Is fracking polluting our water? How dangerous is nuclear? Will we run out of oil? Can we clean up coal? Will renewables power our future?
Switch, a new documentary and web video series, addresses these issues. A screening of the documentary will take place at the University of Iowa at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, in Stanley Auditorium, Seamans Center, Room 1505.
In Switch, energy expert Scott Tinker travels the world, exploring leading energy sites from coal to solar, oil to biofuels, most of them highly restricted and never before seen on film. He seeks the truth from the international leaders of government, industry, and academia. In the end, he cuts through the confusion to discover a path to our energy future as surprising as it is practical.
Switch will screen at 250 universities across the country as part of the GSA Switch Energy Awareness and Efficiency Program, which also includes a campus ambassador program and efficiency drive.
The screening on the UI campus will be followed by a Q-and-A session with several energy experts affiliated with the university.
Participants include the following: Executive Vice President and Provost Barry Butler, whose current research interests are in the field of wind energy; Iowa State Geologist Robert Libra, an expert on Iowa’s natural resources and on the controversial trends in hydrofracturing; Ferman Milster, Principal Engineer - Renewables, UI Facilities Management; Tim Dwight, former Hawkeye linebacker and current solar business developer; and Associate Professor of History and Geography, Tyler Priest, an expert in offshore oil development and former senior analyst on the President’s National Oil Spill Commission.
This event is jointly sponsored by the UI Environmental Coalition, UI Sierra Student Coalition, UI Global Health Club, and UI Take Back the Tap.
Switch and the GSA program are part of the Switch Energy Project, a multi-pronged effort to build a global understanding of energy.
The project was created by Arcos Films, directed by documentary filmmaker Harry Lynch and co-produced with Tinker. It also includes a continually expanding website of 300 videos on the energy topics that drive our world; an education program of videos and curricula co-developed with NEED.org and the American Geological Institute; and eventually a broadcast/webcast series to discover solutions to our most pressing energy challenges.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact Priest in advance at tyler-priest@uiowa.edu or 319-335-2096.