Inspirational distillation of the life, thoughts and legacy of famed Canadian…
The Suzuki Diaries: Sustainability in Action
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
For the past 30 years, geneticist and science broadcaster, David Suzuki, host of CBC's 'The Nature of Things,' has been warning television audiences around the world about the dangers of taking nature for granted. He has urged us to change our consumer lifestyles, and to put brakes on an economic system that values unlimited growth above all other considerations.
THE SUZUKI DIARIES takes a different path. It follows Suzuki and his youngest daughter, Sarika, as they travel to Europe to explore what a sustainable future might look like, and to see if two different generations can find reason for hope.
As they travel through Germany, Denmark, France and Spain, father and daughter begin to see what is possible as they meet the people who are working towards restoring the equilibrium between human needs and planetary limits.
Amongst the projects the people and projects they feature are: in Germany, Hermann Scheer, politician and author of the innovative and influential feed-in tariffs that created vibrant renewable energy industry; Berlin's photovoltaic-powered central railroad station; the newly renovated Reichstag Building; and Studio 7.5 which designed the fully recyclable Mirra chair.
In Denmark, they visit Preben Maegaard, president of World Wind Energy Association. Denmark leads the world in the proportion of energy use that comes from wind. They also look at Copenhagen's traffic where 40% of the population bicycles to work or school.
In France they tour the farm of Nicholas Joly, a banker turned organic farmer who is producing biodynamic wine.
And in Spain, they check out a major concentrating solar power project by Abengoa Solar and the new high-speed rail network, where 190-mph trains will hopefully make carbon-intensive air travel between the major cities obsolete.
'This is a remarkable journey--into beautiful places, but also into the future. We need good solid hope right now, and here it is, in living color.' Bill McKibben, Author, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
'A heartwarming story of a father and daughter in search of a sustainable world. Not a utopian fantasy in the distant future, but an introduction to real people, real places, and real innovations that are making us healthier, happier, prosperous and secure - right now. Highly recommended for teachers, students, and citizens looking for evidence and inspiration that a better world is possible.' Dr. Anthony Leiserowitz, Director, Yale Project on Climate Change, School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University
'Suzuki and his daughter bring us an indelible message from a trip through Europe's cities that are leading the renewable energy revolution. This is a film of immense power and promise. It's not about conjecture, but about political will, as we are seeing real installations and ways of doing things, from energy generation to transport to agriculture, that are in play and proven. It's not about being green, but about economics and the quality of life; in short it's about sustainability of life on a planet of 9 billion people. The intergenerational message of hope that emerges from Suzuki's conversations with his daughter during the trip are powerful.' Robert M. Goodman, Professor II, Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, Executive Dean, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Executive Director, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
'David Suzuki treats us to a wonderful array of solutions to the dire environmental challenges facing us. He and his daughter Sarika travel to Europe to witness sustainable alternatives that are already in operation-energy from the sun and wind, transportation by bicycle and rapid trains, and biodynamic agriculture in a Spanish vineyard. A refreshing approach highlighting what is possible if only we can muster the will to embrace change.' Polly Walker, Research Associate and Environmental Health Sciences Senior Fellow, Center for a Livable Future, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
'Environmentalists often see the glass as being half empty, or less, when it comes to the continuing decline of the earth's natural resources. Unfortunately, such negativism can be communicated in classrooms potentially discouraging a cadre of young people from seeking viable solutions. In The Suzuki Diaries, David Suzuki notes that this had happened within his own family as he sets out across Europe with his youngest daughter, Sarika, in search of environmental optimism. They find it in a variety of sustainable developments and lifestyles and conclude that the quality of our environmental future is only limited by the lack of a collective commitment to purpose. David and Sarika also establish a valuable inter-generational understanding that modern environmentalism should focus on finding innovative solutions that both protect the environment and enhance the quality of life. This is a message that needs to be heard well beyond the Suzuki family.' James Lassoie, Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Life Science, Cornell University
'David Suzuki, realizing that lamenting environmental problems presents a hopeless future to his children, tours Europe with his daughter Sarika, in search of solutions. They find that visionary Europeans have been building efficient, clean-energy solutions, not for environmental reasons, but because they make sense for security, quality of life, equity and economics. We are left inspired, challenged to conceive a world that all fathers would like to leave to all children.' Alexis Karolides, Principal, Rocky Mountain Institute
'Given the number of gloom and doom environmental films flooding the market, the more optimistic approach of The Suzuki Diaries: Sustainability in Action is refreshing...The film portrays concrete answers to some of the energy issues the world is facing. Suzuki and his daughter are energetic and engaging and their dynamic adds an extra dimension to the film.' Tom Ipri, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Educational Media Reviews Online
