I lived in Japan for two years, and covered the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl while working for a Japanese newspaper. Since that time I have not trusted nuclear energy to ever be the safe, reliable source that merits our confidence or the investment of taxpayer money. I have been a passionate critic of nuclear energy and a proponent of conservation, efficiency and renewable energy for most of my life. So for a number of reasons I am especially dismayed by what is happening today following the earthquake and tsunami-triggered nuclear emergency at Fukushima. Just as our oil dependent modern lifestyles force us to justify getting oil from “petro-tyrannies” like Saudi Arabia and Libya and the questionnable democracies in Nigeria and Venezuela, just as our need for cheap oil allows us to justify the ecological and social damage being done in Alberta’s tar sands, our appetite for power-on-demand has prevented most of us from doing a real risk analysis of nuclear energy and its many hidden costs. Well, the full costs of our energy “need” is now in full view. Who will dare to stare it in the face, then look in the mirror and say “I will not be a part of this!”

Today I ask myself, can I turn off some of the devices in my home? Can I improve the insulation of my home? Can I ride a bus or a bike a little more often? Do I need to buy new clothes for the coming summer? Will I be able to use a fan, and blinds instead of an air conditioner this summer? What can I do to be the change I wish to see in the world?

David Chernushenko

I am thrilled to say that I can now stand up, and let Powerful take flight!

Just last week, we signed an agreement with the Montreal-based international distributor Filmoption International. They will be representing Powerful at major television sales markets andfestivals starting with MIPCOM in Cannes in France.

We are also now editing a 52-minute version to make available for the academic and institutional markets.

So, I can hear you asking: When will I be able to see Powerful at a theatre near me, or book the film to screen, or purchase a DVD for home viewing?

Booking a screening: Contact me if you are interested in booking a screening of Powerful. We’ll send you details of costs, guidelines and considerations.

Attending a screening: As screenings of Powerful begin to take place later this fall, we’ll do our best to post the details at www.livinglightly.ca/events. Beyond that, keep your eyes and ears open for local screenings. Or better yet, tell your local cinema, university, film club, etc., that they should be arranging a screening.

Buying a DVD: We will soon be taking online pre-sale orders for Powerful on DVD using Paypal. Until we can get that set up, however, you can send a cheque for $35 (including taxes and shipping) to Living Lightly Productions, 99 Seneca Street, Ottawa, ON K1S 4X8, Canada. Delivery is currently scheduled to begin in the new year (perhaps just in time for Christmas gifts – we’ll keep you posted).

In early July I posted some additional video content that was shot during the filming of Powerful — interesting stories that did not make it into the film. Check them out under the title More Powerful at http://www.livinglightly.ca/category/videos/

As proud as I am of Powerful, there are other great new films out there. I’ll make a plug for one of them here.

I had the pleasure of hosting a screening of The Clean Bin Project in Ottawa recently. Producers Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin were in attendance — actually they brought their film by bicycle, all the way from Vancouver, BC, with dozens of screening stops on the way. The Clean Bin Project was entertaining, beautiful to watch, provocative and (that dreaded word) educational! If you get a chance to see it, do it (hello Halifax and Newfoundland, check out their schedule http://www.cleanbinmovie.com/).  Like me, they are still working out details of a future release and DVD sales, and also hoping to get into some prime festivals.

All the best as we head into autumn (or spring if you are Down Under).

David Chernushenko

Patience is a virtue, I know, but I am feeling somewhat impatient to share Powerful as widely as possible. The message needs to be heard, as the oil gushes into the Gulf of Mexico, the air conditioners get cranked up again this summer, and the opposition to wind turbines grows.

***

Some feedback on Powerful: Energy for Everyone, a David Chernushenko film:

Congratulations on a fine piece of work.

Jane & Francois

The film is fantastic and it was great to see such an engaged audience come out to see it.

Heidi L.

I was one of the few privileged to view your preview screening for Powerful: Energy for Everyone and I just wanted to let you know that I thought your movie was EXCELLENT. It was inspiring and motivating. It has really made me reconsider how I’m living my life. Changes MUST be made.

John A.

It was a very inspiring movie, and I am certain it will add much to the current debate on renewable energy. Especially the sentence: “Politics is fundamentally flawed”. Let’s work to change that!

A Canadian Member of Parliament

Congratulations!!! The photography was terrific. Good luck going forward.

Peter L.

Congrats, that was a hugely successful event. The buzz afterwards was loud and ‘empowering’. Your film moved me. Thank you.

David C.

Congratulations on your production. It was amazing and well done – everyone was impressed.

Eric G.

