An article and a webinar about technological solutions to climate change
Hart Hagan
Moderate Skepticism about Technological Solutions to Climate Change
And what we can learn from the 2020 Michael Moore/Jeff Gibbs film Planet of the Humans
This is an ad for my upcoming June 2 webinar, a conversation with author Gerry McGovern, author of 99th Day, A Warning About Technology. Click here to register: Technology, Mining & Waste, with Gerry McGovern — Tuesday, June 2 — 12:00 PM (ET)
One of the most impactful modern critiques of technology as climate savior came to use from Planet of the Humans, a 2020 documentary, released on the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day.
I studied the film Planet of the Humans when it came out in 2020. I studied the critics’ reaction to it. I studied the filmmakers’ reaction to the critics, on which more below.
Before 2020, I had read This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein and similar books.
I thought the film was solid and the critics were way off base, using counterfactual arguments, and apparently pushing a dubious agenda.
The movie was somewhat critical of “renewable energy”--as currently implemented. The movie’s detractors seemed willing to criticize it on grounds that were anything but factual, logical or ethical.
You would never know from listening to the critics that fully half the movie consisted of proponents of “renewable” energy supporting projects that were ecologically destructive, such as deforestation for wind power in Vermont and biomass energy in Michigan and burning indigenous lands in Brazil to plant sugar cane for ethanol.
Planet of the Humans is a story about corruption and lies on the part of those who stand to profit immensely from the rollout of high-tech products.
The famous people featured in the film turn out to be a who’s who of the environmental movement, together with prominent billionaires who position themselves as green, while making money from projects that appear to be anything but green.
Taking to the streets!
In addition to the national level, I observed lots anti-Planet of the Humans sentiment at the local level, again based on anything but the ecological facts.
I had participated in a local movement that persuaded the city council to commit to 100% “clean and renewable” energy by 2040.
I had read every word of every Green New Deal. There are seven that I know of.
Full disclosure, I now subscribe to natural solutions to climate change, and seriously doubt the power or efficacy of any solutions that do not effectively confront this industrial juggernaut that is willing to engage in endless pollution, endless deforestation and endless destruction of our soils.
Bright Green Lies
I was relieved in 2021 when Derrick Jensen, Lierre Keith and Max Wilbert published their book Bright Green Lies. It turned out to be a well-researched, well-written and thorough catalogue of the concerns and realities uncovered by Planet of the Humans.
Unfortunately, the mainstream proponents of an “energy transition” have been able to ignore Bright Green Lies, because its authors don’t enjoy the level of fame of Michael Moore, who could not be ignored.
The filmmakers address their critics
Michael Moore, Jeff Gibbs and Ozzie Zehner (who is featured in the movie and is author of Green Illusions) sat for numerous helpful interviews on YouTube, including this one: Action Is the Antidote To Despair (feat "Planet of the Humans" Filmmakers Jeff Gibbs & Ozzie Zehner).
Also, one of our generation’s most capable investigative reporters, Max Blumenthal, wrote a 9000-word exposé of the “green” billionaires who orchestrated a campaign against the film: ‘Green’ billionaires behind professional activist network that led suppression of ‘Planet of the Humans’ documentary - The Grayzone.
Here is Michael Moore interviewing Max about his article: Ep. 128: The Plot To Kill 'Planet of the Humans' (feat. Max Blumenthal) | Rumble w Michael Moore
Here is what two of the critics said.
Just Have a Think
This is from the YouTube channel Just Have a Think: Planet of the Humans : Let's just have a think. I watch this channel with some regularity and find the host, Dave Borlace, to be perfectly charming and likable.
With an occasional nod to natural solutions and regenerative agriculture, this channel features technological solutions to carbon emissions, which I find to be narrow and impotent, in the literal sense.
Nor have I seen him critique what may be the fundamental flaw of technological solutions: The idea that carbon emission could ever decline as long as the economy grows inexorably and doubles every generation, along with a doubling of energy consumption and materials extraction. All this doubling every generation, while carbon emissions supposedly will decline. As if …
The contradiction between rising GDP and declining emissions is also an issue that is never addressed in the mainstream. That is no coincidence. If they had an answer, they would talk about it.
InsideClimate News
Here is an article from InsideClimate News, perhaps the single most well-produced climate news site. I find their work to be valuable and somewhat factual, except that I don’t think their dedication to techno fixes is rooted in fact.
Here is their completely misguided analysis of Planet of the Humans: Inside Clean Energy: 6 Things Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of the Humans’ Gets Wrong - Inside Climate News
You can decide for yourself, but here is a masterful three minute montage that conveys the hidden truth of techno fixes, including the energy they require and the pollution they produce: Planet of the Humans | Full Scene | How Solar Cells And Wind Turbines Are Made.
The fast, loud music--with pounding bass drums and screaming horns--skillfully evokes the hard-driving, frantic energy of this industrial civilization, which arguably is not by or for the people, and is not the product of a “free market.”
If you’d like to continue the conversation, here are three upcoming webinars. I would be happy if you could attend.
How & Why to Create Healthy Soil — Friday, May 29 — 3:00–4:30 PM (ET)
Technology, Mining & Waste, with Gerry McGovern — Tuesday, June 2 — 12:00 PM (ET)
The Worldwide Loss of Soil Moisture — Wednesday, June 10 — 12:00–1:30 PM (ET)