not willingly bow down to the American government but rather they are forced to bow down (The wars going on as we speak).
And yes the global economy is run off this oil scandal but yet again who is at the center of this scandal? Yea you guessed it America will do anything in its power to make sure the global economy revolves around oil so that as you said the American economy doesnt collapse.
Quite frankly the oil bearing countries should cut America off, we can watch there economy fall and see there nation go into panic just like America puts other nations into panic, im sure the rest of the world wouldnt mind if the American dollar went boom.
I agree a global change does nee to be made and first of all it would restrict the amount of oil one nation needed to a fair non greedy amount and kept out of the hand of these giant banking corporations.
/End Rant
First of all Zattara was intentionally being sarcastic to make a point. Secondly, if you tnink America is ther only country hooked on oil and perpetuating its use you are blind to all else that moves, as they say. America is the country that has acted in the most bold and selfish fashion to secure future oil supply, I will admit that. However, the oil producing nations do everything they can to down play the need for renewable alternatives, they have a big finacial interest in seeing that the world stays addicted to oil. Many oil producing nations see oil as their ticket to being a global player, and they also see it as a tool to use against America and the other global powers. Venezuela, Russia, Iran, and China are all working together to use oil in such a way as to change the global power structure. America knows that if oil trading stopped, or even slowed dramatically, our currency would bottom out. Many other countries will suffer financial issues as well, especially the ultra rich oil producers that have no other industry in their nation. In short- the whole global economy rests on the use and trade of oil. Blaming America is everyones favorite past time, but the problem is much more complicated and requires change on a global scale, not just in America.
@Waldo
First of all Zatarra needs to realise sarcastic remarks can get lost in translation on the internet.
Secondly i know America is not the only country that is hungry for the oil and no im not blind to all else that moves bit i can say ive got my crosshairs pointed at America, for being not only the biggest player in the global oil scandal but America is also the biggest player in STOPPING clean fuel.
I agree its going to take a worldwide change to stop what is happening, but i will say that the oil rich nations do not willingly bow down to the American government but rather they are forced to bow down (The wars going on as we speak).
And yes the global economy is run off this oil scandal but yet again who is at the center of this scandal? Yea you guessed it America will do anything in its power to make sure the global economy revolves around oil so that as you said the American economy doesnt collapse.
Quite frankly the oil bearing countries should cut America off, we can watch there economy fall and see there nation go into panic just like America puts other nations into panic, im sure the rest of the world wouldnt mind if the American dollar went boom.
I agree a global change does nee to be made and first of all it would restrict the amount of oil one nation needed to a fair non greedy amount and kept out of the hand of these giant banking corporations.
/End Rant
Haaaa,.. who gives a rats butt-whole about your oil induced miscarriages ? The vast majority of us only care about our big gas guzzling H2 Hummers, our seadoos and our big luxurious air conditioned RV's complete with playstation 3.
So,.. to all you whiners out there, go step off the planet, make a hole, consumers cummin' through !
@ rich they add water to the fat just like Tersoro adds it to their fuel when they refine it. look it up on u tube they have videos from seaboard foods inc doing just that. anyhow my point was that all bio fuels are not good and need to be looked at in their full context rich.
I'm about halfway through this documentary now and I really have to give Josh Tickell a big round of applause for putting together such a powerful movie that shows everything that is both wrong with the United States politically at this moment and everything that is right with the people who want to change it.
What I hear over and over again in documentaries like this and from others like this about "Water Fracturing" that is poisoning the ground water supply of the United States is that the United States government from local municipalities to state government to the Federal government of approving and passing environmental and energy policies that are designed to kill the American people by poisoning the air they breath, the water they drink, and the food they eat.
Over and over and over again this is the message that I am hearing.
The American government wants to point a hand at the fictitious organization called Al-Qaeda that they created on the premise that Al-Qaeda was attacking America. In truth Al-Qaeda is the American Government and they are systematically destroying the United States by poisoning the air they breath, the water they drink, and the food they eat.
