Boom! Kilowatt Ours Comes to NPT

One of the things I remember most about the Nashville Film Festival this year was Al Gore’s presentation of the Reel Current Award to MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL director Michael O’Connell. Gore was particularly taken with one of the subjects of the film, Ed Wiley, who was also at the Festival. Wiley spoke to the audience about what was happening in his state, and at one point said (and it’s been awhile, so I’m paraphrasing his exact words) “Everytime you turn on your lights, BOOM! You just blew up my backyard.” He said “BOOM!” exactly like that. It was jarring, but he made his point. Watching the trailer for Nashville documentarian and energy evangelist Jeff Barrie’s film KILOWATT OURS reminded me of Wiley’s words. In the trailer, Barrie says “There are consequences every time we flip that switch.”

Barrie’s film, which premieres at 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 24 on NPT (and many public television stations throughout the country… check the KILOWATT OURS blog for dates and times) has quickly become the catalyst for a national movement to promote energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy. Think of it as your road map companion piece to Al Gore’s AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH wake-up call.

In KILOWATT OURS, Barrie explores the source of our electricity and the problems caused by prevailing methods of energy production, including mountain top removal, childhood asthma and global warming. He doesn’t sound the death knell, though. He believes there’s a better way, and to prove it, he introduces us to individuals, businesses, organizations and communities that are leading by example, using energy conservation, efficiency and renewable, green power. In the process, they are saving money and the environment.