Planet of the Humans — please debunk the premise.
“The environmental movement has lost the battle through well-meaning but disastrous choices, including the belief that solar panels and windmills would save us, and by giving in to the corporate interests of Wall Street.”
Planet of the Humans
Michael Moore has been a very naughty boy. The left are trying to put him in detention to think about what he has done. Or maybe he won’t be able to play anymore with the cool gang. The problem is, I think he may thrive on this response. He doesn’t seem to be swanning around politically high-ranking circles — the contemporary Royal Courts — tipping hats. He’s more a lone character, an outlaw loyal to cause and crew.
I’d seen the first posts on social media about Michael Moore’s ‘damaging new documentary’. My heart sank. I’ve been a fan of Moore for 20 years. I respect the people commenting, so wasn’t looking forward to viewing it.
I read critiques, most point to the same systemic problems with the film — miss-information about renewable energy, insufficient research in accusations made against individuals, outdated data, wild claims that renewable energy is as polluting as coal: a wildly improbable claim. The critiques make valid points. Here is a list of some of them from here
- Planet of the humans: A reheated mess of lazy, old myths, Ketan Joshi
- Michael Moore’s environment film a slap in the face on Earth Day (on Medium), Cathy Cowan Becker
- 6 Reasons Why “Planet of the Humans” is a Disaster of Misinformation, Ben Wehrman
- 10 Reasons « Planet of the Humans » Gets Everything Wrong on Climate, Benjamin Tincq
- Why “Planet of the Humans” is crap, Tom Athanasiou, EcoEquity
- Film Review: Forget about PLANET OF THE HUMANS by Jeff Gibbs and Michael Moore by Neal Livingston
- Michael Moore produced a film about climate change that’s a gift to Big Oil, Leah Stokes
- Planet of the Humans Comes This Close to Actually Getting the Real Problem, Then Goes Full Ecofascism, Brian Kahn, Gizmondo
- Meet the New Flack for Oil and Gas: Michael Moore, Josh Fox, The Nation
- Inside Clean Energy: 6 Things Michael Moore’s ‘Planet of the Humans’ Gets Wrong, Dan Gearino, Inside Climate News
- A Bomb in the Center of the Climate Movement’: Michael Moore Damages Our Most Important Goal, Bill McKibben, Rolling Stone
- POTH Traffics in Myths, Errors, and Dangerous Misdirection, John Rogers, Union of Concerned Scientists
However, no one has debunked the premise of the film. There is a vast problem with green-washing going on. Renewable energy has been put forward as the solution to climate change: is this a wise vision? Some of the points which are most pressingly in need of debunking or addressing in a non-reactive and informed manner are:
- ‘Renewable’ and ‘Green’ have become wide ranging lifestyle brands, which encompasses highly unethical practices. Its cool to be ethical, but what is ethical?
- Investments in so called ‘ethical investment funds’, which invest in a majority of unethical businesses, as claimed by Moore’s film.
- Investments made in bio-fuel, despite public denunciation of bio-fuels. Bio-fuel are still labeled as ‘renewable.’
- The reality that large-scale mining will need to take place to build large-scale renewable energy. Has modeling been done about these impacts — environmentally, socially, culturally and economically?
- The environmental and climate change movements for the majority don’t center equality, nor a reduction in lifestyle for the privileged.
If there wasn’t large scale investment in mining companies and banks being passed off as ethical, would this not have been debunked quickly?
Moore has provoked a response. The point is, we need data, we need research. We need credible information examining the premise and claims made in this film. Knee-jerk, ill-written responses renouncing the film as ‘crap’ won’t convince 5 million viewers.
I want to believe in renewable energy’s power to avert disaster. This is not my field. I rely on reputable sources to inform me. I’m also in the equality camp. I don’t intend to accumulate personal wealth beyond my needs. I see this as a fruitless exercise; driving others into poverty and contributing to environmental problems.
To be blunt: I have conversations about not having children. About not owning two homes, two cars and traveling overseas for holidays. I’m not making those choices so that the privileged can continue to live unsustainable, unethical lifestyles.