This is not a little issue, this is about the very survival of the United States.
The oil and natural gas industry is destroying the United States for what... money and profits!!!
Good grief!!!
And this is not just happening in the United States but Canada as well where oil and natural gas money from the big players have bought out not only the Canadian Federal Government up to the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but also all of the necessary politicians in Alberta to approve the Canadian Tar Sands projects.
And just like the state of Louisiana the province of Alberta, Canada is being systematically poisoned to death by the tar sands oil industry. All the fresh water in the province of Alberta is slowly being poisoned, the air is being poisoned and the fish in the streams, rivers and lakes are being poisoned and killed by the petro chemical runoff from the tar sands industry.
And just like the environmental agencies in Louisiana and other oil dependent states, the environmental agencies in Alberta have all been bought out by the energy companies.
At what point did the government in the United States and Canada stopped serving the health and welfare of its people and instead decided to start to kill them through its energy and environmental policies to satisfy their own greed and the greed of the energy companies.
So far I have not heard any talk yet of the electric Tesla sports car being developed in San Bruno California. This should be the poster child car of the United States government and it is not.
The poster child car of the United States government is the Hummer. How did government start to go so wrong?
When the United States government and the Canadian government stopped serving the health and welfare of the people of their respective countries, this was an unmistakable sign that power was in the wrong hands.
Dramatic changes need to be done to get energy companies out of government because as of right now their influence is destroying the United States fresh water supply, fresh air, and food supply. It must be stopped and it must be stopped now!
Until I saw this documentary I was completely unaware of the huge Exxon Valdez like oil spill in Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. So well covered up was this ecological disaster that it has not been reported until now to my knowledge. This is absolutely criminal on the part of the United States government and the media who were obviously bought out.
This new knowledge goes hand in hand with the "Water Fracturing" technology that is poisoning the ground water all across the United States to extract natural gas.
It makes one so angry that these politicians are in power, in control and completely destroying the country they have been elected to serve and protect. Nothing could be further from the truth. Politicians are now being elected to destroy the countries they serve in exchange for money and power. And I thought Iraq and Afghanistan had it bad.
The greatest day in American and Canadian history will be the day when oil supplies finally run out around the world stopping this oil based ecological disaster in the United States and Canada.
A very well done documentary by Josh Tickell and all the effort that has gone into making it. The 11 years working on this was well spent! I would like to get a copy of so that I can start to spread it around my community in addition through Facebook.
Not since the release of “Loose Change V2” in 2006 that showed the complete involvement of the United States government and the US military in the planning and execution of the domestic terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, have I been so moved by a documentary.
At the present time the United States government and the Canadian government are both destroying their respective countries in the criminal energy and environmental policies they are enforcing to support the oil and natural gas companies. These energy and environmental policies that seemed specifically designed to kill the American people by poisoning the air they breath, the water they drink, and the food they eat by petro chemical processes and waste products.
Al-Qaeda seems to be the American government and it is indeed attacking American citizens and killing them paid off by the oil companies, energy service companies, and the natural gas energy sector.
The greatest enemy of the people of the United States is their own government.
The greatest enemy of the people of the Canada is their own government.
What a revelation for historians who look back at this epoch of time.
This is as bad as the Romans using lead for their water pipes.
Arnold Vinette
Ottawa, Canada
Las Vegas, Nevada
"Zatarra 2
... SEABOARD FOODS INC. can turn 1 pound of pig fat into 1 gallon of fuel. ……"
Besides all the other opinions that are wrong, Zatarra doesn't even know basic conservation of mass principles. For example, one gallon of diesel weighs about 7 pounds. So turning 1 pound of fat into 7 pounds of fuel is quite an achievement.