Congratulations on the new film!  It is an intelligent and artful look at where we are, and the very positive message is excellent. It was nice of you to acknowledge the people in the film last night, I am delighted to be part of the message.

Steve L., professor of energy technology, Kingston

Out of 5, the film is a 5 stars  It was excellent for the following reasons:

* it’s totally upbeat!

* it’s fun and at times funky!!

* it’s focus is on the young which, in my opinion, is vitally important.

Congratulations!  Great work.

Denise R.

I found your movie very well done; keeps the attention throughout; quite an achievement for that type of movie.

Carol K

Félicitations David, à toi et ton équipe, pour ce film qui suggère des solutions et nous outille face aux défis d’effectuer des changements. On peut constater que tu as fait énormément de recherche pour mettre en valeur énormément de différents exemples de projets qui font partie de ces solutions.

Bravo donc!

Claire F.

I had no idea that you and your team had travelled so extensively to gather so much information from around the world.The story line of the film held together very well, and it flowed smoothly from location to location, embracing many renewable technologies along the way.

Great job and good luck with the festivals.

Doug R.

Really inspiring. A lovely display of what is possible and a solid reminder that us sustainable-minded folks can really do anything we set our hearts+minds to. It is an excellent film.

Barbara M.

Your film was fantastic – motivational, entertaining, honest, educational, ….Congratulations!  I’m so glad I went!

Joan H.

I really enjoyed the film and I especially appreciated your focus on the importance of community-owned green power.  I think that the community approach is the only thing that will work to get public buy-in on green energy projects.  Excellent work and I wish you lots of success with it.

Sabrina B.

Bravo many times over, for the new film!  From the opening frames I could tell it was going to be something special.

Andrea P.

Congratulations on a wonderful &  knowledgeable movie. You’ve delivered an incredible and well rounded view of the issue at hand.

Natalia S.

Turn off or unplug any non-essential appliances whenever possible. Culprits include: modems, digital cable boxes and lamps or boomboxes with “powerpack” adapters. A rule of thumb is, “if it’s hot, it’s using/wasting electricity. Something that is generating heat for no real purpose is actually creating an even greater cooling requirement in your home. That means more air conditioning or fans just to get rid of heat that you didn’t intend to create in the first place. Do a quick walk around your home and do the “touch test”.

Try a book or magazine, rather than a computer. Have you noticed how hot your computer is? You may be saving it’s life!

Run your dishwasher after 10pm, then open it up and let it air dry rather than using an electrical heater to dry the dishes. Open your doors/windows to let out the steam and heat. We are all up late anyway.

Wash a load of laundry each night after 10pm, then hang that load out first thing in the morning. Get a drying rack for your yard, deck or balcony if you don’t have space for a clothesline. If you have a phobia about hanging out clothes, just ask yourself which is really hurting your neighbours: smog alerts and power outages, or fresh laundry flapping in the breeze?

Now if only we could order up some breeze.

David Chernushenko

Yesterday morning it was Giacomo Panico’s Monday Special Blend show on CKCU radio at Carleton University in Ottawa. This morning it was the “A-Morning” television show, and there is plenty more to come. If you like what you see and hear, please help me to spread the word.

David Chernushenko

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the making of my film Powerful: Energy for Everyone, I had the occasion to visit many communities, see interesting projects and interview passionate people of all stripes. I shot over 100 hours of video. Not all could be squeezed into a 95-minute film. This is one of the stories that I would like to have included if I had the space.

On April 7, 2010 my friend Jules de Heer passed away at the age of 53. Jules was a pioneer in a whole range of areas of eco/sustainable/green theories and practices. A trained engineer, Jules combined his rigorous attention to detail and desire for clarity with a passion for bringing human activity into harmony with natural processes and systems. He also introduced a strong aesthetic sense to whatever he was doing. To me, Jules de Heer was truly a pioneer in living lightly. His legacy will be a generation of students who studied under him, colleagues who worked with him, bid and host cities of Olympic Games that were “greened” by him, and many innovative tools for analysis and measuring performance that he shared generously with people like me.

I had the pleasure to visit with Jules and his family at their new home in Switzerland. Jules applied his passion for sustainability and precise detail in the design of this  pre-fabricated home, which meets and exceeds the Swiss “Minergie” standard.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In the making of my film Powerful: Energy for Everyone, I had the occasion to visit many communities, see interesting projects and interview passionate people of all stripes. I shot over 100 hours of video. Not all could be squeezed into a 95-minute film. This is one of the stories that I would like to have included if I had the space.