'Would appeal to a sophisticated student or general audience with strong interest on the subject.' Library Journal
'There is a clear message here: If it can be done in Europe, there is no reason that it cannot be done in the United States or Canada. The conversational exchanges between father and daughter, resulting from her eye-opening experiences, are themselves inspiring...The overall impact is encouraging and optimistic - one of hope, dependent only on the opening of our minds to existing smart choices.' AAAS's Science Books and Film
'The most personalized episode...Revealing. Sarika explains how, as a child, her parents' harangues about eco-politics left her feeling helpless. When she told her father, he says he began to understand the need to focus on practical solutions, not just on doomsday threats...That is inspirational.' Bruce Kirkland, Winnipeg Sun
'Highly recommended...The documentary is ample proof that ecologically friendly energy solutions are not only possible, but are already in use on a wide scale across the pond.' The New Resilient
'I appreciate the subtext that Suzuki's daughter must realize the potential for a sustainable future, despite the seemingly desperate state of the world now. There was a key point in the film that truly reflected the principles of the Global Ecovillage Network: that it takes 'those passionate individuals' to lead the way to sustainability.' Jessica DuBoe, Global Ecovillage Network
Citation
Main credits
Suzuki, David T. (Host)
Cullis-Suzuki, Sarika (Host)
Vaughan, Kenton (Director)
Verma, Tina (Producer)
O'Neill, Terry (Producer)
Other credits
Director, Kenton Vaughan; producers, Tina Verma, Terry O'Neill; editor, Murray Green; cinematography, John Badcock; original music, David Wall, Kevin Lacroix.
Distributor subjects
Agriculture; Anthropology; Art/Architecture; Canadian Studies; Climate Change/Global Warming; Design; Economics; Energy; Environment; European Studies; Geography; Government; Green Building; Political Science; Renewable Energy; Science, Technology, Society; Sociology; Sustainability; Sustainable Agriculture; Urban and Regional PlanningKeywords
WEBVTT
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This is the nature of things.
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[music]
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They switched us at the last minute.
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[music]
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Not a good way to start. I
think it’s quite appropriate.
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We all know that the life
support systems of the planet
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are under incredible stress. The
global economy is no better.
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How do we get out of this mess? We can
stay the course and cross our fingers
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or we can forge a new path.
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My daughter Sarika and I are in search of ideas,
innovation, and those passionate individuals
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who can inspire future generations. Nice, it
really makes me feel good to see that, doesn’t it?
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Yeah. Holy, there is a lot.
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Our itinerary, a road trip through Europe.
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[music]
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[music]
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I think the scariest thing
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umm… about my generation is not
that we are apathetic but it’s just
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that we’ve accepted how things are. Umm…
for a lot of us we’ve grown up in cities,
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so we don’t have that connection with the natural
world that say my dad had when he was growing up.
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Sarika, my youngest daughter
is always asking me,
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dad, are there any solutions? We know,
we’re having an environmental crisis.
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But what can we do about it?
This crisis we face
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is a huge opportunity, the opportunity
to say, let’s look at what’s possible
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for a sustainable future.
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[music]
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[music]
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Germany is the third largest industrialized nation
in the world and they’re going towards a future
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where all of their electricity comes from
renewable energy. Well, if Germany can do it,
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what is the excuse for Canada or
the United States not to do it?
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Hello. Hello. Nice to meet you. Hi, I’m
Sarika. I’m Arnold. Nice to meet you.
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When you go to a city like Berlin, of course,
there is so many historical places to see.
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Oh, what a nice boat. And there are rivers running all the way
through Berlin and a great way to see the sites is by boat.
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Yeah, where are your solar pads?
On the roof.
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And we found a man Arnold, who’s got a whole
fleet of solar powered boats. That’s great.
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You can feel the heat. Touch it.
