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CM . . . .
Volume VI Number 21 . . . . June 23, 2000
A sudden jump in gasoline prices gets people thinking about conservation, again. Lately, the
television news has featured stories of disgruntled Canadians (and Americans) griping about the
costs of fuel costs and of running their vehicles. But, watch this video, and you realize very
quickly that such a complaint is not only a luxury, but totally misguided. Fossil fuels will run out,
and it's time to consider, very seriously, how to harness and deploy non-renewable energy
sources: hydrogen fuel cells, solar power, wind turbines, and waste recovery systems. Turning
Down the Heat is narrated by David Suzuki, the "voice" of popular science in Canada, and there
is no question that he is passionate about the subject. Suzuki takes the viewer on a world tour of
renewable energy projects in Japan, the Maldive Islands, Denmark, Holland, and Vietnam, and the
United States, and, as he presents economically successful initiatives being undertaken in a variety
of contexts, it becomes harder and harder to understand why Canada is putting so little effort into
"clean" energy projects and the encouragement of creative solutions to our energy problems. The
answer is simple: the Canadian energy industry is stuck in a fossil fuel development policy
conceived in the 1950's and heavily subsidized by government. As yet, there is no national
renewable energy policy. Still, hope lies with creative minds in the research and development
departments of some Canadian industries, with individuals willing to pilot clean energy projects,
and with elementary school children who undertake personal "energy audits" so that they will
become conservers, rather than just consumers. A co-production of the National Film Board,
Turning Down the Heat is a tightly-edited, thought-provoking examination of how the
developed world uses the major portion of the earth's fossil fuels and produces 80% of the world's
atmospheric emissions, all the while exploiting the less developed world's resources and
exacerbating global climate change. Economic justice demands that we change this situation,
embrace the gift that renewable energy offers all, and act in a globally responsible manner.
Highly recommended as a resource for science, geography, and environmental studies programs.
The Canadian perspective is much-needed and a real support for curricular demands. Additionally,
the film is supported by an educational web site, providing a nice tie-in with electronic resources.
Highly Recommended.
Joanne Peters is a teacher-librarian at Kelvin High School in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association.
Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice
is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without
permission.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - June 23, 2000.
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