This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
To the Ends of the Earth is a ground-breaking documentary about the state of our energy system today. The people we meet are uniquely positioned to watch this global crossroads unfold. For example, the mayor of an Inuit village in Canada’s high Arctic who is concerned that seismic testing for oil in the ocean is blowing up the eardrums of the animals that the Inuit hunt to survive. Or the environmental lawyer who goes on a journey to areas that produce energy for the Tarsands of Alberta – he learns of the inputs of energy that have to be put into this resource – and the reasons why the second largest oil project in the world is economically unsustainable. Or the river conservationist in Utah who fights to protect the Colorado River from oil shale projects that would disturb its headwaters.
To the Ends of the Earth brings forward the voices of those who not only denounce the rise of extreme energy, but also envision the new world that is taking shape in its stead: a future beyond the resource pyramid, a post-growth economy. (Trailer: To The Ends of The Earth)
Director, David Lavallee began this film as a labor of love three years ago. The inspiration for it flowed from his first award winning film, White Water, Black Gold. While that film focused on the environmental impacts of the Tarsands, he began asking wider questions about the economic implications of extreme energy – the result – To the Ends of the Earth, which focuses on the global rise of extreme energy. This film was the winner of the “Best International Environmental Film” in the 2016 Doc LA Film Festival (Los Angeles Documentary Film Festival.)
Film Director, David Lavallee, will speak to us from Canada via Skype before the screening. Panel discussion will follow with Rod Brueske, local farmer and activist with personal experience of the detrimental effects of fracking. (Additional panels TBD.)
The screening is hosted by the Longmont Public Forum (LPF), a group of local activists working to educate and engage the public with documentary screenings and panel discussions on various environmental and social justice topics. Our beautiful state of CO has over 50,000 O&G wells and our home, Boulder County, is slated to be the next site for a large # of wells. Since much of the film focuses on the diminishing returns of the O&G industry and the futility of continuing to extract fossil fuels, we hope to use this film to raise awareness about this issue. Several local activist groups will be on-hand to speak to the attendees about their work and share materials, part of the goal of Longmont Public Forum to not only inform citizens on an issue but to inspire them to take action. LPF was formed in 2016. Other topics we’ve covered are: Water Rights and the endangered Colorado River, the effects of Climate Change on Coral Reefs and the unethical practices of Big Pharma and the need for a Universal Health Care System.
Screening Date: Wednesday, 2/28/18
Screening Time: 6:00pm-8:45pm
Screening Location: Longmont Public Library
Admission Cost: FREE - with suggested donation of $5 to cover screening fees
This is a press release issued by the Longmont Public Forum and is published here as a public service.