That by itself is definitive proof Zatarra knows nothing.
i was wondering why the hemp plant was not mentioned as a bio mass source. the hemp plant can also be used to make bio fuel/diesel. the hemp plant helps clean contaminated land, helps stop erosion, grows well on marginal land and does not require fertilizers.
pity how the bad news coverage killed the bio diesel.
all in all, i thought movie was pretty good.
my 2 cents
The US I believe has started putting investments into African oil producing countries such as Nigeria. My only guess is that Nigeria is leaning towards leaving OPEC as a few other countries have, and with OPEC leaning towards a Euro currency it would make sense.
I don't know a whole lot on foreign currency, but if OPEC did switch to the Euro, how bad would the US dollar get? Bad enough to turn into the Amero? Thats more of what i'm afraid of since i'm Canadian and don't want to get involved in the US currency issue :)
"hip, fast-paced road trip into America’s dependence on foreign oil."
hip? umm really, i always thought hip was good, cool with it and stuff. i was gonna stop right there but
"activists such as Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow, Neil Young and Willie Nelson"
sealed the deal. i give no credibility to hollywood types other than to frank r.i.p. [pbuh]
I like how hes raving about bio fuel completely ignoring the concept of net energy.
this is a fantastic doc,thank you Vlatko.i here swich grass will make ethanol effecent.i like Stan Mayers,Dan Dingles,and Herman Andersons water powered cars.they were all exnasa engineers that worked on this.i like element number 58 celium brick used to run alot of the swiss postal veicals around 1900 when droped in water.i like the nexas plama 01 video that uses a microwave transformer and diods to run a vw bus on water.i like hyrogen fuel cell hondas.i was al gores bigest fan but now i belive the severe climate change is caused by h.a.a.r.p. and chemtrails and the people behind this have satanic reasons.
oops 15 acres should read 24
hmmm...well I like the idea of biodeisel from algae but I'm not to impressed with producing it from land based agriculture.As a farmer I laugh at the idea of feeding 50,000 people from one city block of verticle growing space.I did a very conservative calculation i.e I made the growing area of a city block rather large and came up with a figue of 15 acres of growing area.that was asumming that a city block is 600 ft by 600 ft by 300 ft high.Please....you can not just feed 50,000 people on 24 acres.I've saw this on a few other sites as well.I giove these people full marks for thinking outside the box but they must deal with real numberrs too.I really do hope that the algae thing works and the whole world can power itself on it.
Great video!
I'm telling everyone about it. A must see!
Oil companies are so Corrupt!
... and they all lived happily ever after.
If you have any clueless friends (and we all do); recommend this film to them. Seriously though, thanks for this one Vlatko. Well worth watching.
Zatarra I haven't seen the documentary yet but I loved your comment! #1 Isn't it so true about the US Navy and the US Air Force. And you are right about the Iraqi oil is the United States oil, which was the whole point of 911 in the first place.
The United States Government needed a good cause to bring the American people inline with their plan along with other people around the world to justify the attack, invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. So nothing like bringing down two obsolete World Trade Center towers and attacking a newly fortified section of the Pentagon with a cruise missile disguised as a jetliner to do the job.
Nothing like a domestic terrorism job to blame on foreign terrorists to get everyone mad as hell.
It did the trick. Everyone was fooled including me until 2006. More than enough time to get the job done to secure the Iraqi oil fields and try to get a handle on Afghanistan. Afghanistan unfortunately is still a problem as those darn Taliban cannot be bought off to fall into line with the bigger scheme of things. It just drives the United States government crazy.
But just in case Iraqi oil runs out there are plans already in motion to secure Turkmenistan oil and natural gas from the Caspian Basin. This is the whole point of the Afghanistan war which will provide a safe passage for an oil and natural gas pipeline down from Turkmenistan down through Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Arabian Sea.
One cannot have too much oil and natural gas for the American economy. So long live the US Navy and US Air Force that keep the US oil economy running along smoothly.
That is until 2030. And then the big changes begin.
And now it is on with the show!
Arnold Vinette
Ottawa, Canada
@ Zattara
i agree with your satirical proposition! i didn't realise that being a member here precluded one from having a sense of humour so i think your detractors need to chill out and see your post for what it was. Keep up the alternate presentation of ideas Zattara, otherwise we exist in a bland & sterile state.
