Movie Review – Fuel
A few weeks ago at the Austin Farmer's Market I saw a flier for the documentary Fuel – a film about (you guessed it) alternative fuel sources. It seemed like the sort of film I would like so I decided to catch it during its limited engagement here in Austin. My first attempt didn't go so well. I pulled up to the theater and saw that it was surrounded by news crews. At first I thought they were doing coverage of the film. Yeah right. Apparently the theater had been robbed by a gunman earlier in the day and was shut down. I had to wonder what sort of idiot would rob the independent arts theater, but needless to say I didn't see the movie that night. My second attempt proved more fruitful.
Fuel is the outcome of activist and writer Josh Tickell's quest to stand up to our country's addiction to oil and propose alternative solutions. It recently won Best Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival and is in many ways unlike any other documentary I've seen recently. Most documentaries that speak to fuel usage and the global crises it causes are fairly doom and gloom oriented. They paint a hopeless scenario, are pretty heavy-handed with the guilt, and speak vaguely to the need for change. Fuel though is different. While it unequivocally points out the problems with petrochemical corporations and our political dalliance with oil, it does so from a very personal perspective. Tickell tells his own story – from his mother's heath struggles common to those living near the Louisiana refineries to his experiments with veggiemobiles. His candid approach is a constant reminder that the fuel crisis is not just an abstract phenomenon, but a very personal issue.
But what really sets this film apart is its hopeful outlook for the future. There are alternatives out there – solutions are available, we just need to jump on board. Tickell spends a good portion of the movie describing the early biodiesel/ethanol movement. I appreciated that he dealt head on with the worldwide economic and pollution issues involved in some of the production of those fuels. But he then moves on to describe better biodiesel options (like algae based fuel grown from wastewater) and the potential behind other alternative energy sources like solar and wind energy. These aren't vague options he suggests either, but he outlines plans for exactly how these technologies can work, help create jobs, and benefit the economy. Everything from multistory greenhouse gardens that can feed entire cities to Sweden's plan to be petroleum free by 2020 are presented in this hopeful view of the future. I liked this tangible and practical vision and left the theater wanted to invest or something in algae fuels and windmill technology.
Unfortunately as positive and practical as the film was, to make a real impact it needs to be reaching the masses. But I have a feeling that the few people seeing the film are already on board and fairly informed about these issues. Case in point – out of the six of us in the theater watching the film, I saw that two of those couples drove a Prius and a Smart Car (can I just say I was glad I was in my compact car and not the family SUV…). They are already there, I'm trying to get there – but real change will take a major movement. It will take the US government doing what many European governments have done and subsidize the eco-friendly options (instead of our oil addiction). It has to be practical, easy, cheap, and widespread for it to happen.
So I encourage you to go see the film if it is playing in your area. Get educated about these solutions. We don't have to be addicted to oil, there are viable alternatives. And this movie is a great reminder that there is hope.
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julieclawson(at)gmail(dot)com 
I saw FUEL in LA 2 nights ago… I'm going again.
That said… Please read on… This is the most important thing on the planet.
And it's not just about "going green"…and global warming…Those are benefits.
The BIG things are about how a new energy policy could save our country from fiscal demise and terrorism.
Dr. Robert Zubrin has a simple solution to many of our country’s and the world’s problems.
If you really want to help… contact lawmakers about: Senate bill S.3303 (The Open Fuel Standard Act of 2008)
Amendments should be made that include subsidies for biofuels… but the bill as it stands
I don't know DR. Zubrin and I have nothing to gain personally.
I’ve read a couple of his books by including: Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror by Breaking Free of Oil.
Please (at least) read his book or visit the youtube link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O2YZwSkgM&feature=related
Zubrin is a nuclear engineer (and a patriot), and owner of Pioneer Astronautics in Denver with many NASA contracts to his credit as well as a B.A. in Mathematics, a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering, a M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering .
http://www.pioneerastro.com/projects.html
His basic premise is this: A flex-fuel mandate like current Senate bill S.3303 (The Open Fuel Standard Act)
will create MILLIONS OF DOMESTIC JOBS, stop terrorism, AND save the American auto industry.
This law or one like it will require that all new cars sold (not just made, but sold) in the U.S. be flex-fueled —
-that is, make them able to run on any combination of gasoline, ethanol (made from sugar or corn) or methanol which can be produced from any kind of biomass, including coal, natural gas, and urban trash at about $.50 per gallon. It only costs about $100 per vehicle more than identical models that can run on gasoline only.
The math is indisputable. This will force gasoline to compete globally at or below $1.50 a gallon from now on.
In this book he clearly shows how:
… Saudi oil revenues have grown to nearly a $1 Trillion in 2008… And how about $600 Billion came from the US (more than our defense budget)…
… Saudi money is directly funding Wahhabi Terrorism. That is, ALL of the terrorism associated with The Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
… They don’t need us anymore because we have eliminated their only threat, Saddam Hussein.
… OPEC is fully controlled by the Saudis because they can get their oil out of the ground cheaper than everyone else.
And Saudi lobbying (and just plain bribery) is rampant in Washington.
Note: On Wed., Dec 10, 2008, OPEC got together in Germany and cut production by a record 2.1 million barrels per day.
The price of gas has gone up steadily ever since. It will likely be at $4.00 again by Summer.
Our country’s strength is in biomass, coal and natural gas which can be cheaply turned into alcohol fuels.
More drilling in ALASKA would have been great if we had started many years ago. The fact is that any gains we make will be out-weighed by the increase in demand.
We can and we must get off of the OIL Standard and onto an alcohol standard with subsidies for biodiesel. Zubrin stresses the economic benefits of such a policy to the world. This is fuel you make…not fuel that you have to find.
Andrew Husmann
(818) 813-2219
More from Robert Zubrin:
http://www.energyvictory.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0O2YZwSkgM&feature=related
I have just read your review after watching the movie recently. I am a college student and i have decided after watching this movie to try and bring it to the public eye by getting it out and starting a club focused on the movie. I hope to amass a great deal of people who like you and i have been touched by this movie and i feel if i can just get the word out things can finally start to change. Wish me luck!