Planet of the Humans: A Sustainability Movie Review

As world leaders gather at Glasgow for the largest world climate summit, The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, to deliberate on reducing carbon emissions and promoting climate-smart energy, the world watches as they make various promises and agendas to support a sustainable and healthy planet. The question then is: Can we hold them accountable for their promises, or is the COP-26 just another platform to talk the talk and not walk the talk? Well, only time will tell.

In the meantime, let’s review the movie, Planet of the Humans by Jeff Gibbs. Trust me, you should not expect a thrilling action like that of Squid Game, Fast and Furious, or any other action-oriented movies that you love. But if you love our planet “Earth” and you are fascinated with sustainability and our environment, maybe just maybe, the issue of climate change bothers you so much that you have a sleepless night, then this movie is a must-watch for you. Why? The movie is an eye-opener towards achieving environmental sustainability and shifting away from the dubious narrative te have all been entrenched with.

“Michael Moore presents Planet of the Humans, a documentary that dares to say what no one else will — that we are losing the battle to stop climate change on planet earth because we are following leaders who have taken us down the wrong road — selling out the green movement to wealthy interests and corporate America. This film is the wake-up call to the reality we are afraid to face: that amid a human-caused extinction event, the environmental movement’s answer is to push for techno-fixes and band-aids…….” — Culled from the producer’s YouTube Channel.

Now let’s dig into some mind-blowing scenes in the Planet of Humans movie.

Starting with the introductory question of the movie: How long do you think we humans have on Earth? I do not have an answer to the question, but let’s assume decades and maybe centuries. Just take a minute, think, and reflect on the answer to the question and how our activities kill the planet every day, shortening its lifespan.

One fascinating story the movie tells is how we have known about the dangers of climate change for six decades (over 60 years) and its looming effect, yet we do nothing significant about it. Instead, the hypocritical card is being played, with claims upon claims about reducing the effects of climate change.

What is that hypocritical card?

According to the documentary, the hypocritical card is the claim of transition from fossil fuels to clean and smart energy (renewable energy). The producer did not just make this bogus statement; he gave evidence to back the claims substantiated in the movie.

Let us examine one fascinating scene the movie pointed out.

7:50 — At a Solar Festival in the Green Mountain State of Vermont, they were having a carnival. The Master of Ceremony and organizer of the festival with glee claimed that the festival and park was powered by 100% solar energy. Impressive! Isn’t it?

But nature was going to test their acclaimed fact, as rain started falling. It was then, that we noticed the backup energy plan — diesel generators run with fossil fuel. Biodiesel generators? Quite ironic!

With the devastating effects of climate change on our planet caused by human activities, humans are creating a technological fix (technological solution to a problem), which often creates more problems than they solve or gives people a sense that they have solved the problem.

This is substantiated with a good question asked in the movie: Is it possible for machines made by industrial civilization to save us from industrial civilization? Think about it too!

Another fascinating scene: Energy source from Elephant

At (21:25) the movie claimed that animal poop (elephant, specifically for the movie) is an energy source to replace fossil fuels. Ironically, the elephant did not produce enough manure to heat the elephant barn. So how many elephants would we need to provide clean energy for all?

The documentary shows that we are in the illusion that energy sources (wind and solar) are different from fossil fuels. In reality, most of these renewable energy sources are powered by fossil fuels (natural gas plants).

“Our minds have been manipulated to give power to illusions, not in how lives are enriched but how lives are destroyed.”

Also, interestingly, the movie shows that even with electric vehicles, most of their power source is from coal. They are powered mostly by coal and natural gas. Even all the power for the electric vehicles being sourced by only wind and solar energy will not be correct.

Even more fascinating claims are that Apple Technology and its products are run by 100% renewable energy. That can be applauded, but they will not tell us how they chop down forests (increased deforestation) to put up solar panels to make this happen.

The movie reveals that renewables are intermittent and why they cannot always produce energy at all hours of the day.

The movie questions this: Is clean (renewable energy) truly clean?

Shedding more light on the solutions to climate change with an interview with Prof Richard York, in his scholarly work: Do Alternative Energy Sources Displace Fossil Fuels? The bottom line is that most alternative energy sources rely on toxic and industrial processes, which will create more catastrophes than ever.

The movie also showed an exposé on the other elephant in the room, the profit motive notion of capitalists and billionaires who may want to enrich themselves with what is remaining of nature and the planet “Earth”. You ask yourself: How could men destroy what remains of nature to enrich themselves? Interestingly, it shows that environmentalists who are meant to speak up for the Earth are collaborating with these industrialists.

“It is a kind of thing we normally don’t try to think about, but by not thinking about it, it stands a good chance of doing us in. I truly believe that the path of change comes from awareness, the awareness alone can begin to create the transformation.”

Think about This

The movie is no ordinary movie, but an exposé to the realities in which we find ourselves. For a mind that knows, is a free mind. You may sure agree or disagree with the findings from the movie, as the movie itself is controversial with criticisms and support likewise from various dimensions.

But as you watch the movie, do well to check out the website that has facts to back up the claims raised.

The bottom line then becomes seeking knowledge and finding understanding.

See the movie, get knowledge, and challenge the narrative!

Author: Nehemiah Eremiye