Jeff Gibbs’ ‘Planet of the Humans,’ produced by Michael Moore
Michael Moore should never have signed on to produce this film and lend his name to it. He doesn’t know enough about the subjects involved to have vetted it — neither climatology, nor environmental science, nor Green politics, nor Green values and ideology. He’s lost credibility at a vital time. And the kick-back has been huge:
Planet of the Humans has provoked a furious reaction from scientists and campaigners…who have called for it be taken down. Films for Action, an online library of videos, temporarily took down the film after describing it as “full of misinformation”, though they later reinstated it, saying they did not want accusations of censorship to give the film “more power and mystique than it deserves.”
A letter written by Josh Fox, who made the documentary Gasland, and signed by various scientists and activists, has urged the removal of “shockingly misleading and absurd” film for making false claims about renewable energy. Planet of the Humans “trades in debunked fossil fuel industry talking points” that question the affordability and reliability of solar and wind energy, the letter states, pointing out that these alternatives are now cheaper to run than fossil fuels such as coal. Michael Mann, a climate scientist and signatory to Fox’s letter, said the film includes “various distortions, half-truths and lies” and that the filmmakers “have done a grave disservice to us and the planet by promoting climate change inactivist tropes and talking points.” The film’s makers did not respond to questions over whether it will be pulled down. (Oliver Milman, ‘Climate experts call for ‘dangerous’ Michael Moore film to be taken down,’ The Guardian, April 29, 2020)
The writer-director, Jeff Gibbs, wants to stop unrestrained economic growth and population growth, which are great but not the only solutions — big investors’ divestment from fossil fuels and reinvestment in renewables are also essential. Technological infrastructures switchovers to new technologies are essential. Gibbs’ assertion that technological fixes aren’t the way is silly. Technological fixes are in fact essential. As pitched by the ‘Green Infrastructure programs’ launched by Natural Resources Canada:
Your green infrastructure ideas are key to building our clean economy. We want to help you accelerate the deployment and market entry of next-generation clean energy infrastructure by investing in:
- commercial-scale technology demonstrations
- deployment
- community capacity building
- targeted research and development
The film’s conspiracy theory about Gore being collusive with big corporations for inadequate ‘bones’ thrown to the Climate movement — well, we have ALWAYS needed private money and corporations to come onboard with saving the environment; in fact their cooperation, at any level, is essential to the ultimately inevitable technological/infrastructure switchover. If their cooperation is conditional on profits or limited at first, at least it’s beginning the courtship with a Green New Deal, subsidies for systems changes, and stimulus packages and incentives. Casting doubt just to cast doubt and seem perspicacious is counterproductive in the extreme. Undermining Green leaders is ‘cutting your nose to spite your face.’ Attempting to demonize or cast suspicion on Gore is just stupid.
If the purpose of the filmmakers was to use shock-environmentalism to jar people awake to the crisis, then may they succeed. But the danger of sowing hopelessness and despair instead of inspiring action is ever present with a shock piece like this.
