This interview was part of an organized media event. The backlash may be more revealing than the film itself, but both inform us where we are at in the fight against climate change and ecological collapse. Planet of the Humans is not the last word on our human predicament. Find out what 350ppm means and why we need a global movement to get the planet on a path back to below 350. And 350.org hasn’t taken corporate money, (though it did accept the donation of hundreds of irregular parkas from The North Face in 2009 to warm the hundreds of young people it brought from around the world to the Copenhagen climate conference) 350.org has no financial interest in the campaigns it runs to clean our financial system of dirty fossil fuels, and does not act as financial adviser; it’s untrue to suggest it ever promoted one fund over another or profited from doing so. Watch as a succession of big-name enviros — Bill McKibben of 350.org, ... Perhaps the hardest hit in Planet of the Humans is McKibben, legendary green activist who some years ago threw his support behind adopting biomass — especially woodchips from newly logged forests in the United States — as a substitute for coal. These things aren’t true. 350.org has not made any attempt to censor or remove the film and has only sought to clarify its misinformation about the energy transition and the climate movement through statements like this one. Share. And as soon as that became clear I began writing and campaigning on those issues. “Planet of the Humans” does not charge 350.org or Mr. McKibben with taking corporate money. Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, leads a panel discussion at the New York Society for Ethical Culture in 2018. I admire much of Bill McKibben’s work and I appreciate the time he has taken to express his concerns. My hope in making this film is that a new story emerges. We believe in a safe climate and a better future — a just, prosperous, and equitable world built with the power of ordinary people. But as more scientists studied the consequences of large-scale biomass burning, the math began to show that it would put large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere at precisely the wrong moment: if we break the back of the climate system now, it won’t matter if forests suck it up fifty years hence. Watching Planet of the Humans, you might mistake him for a robber baron. USA. Mr. McKibben’s subsequent op-ed, which came out after the premiere of the film at the Traverse City Film Festival, is noted at the end of the film. For more climate movement news, follow 350 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. — Bill McKibben Note: In late May, Michael Moore claimed that “a company funded by the same people who 350.org” had filed a copyright claim in an attempt to get Planet of the Humans removed from YouTube. The film, Planet of the Humans, was released on the eve of Earth Day last week by its producer, Michael Moore, the baseball cap-wearing documentarian known for … Finally, the film leaves viewers with no sense of hope for the future. Check out some of the amazing videos profiling the growth of the global climate movement. Help us get there! Planet Of The Humans. I’m reasonably sure that most of the valiant people here and in the UK that have been fighting this fight will vouch that I’ve been a help, not a hindrance. Apparently there are lots of other falsehoods and misrepresentations in the film as well, but I’ll let others speak to those. Jounalist asks Bill McKibben where his funding comes from.McKibben channels Sgt. Both were strongly criticised in “Planet of the Humans”, but so far McKibben seems to be pulling ahead in the public relations race; he appears to have more friends. ... (Al Gore, Bill McKibben, etc.) ► Help 350.org build a powerful climate movement. Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org and guru of climate justice activism, is seen throughout “Planet of the Humans” consorting with Wall Street executives and pushing fossil fuel divestment campaigns that enable powerful institutions to reshuffle their assets into plastics and mining while burnishing their image. Bill McKibben has indicated he came out against biomass in 2016. 10 absurdities in Planet of the Humans. Mixed-messaging is a topic portrayed in the film, ‘PLANET OF THE HUMANS’ DOCUMENTARY IS BACK UP ON YOUTUBE TODAY, Coordinated Censorship Campaign Against Planet Of The Humans Leads To It Being Taken Down From YouTube Where It Had Been Viewed 8.3 Million Times, Statement from Director Jeff Gibbs On The Censorship Campaign Against “Planet of the Humans”, What Millions Have Learned from Planet of the Humans. 'Planet of the Humans': Michael Moore-backed green energy docu slammed by climate activists as 'misleading' The documentary explores the negative aspects of alternate energy sources such as solar, wind, and biomass, but scientists and activists say the film is 'unsubstantiated' and 'unscientific' What is especially shocking is the utterly blind following by young people the movement has, many of whom are totally unaware of what is … The film claims the carbon footprint of renewable energy is comparable to fossil fuels, when taking into account all different stages of its production. PO Box 843004,