It is easy for us, the people who have never known a life without easy access to cheap energy, to forget that as many as two billion people do not. Energy choices for many are limited and hard to come by. In many rural villages in Africa, South America and elsewhere, the only source of light is a burnable fuel like kerosene which can be scarce, expensive and polluting or batteries which are hard to come by and must be regularly replaced. Enter D-Rev — the design revolution entrepreneurs. Greg Lee and Amanda Gonzalez are two young entrepreneurs with engineering training and a social mission. They have developed a “solar concentrator” that generates electricity from the sun, using an elegant design and inexpensive materials. It has the potential to change lives, and even save lives.

David Chernushenko

This upbeat film looks at how we can make energy more democratic and democracy more energetic. Come and see how the transition to renewable energy can renew us as individuals and society.

Tuesday June 8, 7-9pm (FULL)

9:10-11pm (NEW)

Museum of Civilization, Gatineau (Hull), Quebec

Entry is by invitation. To receive one, email david[at]davidc.ca

Cost: There is no admission price. However, donations are most welcome. Cash donations will be accepted, and cards will be available for major donations (eligible for tax receipt) to the Films for Change programme administered by the Tucker House Renewal Centre.

Parking for bikes and cars is available on site. Consider carpooling, cycling or coming by bus (OC Transpo #8 and multiple STO routes)

Support for this special screening comes from Sustainable Ottawa Energy Co-operative,

and the Tucker House Renewal Centre.

For those of us who try to keep up a blog, but never seem to have the time to post on a regular basis, it’s great to receive material that you can pass on, almost as if it were your own. Well here I go, passing on a recent message from Cam Mather about the great work that he and wife Michelle are doing. There are more of us out there doing this kind of stuff than the mainstream media and advertisers would have us believe!

Enjoy.

David Chernushenko

—-

Hi There

I’d like to let you know about my new website http://cammather.com. When I get requests to speak to groups, I am usually asked to provide my bio and other information and so this website will provide this information in one easy location. Michelle and I also feel that this will be a good forum for keeping everyone up to date on the things we’re up to. I’ve included a list and details of the topics that I enjoy speaking about. I’ve outlined my offer to consult on topics such as renewable energy and transitioning to a low carbon future. We’ll post information about workshops that we’re going to offer here at Sunflower Farm, similar to the workshops that I’ve been presenting at colleges across Ontario. We’ve often provided tours of our place for our college workshop participants. Now we’re going to offer the actual workshops right here so that the tour can be part of the learning experience.

We’ll also be offering renewable energy retreats here. Over the past few years, we’ve allowed a few groups to come for a weekend and learn about renewable energy, organic gardening and living sustainably by seeing it all in action. Our guesthouse provides accommodations for people wanting to stay overnight here at Sunflower Farm.

In the last 12 years of living off-grid we’ve upgraded our solar panels 4 times, built two trackers, put up two wind turbines, replaced batteries, upgraded our inverter, continued to increase the size of our vegetable garden, sold vegetables, heated sustainably with wood cut from the property, installed a solar domestic hot water heater and started and maintained a publishing company dedicated to selling books and DVDs about sustainable living. We’d like to promote ourselves as excellent resources to help other people who are about to take on some of these tasks.

You’ll even find a section on “Self-publishing books” as one of our consulting subjects. After 7 years in the business we’ve learned a great deal and with our recent move into “e-Books” publishing we can guide anyone you know who may be interested in publishing a book through this challenging industry.

My first passion continues to be public speaking so if you are involved with any organizations or your business is looking for someone with a genuine enthusiasm for sustainable living and using renewable energy and other techniques to navigate challenging times ahead, please introduce them to the website. I enjoy the challenge of motivating individuals to take positive action, especially when presenting to a large group.

Please share our website with friends and associates. We’re hoping to broaden the audience for our message.

Thanks.

Cam

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
AZTEXT PRESS  Publishers of

Thriving During Challenging Times
The energy, food and financial independence handbook.” ISBN 0-9733233-6-8

“The Renewable Energy Handbook”
A guide to rural energy independence, off-grid and sustainable living ISBN 0-9733233-2-9

“$mart Power: An urban guide to renewable energy and efficiency” ISBN 0-9733233-1-0

“Biodiesel Basics and Beyond”
A comprehensive Guide to production and use for the home and farm ISBN 0-9733233-3-7

The Zero-Carbon Car: Building the Car the Auto Industry Can’t Get Right  ISBN 0-9733233-4-4

Available at bookstores or www.aztext.com
2622 Mountain Road, Tamworth ON K0K 3G0  Phone: (613) 539-2831   cam@aztext.com

Parts of this interview will be featured in the upcoming David Chernushenko film, Powerful: Energy for Everyone.