DOCUMENTARY: “Planet of the Humans” director Jeff Gibbs discusses the film with about 50 viewers at a theater in Essex last month.
Film director Jeff Gibbs came to Essex last month to discuss the showing of his film “Planet of the Humans,” a critique of the green industry.
The documentary, which examines conflicts of interest within the green energy sector, was shown to an audience of open-minded Vermonters who wanted to learn more about the pros as well as cons of alternative energy.
Viewers may be surprised to learn that clean energy isn’t so clean after all. Whether it’s wind or solar, the filmmakers examine the entire economic life-cycle of the technology, from the mining of raw materials to manufacturing, distribution, construction and maintenance, and eventual decommissioning. Decommissioning is the last stage often ignored that leaves behind toxic waste.
In each case the film examines, the findings are that new green technologies not only fail to offset carbon emissions, but in some cases they actually increase emissions. Since wind and solar are intermittent sources of energy, they require backup base-load power usually in the form of coal or natural gas power plants. In some cases, natural gas plants are built specifically to assist the new power installations advertised as green.
False Advertising?
At one point the film focuses on a climate rally in Vermont that included a solar array near the stage where the musicians played and equipment was running. It was generally assumed by the attendees that the event was running off of renewable power. But when the film crew went over to speak with the operators of the solar display, they discovered it was for display only. It was explained that there was no way the panels could power the events of that day. In another part of the film, a football-field-sized solar panel farm is shown, yet it’s capable of powering only a few homes.
The film suggests that top green industry leaders — from activist Bill Mckibben to Al Gore — have routinely been involved in working with the Big Oil interests. The film also looks into biomass, which is the burning of wood for electricity. Burlington currently has a large biomass plant that is considered renewable, yet requires massive amounts of logging to fuel power plants. Also, the film points out it takes four such plants to equal the electric output of just one coal-powered plant.
Doom and gloom?
Gibbs said that while he is a true believer that humans are causing climate change, he also believes activists have often backed bad policy ideas.
“I take the position that climate change is very real and is as deadly as they are saying, but … I do think it is being used to control,” he said.
He added that he has been heavily criticized for exposing the controversies in the green tech industry.
“I don’t want to get into the slander and the attacks, it was just … they accused me of being from the elite. … I sacrificed my film career to do this, but I’m glad I did.”
The film may be viewed in its entirety for free on YouTube.
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
A long but very interesting video. Well worth watching.
Thank you Michael.
I agree… Believing that green energy will save us is a total fantasy. In addition, mankind has reached (or will soon reach) peak-fossil fuel production (at any reasonable cost).
The best we can do at this point is to stop growing our country’s population. Fortunately, it appears that most young Americans sense this, as the current, low birth rate in the U.S. by itself would end population growth. The problem, however, is immigration.
The mass immigration currently pushed by our governments is insane. And I say this as someone who adopted my son from Guatemala.
None of the downside of green energy is ever shown as people would see there’s very little “GREEN” in it at all. Short usable life, won’t degrade after it’s 10-15 year life, components require huge amounts of open pit mine materials (which the US has restricted us from producing). co2 expended to produce and transport them hardly made in saving from energy. Death caused to wildlife from using it. Death to people mining the materials.But the climate nazis are not concerned by it’s destroying the planet if they can THINK their saving it..The movie should be mandatory in schools and political venues.
Stop populating? Well those not so safe or effective covid shots seem to be helping with that as we see previously young and healthy people continue to die heart attacks, strokes and turbo cancers at significantly elevated rates, while fertility continues to decline. And while im all for tightening the border and limiting immigration to better facilitate distribution of our nation’s resources, when it comes to electricity it seems the sky could be the limit if we focused on nuclear. Be fruitful and multiply.