You can feel it.
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[sil.]
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It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
So is this the whole driving force?
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So, you see, it’s so simple. That’s it?
That’s always silence.
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That’s all. Are you sure, it’s on?
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[music]
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Arnold took us down the River Spree and it was obvious
that he really has got it about renewable energy
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because he wasn’t just bragging about
his boat. This is the energy forum
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and with (inaudible).
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He just loves the whole concept of renewable energy.
You see uh… this is the new central station
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and on the central station
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uh… 8,777 photovoltaic cells.
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And now you see the right dock,
you see the solar panels
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just between the towers. Yes. Yes.
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Oh, yeah. If there is a symbol
for a revitalized Germany,
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it’s the renovated parliament
building, the Reichstag.
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It’s bright, modern, very impressive but
underlying it is a complete energy system
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that heats it in the winter,
cools it in the summer
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that gives all of its electricity through
renewable energy. So it’s a spectacular dome.
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And when was it completed?
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Uh… in 99. In 99. Hermann Scheer is my big
hero. He is the father of solar energy.
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He is a member of parliament, so he’s a politician.
He’s trained, he has a PhD in economics
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and he has been driving renewable
energy then into the grid of Germany
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and he’s showing it can be
done without compromising
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your industrial competitiveness.
The whole Reichstag building,
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it is fueled with vegetable oil. It
was my proposal to do that. Really?
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The argument against this is unbelievable.
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Uh… the main argument was
finally, it could not be,
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it could not uh… become implemented
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because uh… around the Reichstag
there’s not enough place
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for the plantation of the vegetable of the,
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of the rape seed. In the 90s,
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Scheer fought for a law that subsidizes
producers of renewable energy.
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The law has led to thriving industries
around wind and solar power.
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There is not anymore
(inaudible) logical barrier.
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There is not anymore an economic barrier. It is only uh…,
there are only mental barriers and political barriers.
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The genuine meaning of say, experience here
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is to show it is possible. Since 2000,
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we have annually more than 3,000
mega Watt new installations.
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How many coal plants would that be
if you had to build coal plants?
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Uh… this would uh… replace uh…
12 large coal power plants
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or 12 nuclear power plants.
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So at present, in terms of jobs,
is the renewable energy sector
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becoming a significant part
of… of Germany’s industry?
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It had became the most successful
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industrial job creation program we
have since the last 30 or 40 years.
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It’s an opportunity not an impossibility.
Yeah, exactly, yeah. That’s right.
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And so it’s a… As you say it,
the mindset that’s blocking us
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accepting the challenge. Yeah, yeah.
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Germany was really neat. I got
to go to visit Studio 7.5.
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This was a design studio and I don’t
know anything about design or art.
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So this is the famous Mirra chair.
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The chair that I went to see was called the Mirra
chair. Can I try it out? Well, you have to.
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Okay. And I couldn’t believe it, when he told me that he sold over
a million of this type of chair. That’s an incredible amount.
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I sell like a thousand a day.
A thousand a day?
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Yes. So that’s pretty good as chairs
go, is it? No reason to complain.
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But umm… again it has no really weak points.
You can come from an economic standpoint,
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it’s still, I think the best chair, you can
sit on. You can come from the green aspect,
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it’s damn beautiful. Oh.
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Do you feel that? Yeah, I felt that.
The thing I loved about them was that,
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their first and foremost idea is
that something has to be functional.
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Whereas in North America, they were saying,
everybody asks, is this green, is this green,
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is this eco-friendly? So I really
liked that they were saying, come on,
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let’s take it a step beyond green. Let’s have a
great design, great function, great comfort,
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but of course, it’s gonna be green as well.
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So how much of this chair
is actually recyclable?
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Uh… 97% is recyclable. 97%? 97%.
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So what does that mean exactly? So
there’s no uh… PVC, no chrome, no uh…
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whatever, you don’t want to have in your chair, in this
chair. So no harmful substances at all? No, not at all.
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Now that I know that there
are solutions out there,
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not only are there are solutions but there are
people who are actively doing something about it.
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I think that has kind of given me a lot
more hope than I had when I came into this.
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[music]
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I’ve spent a lot of time in my life yelling
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and screaming about this is bad,
this is got to be stopped and so on.
