((NOTE: This documentary, while it does provide some valuable and useful information is, in fact, a corporate funded Public Relations communication- the extra features are mostly Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) advertisements. It is important to note that this film was largely funded by the corporate interests expressed within it.))
The film begins by talking about Director Josh Tickell's self-styled movement to ween America off oil and onto BioDiesel. As he moved across the country he saw that progress was being made- as corporations were being convinced to ship their goods using BioFuel- before critics like myself, put a damper on his goals.
There IS some excellent information contained in this documentary. It provides a fair criticism of "global oil based culture" and why staying on such a road is a dangerous and destructive path. I particularly valued one point that Tickell makes. I was previously unaware that Prohibition came to fruition in the 1920's- pushed through by oil magnate John D Rockefeller (in kahootz with Henry Ford)- as a way to stifle the increasing popularity of the first Diesel Engine which was made to run on a combination of BioMass and Grain Alcohol!!! Ford & Standard Oil wouldn't be where they are today if they didn't sketchily gain such a competitive advantage.
The BEST part of this documentary is that it helps educate the public on the LIES spread by the oil industry, concerning the need to do expensive and complicated conversions on your Diesel Engine to make it run on BioDiesel. This just plain and simply isn't the case. BioDiesel CAN BE USED IN ANY QUALITY DIESEL ENGINE!!!
What must be considered though, is that we no longer produce enough food to feed the world, thus to focus food production for energy purposes instead of food purposes is only going to make things in the world a whole lot worse. why you ask? Western countries are already responsible for destabilizing sustainable agricultural practices in industrializing and third world countries, encouraging them to produce cash crops and then forcing overproduced and subsidized western food onto them as "aid". Such a movement, as described in this film, would only increase hunger poverty and famine and lead to further instability in the world- catalyzing the extinction of humanity.
A second issue that comes from a shift to BioFuel concerns the use of GM crops in the production of BioMass and Alcohol. If we were to grow crops for energy/fuel EVERYONE will want to grow them. North America will turn into a big monoculture farm growing Monsanto GM corn and soy and canola and all their other Frankenfoods. If you aren't familiar with Monsanto's plan to control all agriculture seeds and chemical pesticides, you seriously need to educate yourself on the topic, as there is very few more disturbing things going on in the world than what Monsanto is doing.
The film briefly addresses the first of these concerns, but remains largely silent on the second.
What Tickell does, is promote the idea of returning to a local agricultural based society, in which new technologies and good living practices are utilized to bring in what one interviewee calls, "The Second American Revolution" and a return to a sustainable lifestyle. Whereas he fails to address criticisms about the use of GM crops, he does offer non-GM alternatives, such as using the quick growing, regenerative, hybridized MegaFlora Tree as a source of BioMass.
If this is to be the next step....we are going to have to smote- and erase all traces of- Monsanto, BP, Shell, Exxon, Dupont... and companies like them... from the earth.
Tickell concludes the film by telling us it is OUR responsibility, suggesting you write your congressman/senator and such. I have no faith in the corrupt system in which politicians operate and would, thus, rather suggest you use your CONSUMER POWER- ethically choosing where you spend your money...every single penny.
When i first started watching this documentary I was quite critical of it. But when all was all said and done, I found that, while it failed to adequately address the depth of some concerns, it offered an inspirational glimpse at one of the possible next steps we could be taking to ween ourselves off of our dependence on oil.
If you are looking to learn about the history of the oil industry, diesel technology and the world's current energy woes, then this documentary is a decent, though incomplete, introduction. 6 out of 10.
