Episode 59. What can be learned from watching “Planet of the Humans?”
The recent release of producer Michael Moore’s “Planet of the Humans” has caused an uproar in the environmental community. It skewers clean energy and offers little in the way of climate solutions. Archival footage and dated information have resulted in a damning video essay which fosters hopelessness when the global community needs hope more than ever. Rose and Christine discuss the movie and how propaganda is perpetrated and the responsibility every citizen has to uncover the truth when faced with misinformation.
Recurring Segments Include:
- Good news stories
- One action tip to for you to create change
- A weekly sanity tip to keep you calm(er) in the face of climate overwhelm
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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Movie: Planet of the Humans
Persons of Note:
Discussed: Alex Tyrrell is running for the leadership of the Green Party of Canada. Click here to read his positive review of Planet of the Humans.
Reviews of Planet of the Humans:
“It is truly demoralizing how much damage this film has done at a moment when many are ready for deep change. There are important critiques of an environmentalism that refuses to reckon with unlimited consumption + growth. But this film ain’t it.” @NaomiAKlein
A Reheated Mess of Lazy Old myths (Ketan Joshi)
Michael Moore’s dreadful, ill-informed, unhelpful film.(Elizabeth May)
Response to Planet of Humans Documentary (350.org)
“Michael Moore produced a film about climate change that is a gift to Big Oil” Planet of the Humans deceives vieweers about clean energy and climate activists. (Leah Stokes, Vox.com)
“Meet The New Flack For Oil and Gas: Michael Moore”: Planet of the Humans is wildly unscientific, outdated, full of falsehoods, and benefits fossil fuel industry promoters and climate deniers. (Josh Fox, The Nation). Excerpt below
“…This interview is presented as being current. But it isn’t—and the solar panels aren’t either. The panels shown are from a generation of solar dating to 2008, when this site was constructed. Today’s panels are vastly cheaper—and far more efficient. This is like trotting out a gas-guzzling 1979 T-bird and ridiculing it—while pretending it is a Prius. It is utter, deceitful nonsense.
It is also, I might add, utter journalistic malpractice. When these solar panels were made, AOC was an undergraduate at Boston University, George W. Bush was president, and Greta Thunberg hadn’t even entered kindergarten. To show this interview as if it were current is a travesty.”
Richard Heinberg, who is interviewed in the film and portrayed as one of the “good guys” has written a review of the film, and concludes by saying “For all the reasons I’ve mentioned, Planet of the Humans is not the last word on our human predicament. Still, it starts a conversation we need to have, and it’s a film that deserves to be seen.”
VIDEO: “The Easiest Way to Fix Climate Change is Population Control & Going Vegan, Right?” A Global Weirding Episode with climate scientist Dr Katherine Hayhoe
Good News:
Action Step: Be aware of the bias in your news feed . Do your research.
Sanity Tip: Take time out from the craziness. Hold space. Breathe.
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