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Uh… 98, no? Okay, thank God. So I felt that it’s
really important to start saying to people, look,
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what is the future? If we really learn
to live in balance with the earth
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and harmony with nature, what does that
mean? And as far as I’m concerned,
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I think most people if they
look ahead to that future,
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I think they’ll say, whoa,
that’s the way I want to live.
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Thank you is Dank je. But if you
want to say thanks a lot, you say…
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Hartelijk bedankt. No. Mandetak is thanks very
much and Hartelijk bedankt is thank you so much.
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Well, I thought Mandetak was please.
What do they say, please?
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Umm… something weird. We’re just driving
through Northern Jutland in Denmark
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and it’s really beautiful,
it’s very idyllic and calm.
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You know, lots of windmills coming up here. And
on the countryside, what you see every where
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are windmills.
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Preben Maegaard was a very interesting guy.
He is the same age as my dad.
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Now this is Preben. Hey. Preben is
like the guru of renewable energy
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because he knows everything about wind and solar and
geothermal and he was really excited to share that with us.
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So where are we? What’s all these
uh… We are in Holstein. This is at
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uh… northwestern corner of Jutland and
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umm… here we have been doing some
primary work with wind power.
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We had this severe oil crisis in
1974 and there were no supplies
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and but the choice going the atomic
energy way or going renewable energy.
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Can we go and have a look at the inside.
Yeah, yeah.
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When the Arab oil embargo
was started in 1973,
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Denmark realized that most of their energy was
important and that made them very, very vulnerable.
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So the choice was, do we develop something like
nuclear energy or do we try to find a new option
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in renewable energy.
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All right, so who is
going first, you or me?
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Okay, then who goes what, first.
Whatever you want.
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Okay, I’ll go first. I never thought
I’d be going inside of a windmill.
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Gradually little groups sprang up to
start making windmills on their own
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and then the government began to encourage this and
it became the direction that Denmark has gone.
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And there is another one
right above your head.
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Another what? Watch out. Uh… Great view.
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Let’s see. Oh, yeah. Yeah. We are so high.
Look at those cars.
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Yeah. Wow, so this is it, hey.
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This is the guts of it. So this is the
turbine that makes the electricity.
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Denmark depended for its energy, 98%
of their energy came from abroad
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and what motivated them that look for alternatives
had nothing to do really with the environment.
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It had to do with security. It’s not
as big as I thought it would be.
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If you look at the plate, you’ll see, it’s big. We
don’t have to talk about environmental issues here.
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It has to do with economics. It has
to do with the quality of life.
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Those are all issues that are very much
underlying the way Europe has gone
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and that we’re… we’re not dealing with it that
way yet. You hear that? Hear that? Well, listen.
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[sil.]
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Oh, yeah.
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There. Hear. Hear that? I don’t
know what that is. I don’t know.
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What’s amazing is that wind
with those skinny blades
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can keep it turning. Yeah.
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Probably the most dependable area for
steady wind is anything over the ocean.
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And of course, Denmark is this like
Peninsula that’s got water all around it.
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So it’s not a surprise that a lot
of the turbines are being built
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right at the edge of the country. Wow.
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Yeah, I know. His kite is so fast.
Having to hold on to it,
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that must be really hard that pressure.
Oh yeah. Have you ever been…
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Have you ever been windsurfing before? No. You know mom
did. That is so much upper body strength. She windsurfed?
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She beat me at arm wrestling and I
never arm wrestled again. What? Yeah.
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You were trying. Oh, that’s embarrassing.
You need to hit the gym.
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It was humiliating.
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[sil.]
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Denmark leads the world in the proportion
of energy that comes from wind
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and it’s led to a tremendous business. They
are exporting windmills all over the world.
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This tiny country is three million people.
So do you think they’re ugly?
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I don’t think so especially when you think of the…
the alternative is smoke stags for burning plants.
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Yeah. But I think you learn how,
learn to think things are beautiful.
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Yeah, they’re really going too.
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But Denmark doesn’t use just wind power.
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All through the country side, you see there
are other sources of renewable energy.
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Yens Kurk(ph) is a third generation farmer.
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He’s got an amazing integrated farm.
