Carbon Nation, the Climate Solutions Movie, Comes to Seattle

Special to The SunBreak by Charles Redell, who also posts at Greenfab News & Media.

Let me tell you the story of two people who've been fighting uphill battles around climate change. One of them is Peter Byck, director of Carbon Nation, which opens at SIFF Cinema on Friday. The other is my 20-year-old nephew, living outside Mobile, Ala. 

Byck's uphill battle is getting climate change deniers to put aside the dubious science and outright lies long enough to see that reducing the world's carbon emissions is just smart business. Carbon Nation, he says, is "a climate solutions movie that doesn't even care if you believe in climate change." That's not entirely true, but the movie does a good point and, if shown to the right audiences, could make a difference.

Byck says he believes that we need better story tellers if we're going to get non-believers on board with energy efficiency and CFLs. So he uses humor, inspiration, fast cuts, and a lot of graphics to tell the stories of entrepreneurs in Alaska, forward thinkers at the Department of Defense, and a one-armed wind and cotton farmer in West Texas, who are all trying to change the way things are done. 

Is this enough for him to win his battle? Byck says it is. During filming his uncle sent him numerous articles and studies denying climate change,  Byck told me. Now that his relative has seen the movie though, he's a convert, according to Byck.

Which brings us back to the Alabama nephew. Win's uphill battle is that he wants to get involved in some kind of sustainable business. Living in south Alabama though, he has few job options and even fewer inspirational mentors to keep him on that path. Carbon Nation isn't going to be for everyone, but at its best, Byck's film is an excellent vehicle for reaching those younger Americans who want to do something about climate change and maybe even have an idea they want to put into action but don't know which way to turn.

Will it convince those climate-change deniers not related to Byck? I have my doubts about that since one does need to accept the basic tenet that the climate is changing to buy into the rest of Carbon Nation. Byck also spends too much time explaining ways we can reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use to power the world. That, by definition, requires one to believe that fossil fuels are a problem. Had he spent more time on the idea that other nations are making changes--and money--regardless of what the U.S. believes and does, his point about making money from all this would have been much stronger.

Those already in the know about sustainability are likely to be a bit bored by the standard facts about the importance of weatherizing buildings and the financial windfall that wind farms can be for farmers. But those of us who have been fighting uphill battles with non-believers and those of you itching to get in on the fight will find inspiration in Carbon Nation. After only viewing the trailer, Win's been filling my Facebook feed with all sorts of information on the subject of climate change and businesses trying to fix it. 

I tell ya, that good ol' boy is inspired.