As much as energy surrounds everyone in their daily lives, from powering daily transportation and the comforts of home to providing clean water and food, most people seldom think about where that energy comes from and how much of it they use. However there are a number of groups working to improve the public’s knowledge of energy through programs, movies and documentary shorts that provide a better understanding of the nation’s energy usage.
As the U.S. experiences a manufacturing renaissance, major players in the energy industry have begun sponsoring and producing programs, movies and documentary shorts that are educating the public on the scope and momentum of the U.S. energy and manufacturing industries.
Webber Energy Group
The Webber Energy Group, a research group in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Austin, is working to address the critical issues that connect energy, technology, policy and the environment. The group produced an hour-long educational special titled “Energy at the Movies” that shows the way the motion picture industry has portrayed the history of energy in popular films.
“I want to change the way you think about movies,” said Dr. Michael E. Webber, associate professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and the show’s executive producer and host. “I also want to change the way you think about energy. Energy is dynamic; it changes with time. We as a society must always balance the upsides with the downsides of energy, especially as we move forward. Movies are historical documents. So by watching movies we can actually learn the history of energy.”
Featuring clips from films such as 1956’s “Giant,” 1978’s “The China Syndrome” and 1985’s “Back to the Future,” the special features Dr. Webber explaining the use of energy through time and the sentiments of the different time periods captured by the films. Following a series of clips from films of the ’60s and ’70s, he talks about the change in the film portrayal of men involved in the oil industry from then to today.
“We used to play them with the most dashing, famous actors around — Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Stewart, Rock Hudson, James Dean — all these people who were the biggest actors of the day,” Dr. Webber said. “Then you look today, who’s the oilman? Some actor we’ve never heard of and oftentimes they’re Middle Eastern instead of American. So there’s been a shift in who the actors are in addition to who the characters are.”
The special addresses the ways in which films influence how people think and feel about energy, and how people ultimately influence the nation’s energy policy.
“Energy at the Movies” has been shown on PBS and can be viewed online at www.klru.org/episode/energy-at-the-movies.
‘American Made Movie’
Fimmakers Nathaniel Thomas McGil and Vincent Vittorio’s 2013 documentary “American Made Movie” explores the decline of the country’s manufacturing work force and the work of Americans striving to compete against outsourcing in the global marketplace. The film features several small businesses that have been successful in spite of overseas manufacturers driving down prices.
More information about the film can be found at www.theamericanmademovie.com.
Haynesville and the Rational Middle
The 9,000-square-mile Haynesville Shale formation that extends into Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas was the subject of a 2009 documentary by writer/director Gregory Kallenberg. “Haynesville: A Nation’s Hunt for an Energy Future” landed Kallenberg a sponsorship from Shell Oil Co. for the creation of the Rational Middle® Energy Series, a collection of documentary shorts that aims to start a discussion about the importance of energy issues regionally, nationally and globally. Through the use of fact-checked resources and compelling experts, the film series creates a powerful tool designed to inspire action for the betterment of communities, the economy and the environment.
The Rational Middle Energy Series has produced 21 episodes over two seasons, with the Pembina Institute joining Shell as a sponsor for the second season of episodes. The episodes, which range from five minutes to 17 minutes in length, are designed to help build a foundation of information for people interested in finding out what energy is about, where it comes from, why a cleaner future of energy is needed and how to get there.
The season one episode “Energy 101” was recently added to the Industry Videos section of BICMagazine.com. The episode, which Shell has used as a training tool for new employees and has been viewed more than 10,000 times on YouTube, can be viewed on the site along with other informative videos about the energy industry.
The two seasons of the Rational Middle Energy Series can be viewed at www.rationalmiddle.com.
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