production background

From the Director

I became aware of climate change in 2006 and immediately wanted to know whether there were solutions. 

Along with my team, we set out to find the innovators and entrepreneurs who were laying the groundwork for a clean energy future.  Mid-way through production, we met Bernie Karl, a wild Alaskan geothermal pioneer – when Bernie told me he didn’t think humans were the cause of climate change, it was a light-bulb moment.  A person didn’t have to believe in climate science to still want clean air and clean water.  And once we filmed the Green Hawks in the Department of Defense, I realized that national security was another way into the clean energy world. 

In our travels, we filmed Bay Area radicals, utility CEOs, airlines execs and wonky economists – and they all agree that using as little energy as possible and making clean energy are important goals; whether for solutions to climate change, national or energy security or public health.  I wanted to make a big-tent film where folks of all political stripes could find common ground.  - Peter Byck