Guys, guys, guys, the plain truth is that America with its advances in technology since the last century made it the country that needs the most energy starting with oil to then grow its economy so then it can preach to the rest of the world how it all work while they listen to my music. Oh yeah.
@everyone I think Zattara is playing with your mind...because he can't be that dumb...I mean he is not dumb he is deluzional
Great doc. This is the second time i watched it.
I def think biofuels will be part of the future. I doubt it will be ethanol, but i could be wrong. Biodiesel seems to be able to made out of a variety of biological sources. I think the best i've heard of so far is a fast growing grass, which they didn't talk about in the doc.
Other sources will play a role. I think engineered bacteria will make-up the next generation of solar panels.
beautiful documentary. very informative.
those who boo-hoo it are part of the problem and have always been.
the reason the wasteful and bad we we've done things goes on is because there have been mega bucks behind it. these bucks and their owners don't care about the future. they care about their retirement, their mansions, their expensive vehicles and liquors, and dam* the world once they do, they absolutely don't care. these are the oil industry fat cats. these are the ones people seem to worship.
why not worship the better way..the underdog doing the right thing? those are criticize those who try to do something in a better way are part of the problem. please move out of the way and be quiet and let those who are determined for a better life to move forward.
Beautiful doc! Brought a smile of hope to my face. Interesting to see how far ahead Europe is compared to the USA in terms of renewable energy.
When I visit European countries I notice they have a much different mentality about the whole thing and I think that's what needs to change first in Americans for anything to change at all. It will change and documentaries like this will make it happen!
xcellent work all round. Hats off Mr Tickell.
i got rid f my car about 5yrs ago and stay local, but i'm in the UK.To you guys Stateside i guess thats not so easy? Heck, all the UK is local on ur scale :)
This is an "act of faith" documentary, very positive.
@ Bobbydigital
First of all Zattara was intentionally being sarcastic to make a point. Secondly, if you tnink America is ther only country hooked on oil and perpetuating its use you are blind to all else that moves, as they say. America is the country that has acted in the most bold and selfish fashion to secure future oil supply, I will admit that. However, the oil producing nations do everything they can to down play the need for renewable alternatives, they have a big finacial interest in seeing that the world stays addicted to oil. Many oil producing nations see oil as their ticket to being a global player, and they also see it as a tool to use against America and the other global powers. Venezuela, Russia, Iran, and China are all working together to use oil in such a way as to change the global power structure. America knows that if oil trading stopped, or even slowed dramatically, our currency would bottom out. Many other countries will suffer financial issues as well, especially the ultra rich oil producers that have no other industry in their nation. In short- the whole global economy rests on the use and trade of oil. Blaming America is everyones favorite past time, but the problem is much more complicated and requires change on a global scale, not just in America.
THIS IS THE ALGORE IDEA - HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN AMERICA IGNORANCE
@A
good post.
I really feel so despondent when I consider the environmental issues of our time.
The truth of the matter is that solutions to the supposed impending environmental disasters are easy simple and implementable with current technology.
What makes me so concerned for the cause of environmentalist and the like, is the fact that they portray the scenarios in emotional and fearful ways, this is the technique of the right(and they are much better at it that you!) and it undermines the argument they are making.
People who take this issue seriously need to stop appealing to people with scare stories and emotional language and just talk rationally and pragmatically about the issues.
From a practical position we are lumbered with 300 year old technology both in terms of the homes we live in and the cars we drive.
We also face the problem of the consumable goods that we buy, being designed along lines of pre-planned obsolescence and irrational aesthetics which appeal to lifestyle marketing rather than true design concepts of form and function. (I use form and function as an example simply because it is far better suited to producing products that are sustainable than any other design concept/period)
We all labour under false paradigms; arguably, products of the cold war era, along with irrational paranoid political and economical concepts. Which touch every aspect of our lives even if you are unaware of what I mean by the mirage like term of "free market economics". That does not mean that your bank is or your politicians, and they control your life in every way and on every level.