350.org is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization registered in the United States. After writing his 2016 op-ed, Mr. McKibben continued support for national legislation to fund new biofuel/biomass infrastructure. Tweet. Planet of the Humans takes an especially harsh look at biomass and its primary promoter, Bill McKibben, who appears as a stooge for environmentally ruthless billionaires. Chris Morrison May 12, 2020. Here’s a piece of mine from 2016 that couldn’t be much clearer, and another from 2019 in the New Yorker about the fights in the Southeast, and another from 2020 as campaigners fought to affect policy in the Northeast. I have never supported biomass plants. I don’t understand the reasoning behind these particular attacks; when I first heard rumors of them last summer I wrote the producer and director to set the record straight, and never heard back from them. Planet of the Humans makes several entirely valid points. I have spent much of the last ten years doing my best to enlarge the environmental movement in every way I can think of, and to support others in their work; I think that a broad big movement is our best hope. Climate-change activist Bill McKibben, left, with Planet of the Humans director, Jeff Gibbs. Schultz.Clip from Michael Moore's documentary "Planet of the Humans." making charges about me and about 350.org — namely that I was a supporter of biomass energy, and that 350 and I were beholden to corporate funding, and have misled our supporters on the costs and trade-offs related to decarbonizing our economy. We have lots of resources for you to use — guides, Response: Planet of the Humans Documentary, This website uses cookies to provide and improve its services. The movie was criticized as outdated and misleading by climate scientists. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of cookies. It does hurt more to be attacked by others who think of themselves as environmentalists. The film includes an interview with Mr. McKibben, which he walked away from. “When it comes to me, it’s not that Planet of the Humans overstates the case, or gets it partly wrong, or opens an argument worth having: it is a sewer,” McKibben wrote. In 2017, he endorsed the 100 by ’50 Act, which included grants up to $100 million for “second-generation advanced biofuels,” which are defined as including wood chips and forestry “waste,” as well as the extension of biofuel producer credits, which the Koch Brothers had also lobbied for. We need to deal with population growth. As for taking corporate money, I’ve actually never taken a penny in pay from 350.org, or from any other environmental group. During this period after his 2016 op-ed, Mr. McKibben also supported a Sierra Club initiative called “Ready for 100,” which cited Burlington, Vermont, whose biomass plant is featured in the film, as an example of 100% renewable energy. McKibben’s critique is more pointed than most, because it results from having been personally attacked in the movie. Mixed-messaging is a topic portrayed in the film. Obviously there are worse things going on in the world right now, from the pandemic we are all dealing with, to the efforts of the oil industry to use its cover to build new pipelines; they overshadow these attacks, which in any event aren’t on me alone but on lots of others who work, day by day, for change—we’re well aware our victories won’t come all at once, but also that we need to keep pushing. 4.4 out of 5 stars. Bill McKibben at IMDb; Appearances on C-SPAN; Review of 'Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet' at Mother Nature Network; Keystone: How Bill McKibben Turned a Pipeline into an Environmental Rallying Point March 5, 2012; Bill McKibben's Battle Against the … That seems like bad journalism, and bad faith. Here are a few: 1. Planet of the Humans has done more than touch a raw nerve among climate cultists and RE zealots, it’s sent them into apoplexy. 350.org has not made any attempt to censor or remove the film and has only sought to clarify its misinformation about the energy transition and the climate movement through statements … Global — On the eve of Earth Day, Michael Moore’s production company released a new documentary, “Planet of the Humans”, directed by Jeff Gibbs.. However, a large body of research shows the life-cycle emissions of wind and solar are much lower than those of fossil fuels. I am used to ceaseless harassment and attack from the fossil fuel industry, and I’ve done my best to ignore a lifetime of death threats from right-wing extremists. Like the film-maker, I previously personally supported burning bio-mass as an alternative to fossil fuels—in my case, when the rural college where I teach replaced its oil furnaces with a wood-chip burner more than a decade ago, I saluted it. Bill McKibben, who is severely criticized in Planet of the Humans, kick-started the movement for fossil fuel divestment in 2012 with a speaking tour, and an article published in Rolling Stone magazine: “Global Warming’s Terrifying Math.” There are items in his response to “Planet of the Humans,” which I feel compelled to respond to. Michael Moore's new documentary provides a much-needed exposé on the myths of “green” energy. “Planet of the Humans” illuminates that where any of us cling to illusions, and associate with those with a profit motive, we are susceptible to making poor choices for the planet – unintentionally advocating for those things we know we should resist, and losing sight of those things for which we should advocate. Al Gore (Actor), Bill McKibben (Actor), Jeff Gibbs (Director, Producer, Writer) & 0 more. And I have found great joy and satisfaction in that work. As of this date, Mr. McKibben has not called for the biomass plant at Middlebury College, nor biomass plants in general to be closed. I understand why Gibbs made that choice. Bill McKibben, who is skewered even more savagely, also deserves better; he has replied to the film here. Bill McKibben has indicated he came out against biomass in 2016. Back in 2007, the environmental organization 350.org was founded by author/academic Bill McKibben. Note: In late May, Michael Moore claimed that “a company funded by the same people who 350.org” had filed a copyright claim in an attempt to get Planet of the Humans removed from YouTube. Planet of the Humans is directed and narrated by Jeff Gibbs, a self-proclaimed “photographer, campaigner, adventurer, and storyteller” who has co-produced some of Moore’s films. These actions are an endorsement of the status quo, and do not meet Mr. McKibben’s own standards for action. We were aware of Mr. McKibben’s 2016 op-ed presenting disadvantages of biomass. ... Bill McKibben and Al Gore, also detract from the film’s impact. Receive newsletter alerts and screenings and to get latest updates and news. 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