Do you ever have imaginary conversations with high profile people? Not often, but sometimes, a news story will impact me so much that I mull over what I would say if I happened to get stuck in an elevator with the news-maker that caused me stress.
The latest is Michael Moore. In case you missed it due to some other news stories — like a raging pandemic, or more typically American like police brutality — he’s backed an independent documentary that has caused much grief in the environmental science community. The film, Planet of The Humans, released on You Tube, deserves the criticism.
I’m not going to use this page to debunk the film — that has already been done quite handily by multiple sources. But just to summarize, the director, Jeff Gibbs, uses out of date information and video footage (from decades ago!) to back up his message that renewable energy is just as bad as burning fossil fuels. It’s ludicrous.
But what I would ask Moore if I had the face-to-face opportunity, would be why? Why did you produce a film — an activist documentary no less, something you know a little about — that is so blatantly inaccurate? It’s such poor journalism and concerns a topic that you have championed - climate change. This is a topic that is absolutely critical we get right.
As one of the film’s key critics, Naomi Klein, has said: “There are important critiques of an environmentalism that refuses to reckon with unlimited consumption and growth. But this film ain’t it.” Agreed, Naomi.
Did he just watch the film prior to a quick release; and not have the time or inclination to fact-check it? Perhaps he was caught up in the emotional impact of its message as he viewed it. If you didn’t know that some of the video was from fifteen years ago; and that key technological updates have been made since then, it makes a sensational story. These are “experts” that sound very convincing. But I would assume Moore has people he can pay to review the material; and the professionalism to double-check the claims.
Maybe he regrets producing this piece and just can’t apologize. Wouldn’t that be ironic if he’s turned into some sort of liberal version of The Man, and sees himself as too important to voice a mea culpa?
(Or he doesn’t regret it at all. Since writing this draft, You Tube has taken down the film. Here is a snip from Moore’s post on Facebook today: “They [the “Green Capitalists”] inaugurated a vicious smear campaign, warned people not to watch our film, called it “dangerous” and “full of lies”—which was the biggest lie of all. Their greatest fear was that people would watch our movie. They were right—8 million watched it & saw the truth.” Maybe he’s just gone completely off the deep end and can’t recognize manipulated data anymore. For the record, I don’t think You Tube should have censored his movie. Just that Moore should apologize for the untrue information — and premise — in the film.)
My favorite theory is perhaps Moore had a fantasy of pushing people passed the energy generation question to somehow hoping that we’d wake up to the reality that our system is not sustainable; that our society cannot continue on the same trajectory and survive in any form that looks like our current stasis.
If so, an admirable goal, but given the fact that so many Americans still think that climate change is a hoax, not obtainable. And instead, Moore has just gifted the right-wing global warming deniers with fodder for their misinformation campaign. We on the left are now in a circular firing squad when we should be united in a fight for our lives.
I get the desire to criticize those that just want silver-bullet type solutions for power generation without making any other changes. I caught heat in my own community last year when I wrote a professional blog advocating energy conservation (through insulation and technological updates) prior to installing a solar array on personal property. My professional friends thought it was a bit of a betrayal. After seeing Planet of The Humans, I get where they’re coming from now (even though my blog was at least accurate and factual.)
And news flash: there is no silver-bullet yet in this field. Because our economy is based on raw materials conversion and manufacturing, requiring shipping and energy to produce — short of living in utility-free caves — there is nothing out there that will solve all of our problems without creating wasted energy and byproducts. That said, we have the technology to get most of the way there, but U.S. leadership doesn’t have the will to act. Plus the fossil fuel industry and other vampire capitalists make this job much harder rather than if they also cared about future generations and our biosphere’s health.
So, in conclusion, here are some subjects that Moore could have thrown his resources behind for a full-length feature film. (Go here for my full list, written last fall, of my environmental-repair utopia).
Plan of The Humans. Some things that Michael Moore could produce a documentary on:
— Rebuilding the electric grid for cost effective solar and wind generation.
— The Cradle to Cradle process of production and consumption.
— Hemp promotion as a source to replace plastic for everyday products.
— Subsidized energy conservation by weatherizing commercial and residential buildings.
— Enact codes requiring the most efficient technology, already on the market but optional in most cases, in our appliances and HVAC systems.
— Upcoming technology like perovskite solar film that will drastically impact renewable energy when it hits the commercial market. Or, how about this project that will be a game changer when it’s finally completed?
All or even some of the above would be a constructive way to “trigger a discussion and raise a lot of questions” to quote you, Mr. Moore, on this mega-crisis that is already underway. How about some help rather than this inexplicable friendly fire?
You never let a serious crisis go to waste. — Rahm Emmanuel.