It is a deep deep shame that these issues which require the action of a cohesive society with shared values of morality. Have come to pass in an age that has seen the wholesale rape of those very things.
And the irony of it all is that there is absolutely no reason for it. None at all.
I think the established ruling class in the UK should be sickeningly ashamed of themselves.
As a people we no longer have a political voice. And even if we did speak up no one is listening.
Fuel from pig fat is simply a failed over unity system given the current petrochemical agricultural reality.
To grow pig we must feed pig, farmer needs energy to farm pig. When we kill pig feed some pork to the farmer and make fuel out of the rest of our pig how much energy do we get out of this system?
Not enough to run the tractor that plants, fertilizes and harvests the grain to grow the next pig. Even without taking into account the petrochemical nature of the fertilizer our pig fuel tractor is spraying.
Current mainstream accepted "solutions" to our energy crisis are simply distractions so the powers to be can enslave us until the last drop of oil is consumed.
Only then will the patents of Tesla, the palladium cold fusion reality and secrets of anti gravity be revealed.
Unfortunately this will all be too late for us "gentiles".
use renewable energy to spur economic growth. it takes engineers, factory workers, and suppliers, etc. sounds better than a bank bailout.
this is a good doc , i give it 6/10 , good watch
“if its good for America it must be right”
Oh gosh they have perfected there brainwash techniques in the land or thieves.
Almost one of the most outrageous statements of 2011 so far this person must be so blinded by there own countries lies they cant tell whats right and wrong anymore.
26 bases around iraq oil bahahahahahahahahahahahaha do some research duke Ameritards are sucking us dry, and that turning pig fat into fuel has been around longer than your tiny mind commando aswell as many other cleaner fuels but the Amerifags cannot stop pumping oil as that will stop there pockets getting pumped with cash, Chump.
"i will be dead by then so its your problem"...
just about sums it up
@Ric_hard Yes it is jest i intend.... That's the kind of humor in the face of adversity that keeps america strong.
This is an inspiring documentary. Well put together, lots of info that was new to me about bio fuels. Lots of connected dots on the political and finacial scenes that make me very angry. I mean you know this stuff goes on, but when they point out cases this extreme and this obvious- it's frustrating. I recommend everyone watch this, please.
It makes me so angry that the power companies and big oil sabatoge every successfull alternative we find in one way or the other. I have even had state run energy monopolies where I live give me grief over installing solar panels and trying to run a bio-deisel generator. They extended the city limits just so they could zone our home and make us remove the solar panels, and rewire much of the house inorder to get it in code. The reason it was out of code is because my brother is an electrical egineer and we were trying to make my dads house both energy independent and more green. We could have the solar panel re-installed if we could afford to pay a licensed electrician and buy the solar pack he approved, then pay an inspector to come out and o.k. it all.
But we won in the end, like I said my brother is an elctrical engineer. He went and got his civilian license, he was trained in the Air Force, and reommended the very panel we had removed then signed off on it all when we were done. Then he had an inspector that he went to school with come out an check us out, he still made us take out the generator and all, but we got to keep the solar panels. Though the only circuit we could wire the panels into was the one for the hot water heater, nothing else. All of this becuase we were going to be off the grid and still have electricity, we even offered to give any excess power to the grid for free- nope they wanted no part of it. They even admitted they were scared others would see it and catch on, and they would have lost tons of business. We already had like ten people telling us they would pay us to convert their home into the same config. if ours worked, which it no doubt would have. This is one point I agree with Peter Joseph on, the motivation of profit has become the biggest obstacle to progress. Somethin' gotta' give man!!
@AZ I believe what our good friend Zatarra is saying is if America doesn't own the resources which surround these 26 bases and if I might add many of the other bases you speak of as well then why have bases located there in the first place?
so in short to answer your rhetorical yes US does own the surroundings if not out right than through corporate or political influence
Zatarra I believe We've met before. No?
