Film and Lecture Series

Over the years PEC held several film nights, here is an example series:

PEC Fall Film Series

Tuesday evenings 7pm at the Putney Public Library

 

Sponsored by the Putney Public Library and the Putney Energy Committee

Free and open to the public

For more information call 387-4407

 

October 21

 

HOW A US AUTO MANUFACTURER CAUSED THE DEMISE OF AN ALTERNATIVE VEHICLE

 

Amid ever-increasing gas prices, this documentary delves into the short life of the GM EV1 electric car — once all the rage in the mid-1990s and now all crushed. How could such an efficient, green-friendly vehicle fail to transform our garages and skies? Through interviews with government officials, former GM employees and concerned celebs (such as EV1 driver Mel Gibson), Chris Paine (former EV1 owner) seeks to answer the question.

 

October 28

 

WHY “DRILL BABY DRILL” IS THE WRONG APPROACH

 

Produced by award-winning filmmakers Basil Gelpke and Ray McCormack, this documentary examines the world’s dependency on oil and the impending chaos that’s sure to follow when the resource is depleted. Straight from the headlines, this hot-button topic may represent the world’s most dire crisis. Through expert interviews, the film spells out in startling detail the challenge we all face and underscores our desperate need for alternative energy.

 

November 11

 

CUBA’S AGRICULTURE SUCCESS STORY WITH LIMITED OIL SUPPLY

 

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Cuba’s economy went into a tailspin. With imports of oil cut by more than half – and food by 80 percent – people were desperate. This film tells of the hardships and struggles as well as the community and creativity of the Cuban people during this difficult time. Cubans share how they transitioned from a highly mechanized, industrial agricultural system to one using organic methods of farming and local, urban gardens. It is an unusual look into the Cuban culture during this economic crisis, which they call “The Special Period.” The film opens with a short history of Peak Oil, a term for the time in our history when world oil production will reach its all-time peak and begin to decline forever. Cuba, the only country that has faced such a crisis – the massive reduction of fossil fuels – is an example of options and hope

 

November 18

 

FIVE DAYS ACROSS VERMONT WITH BILL MCKIBBEN AND FRIENDS

Over Labor Day weekend, 2006, hundreds of people joined writers Bill McKibben and John Elder for a five-day march from Ripton to Burlington in an effort to raise public awareness of global warming.  This powerful example of community and grassroots action ended with a rally in which over 1,000 people gathered at the Burlington waterfront to meet with the Vermont candidates for U.S. Congress and governor, and ask them to sign a pledge that they would take immediate, meaningful action on climate change if they were elected to office.Set against the spectacular Vermont landscape, McKibben and others discuss strategies for organizing grassroots actions and the realities of climate change in this informative and inspirational film.