Oh, I'm so happy to report that we had two successful screenings last week.  Both were well attended (the rooms were dark, hence the lack of photographic evidence this time around) and people had a lot of things to say at the end!

We are proud of the progress of the rough-cut.  It was very gratifying to watch the film with an audience and see what people responded to and what they didn't.  (Special shout-out to Martin Litton!!)  We have worked long and hard on this cut, no one more than Mark.  He was pleased, as he should be, with the film.  There are still some major hurdles to cross, a beginning and an ending to say the least.  The first four acts have had two go-rounds, whereas the fifth act only has one pass as of yet.  This was apparent to the audience, and it was indeed important for us to be able to get the feedback that we did!  So thanks to all that came, supported and offered opinions!

Here are some excerpts from some of my favorite comments:

David says: "you have a problem with the last act being totally depressing.  And I assume you'll be adding the oil-spill, another very depressing tale.  I'm sure you agree that you don't want a depressing, demoralizing,  hopeless, "we're really totally fucked" ending."

These images really bring home the recent disaster in the Gulf Coast.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/disaster_unfolds_slowly_in_the.html

We had our first screening of the film in public last Sunday at the Green Festival in San Francisco.  Despite heavy rain it was well attended.  The sound was a bit of an issue, but all in all it was fun to show some snippits of the film.

Here is some photographic evidence!

Please join us for a fun evening to celebrate the first viewings of the full rough-cut of the film!!!!

Please reserve your spot, they are going fast!

To reserve contact Tamara at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

San Francisco Screening:

May 11th starting at 6:30pm

at the Delancey St. Foundation Screening Room

600 the Embarcadero at Brannan

Berkeley Screening:

May 12th starting at 6:30om

at the Brower Center

2150 Allston Way at Fulton

Tickets are $25 per person or $35 per couple, suggested donation.  No one will be turned away for lack of funds!!

If you can't attend but would still like to make a tax-deductible donation to the film please make checks out to the San Francsico Film Society.

The Obama administrations announcement on Tuesday that more reserves will be open to more offshore drilling have hit me personally quite hard.  I find ii very difficult to stomach that we will be not only spending resources to research avenues that are unsustainable but that if more reserves are discovered it simply means more emissions.  What is the other side?  Is it simply a compromise that will result in an easier passage of the energy bill?  I hope so, but doesn't seem likely.

"But while Mr. Obama has staked out middle ground on other environmental matters — supporting nuclear power, for example — the sheer breadth of the offshore drilling decision will take some of his supporters aback. And it is no sure thing that it will win support for a climate bill from undecided senators close to the oil industry, like Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, or Mary L. Landrieu, Democrat of Louisiana."

New studies show that perhaps it does make a difference where CO2 is emmited.

But a new study just published in Environmental Science and Technology by Stanford's Mark Jacobson adds a slight twist to this standard view. Older research has found that local "domes" of high CO2 levels can often form over cities. What Jacobson found was that these domes can have a serious local impact: Among other things, they worsen the effects of localized air pollutants like ozone and particulates, which cause respiratory diseases and the like. As a result, Jacobson estimates that local CO2 emissions cause anywhere from 300 to 1,000 premature deaths in the United States each year. And presumably the problem's much worse in developing countries.

http://www.grist.org/article/2010-03-17-if-it-does-matter-where-co2-is-released-cities-are-in-trouble

There is much debate on the efforts of Wal-Mart's attempt to "green" itself.

First there is good news:

"Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer, announced on Thursday that it would cut some 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by the end of 2015 — the equivalent of removing more than 3.8 million cars from the road for a year."

and the mixed news:

"One of the significant consequences of Wal-Mart's rise and radical reshaping of the global economy has been a steep decline in the life span of many products. We wear out clothing, toasters, DVD players, and even furniture at a pretty rapid clip these days. It's part of the reason Americans are now creating twice as much trash as we did twenty years ago."

http://www.grist.org/article/putting-wal-marts-green-moves-in-context

A recent artivle in the New York Times highlighted the pollution problems in California:

"Air pollution led to almost 30,000 hospital admissions and emergency room visits for asthma, pneumonia and other respiratory and cardiovascular ailments from 2005 to 2007. Three quarters of the complaints were related to fine particulate pollution, or small pieces of soot that get trapped in the lungs, and the remainder were caused by ozone."

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/health-costs-of-california-air-pollution/

We are very proud and pleased to be part of the Green Festival which takes part on April 10th and 11th.  A Fierce Green Fire will screen at 4pm Sunday April 11th on the MEZZANINE.  Mark and the San Francisco Film Society's own Michele Turnure-Salleo will be on hand to discuss the film.

Please join us!!

San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center
635 8th St (at Brannan St)
San Francisco, CA 94103