@Zatarra.... I think I am the only one here who sees your comment in the jest you intended?
You say with all those bases its american oil. You mean to say with all those bases america has ensured Iraqi oil is traded in US dollars, allowing america to continue printing money without severe inflation (short term). With the dominance of US dollars in oil trade america has ensured world demand for US dollars remains high despite a the over printing. (everyone needs US dollars to buy oil)
TIC TIC TIC..... IRAN. When Iran succeeds in setting up an alternate oil trade platform in Euros the US dollar will implode, Saudi Arabia represents the largest oil reserves in the world. Saudi officials have indicated that when such an oil trade platform is established they intend to trade in Euros, rendering americas currency as valueless as that of Zimbabwe.
This is the real reason american politicians and media are so critical of Iranian president Ahmadinejad. The move to Euros will render the Zionist controlled american financial system powerless.
This whole complex picture of Global warming, oligarchy's, war profiteering, corrupt governments; all symptoms of the same disease. You can discuss technicalities all day long but in reality its boils down to a simple choice:
1)for the planet.
2)Don't care.
3)against the planet.
(a don't care decision is on balance a decision that will support option 3.)
@Zatarra...my feelings are not hurt the slightess and i don't think comments should be all rosy knowing there are many different opinions in this world...just one of the reason we need this army you are talking about. Your message is not clear perhaps there are a few typing mistakes and what does that mean?
Quote: If its good for America it must be right AND DAY WE CANT JUST PRINT MORE DOLLARS TO PAY FOR OUR FUEL, well that will be the day!… TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC……
Quote: America has 26 bases around the Iraq oil. That means its our oil.
America has bases many places where they shouldn't...does that mean they own the surroundings?
az
@Zatarra-are you serious? people like you give americans a bad name, i hope your never in any position of power cos you sound really dangerous.
Soon enough we will not have a choice if want to continue the function of our industrial institutions we will need new fuels. Biofuel is our greatest opportunity for the future it may not be easy and it may have it's downfalls but it may push us into healing our forest and vegetation on a global scale.
@ Zatarra
Iraq only supplies about 6% of the oil the US uses, Canada supplies 20%. You need 26 military bases for 6% of your oil supply? Spend some time thinking about that.
"if its good for America it must be right"
That's one of the scariest things I've ever heard.
Its been a long time since i don see anything that gives me hope about the future ! just for this i love this doc !
Im sorry if it hurt someones feelings. Next time i will say something nice just for them. Maybe vlatko should just block/censor all statements that might hurt anyones feelings im sure that will enrich comments here greatly. Its funny how you find my words so bothersome personaly yet these facts that remain in the actions of goverments dont bother you. oh well sorry i hurt someones feelings next time it will be all text rainbows. truely sorry
@ Zatarra...are you looking for a fight? Sounds like you are used to that. I can think of many intelligent people on this site that will spend minutes nailing you down. If you are drunk, sober up especially if you want to be part of an exchange on your ideas because to me they make absolutely no sense.
Pavlin was polite! Others will eat you alive.
az
Great doc! Nice to see a lot of different options involving biodiesl
Zattara you are everything wrong in this world .
Dont waste time thinking about running out of fuel, america has 26 bases around the iraq oil. That means its our oil. We have our top science working on alternitive ways to get oil. America's top pork producer SEABOARD FOODS INC. can turn 1 pound of pig fat into 1 gallon of fuel. Now We can offer a choice to the people that we take our oil from, a choice that they can roll over and give us the gas or or we could just come turn them into fuel and take their gas anyhow. So the rest of the world might want to beware of our offers of free food to feed their people especialy if their country has no gas..... just remember the US Navy uses more oil than anyother company in the world save the US Air Force which uses the most oil in the world. If its good for America it must be right AND DAY WE CANT JUST PRINT MORE DOLLARS TO PAY FOR OUR FUEL, well that will be the day!... TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC TIC......
First! Saw this a few months ago. Cool doc, a lot about bio fuel.