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He grows grain on his land and he also
raises pigs that he feeds with the grain
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that he grows. Those
pigs make a lot of waste
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which is thrown into a huge tank
and that is used in a process
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that liberates methane.
00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:49.999
Wow, it’s so warm in here.
Yeah. So what is this?
00:15:50.000 --> 00:15:54.999
This is a power unit where we
are burning the methane gas
00:15:55.000 --> 00:15:59.999
and we are producing the
electricity and heat.
00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.999
Now the heat, is it just exhaust?
We are collecting the hot water,
00:16:05.000 --> 00:16:09.999
we are catching it and using it for heating
the buildings, for heating the farm.
00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:14.999
For running the biogas process also. So
with the biogas plant and the wind turbine,
00:16:15.000 --> 00:16:19.999
what Yens Kurk(ph) does is typical of
Denmark, where almost 20% of the energy
00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:24.999
comes from small decentralized
and diverse systems.
00:16:25.000 --> 00:16:29.999
So that one is yours? That one is mine, yeah.
How long have you had that up? Since 2000.
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:34.999
That makes eight years now.
Wow. Wow, is it paid up?
00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:39.999
Yeah. It paid itself back after five years.
00:16:40.000 --> 00:16:44.999
Wow. That’s incredible. Yeah. And how
does that compare to the generator
00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:49.999
and the pig farm?
00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.999
Umm… that electricity produced by the biogas plant and the
electricity produced by the windmill is about the same,
00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:59.999
about two million kilowatt per year.
00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.999
That’s a really small windmill.
00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:09.999
The one we went up, was that
bigger than that? Probably.
00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.999
Uh… I think so. Look at this one. It really
looks like the kind you see in Holland
00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.999
except, usually, they are covered with cloth or something.
Yeah. This is what I think of when I think of a windmill.
00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:24.999
Yes. Like a typical old craft windmill.
00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:29.999
[music]
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.999
Well, this is very different than the
windmill we climbed yesterday. Wow.
00:17:35.000 --> 00:17:39.999
[music]
00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:44.999
So three, you see this? This is the main wheel
then, right, it’s being driven by the windmill.
00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:49.999
Yeah. Then that’s driving wheels there.
00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.999
And that’s also driving this one down here.
00:17:55.000 --> 00:17:59.999
Yeah, look at that. Wow. You see
that, that one is broken up.
00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:04.999
Yeah. It’s a calendar shot three.
00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:13.000
[music]
00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:19.999
Well, I’m getting so old,
Sarika, I can’t see.
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:24.999
You got glasses. Well,
Sarika, , she’s a very,
00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:29.999
very sensitive person and I think
the thing that I felt worst about
00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:34.999
when she was still a pre-teen was
00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:39.999
uh… my wife and I came home one day and
said, Sarika there is this thing going on.
00:18:40.000 --> 00:18:44.999
It’s a perfect thing for you and
your friends to get involved in.
00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:49.999
And they said, well, Sarika, you better do something
about it. And I said, why would I do anything?
00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:54.999
It doesn’t matter what I do. And I think
that they were so upset with my reaction
00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.999
umm… that they realized wow, we
really have to watch out for
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.999
what we teach our kids and what we are saying
at home. To think that this young child
00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:09.999
who is always there but quiet was listening
to Tara and me just railing against
00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:14.999
the environmental destruction and all of the
things that we thought should be stopped
00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.999
and what it percolated into her
mind was, it was too late.
00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.999
What? And I think that, that’s
really in many ways shaped
00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.999
the way that I’ve taken the
environmental issue now.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.999
Oh, you got a big one. Yeah, huge.
Well done.
00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:39.999
Well, he is an amazing father and
I know that this is something
00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.999
that he feels very guilty about, is that he
doesn’t spend enough time with his children.
00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:49.999
And I think that coming here and
realizing what he does is just kind of
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.999
given me another a perspective of it.
00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:59.999
Oh, wow, we’ll try another one and see.
But that left the daylight.
00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:04.999
So the good thing is to
get out fishing. Yeah.
00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:09.999
[music]
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.999
But I wonder, I keep thinking about a cities and
if that kind of system is possible in a city.
00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:19.999
Well, I mean I think that’s why we’re going to Copenhagen,
isn’t it, because now you’re talking major city.
00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.999
But it’s more than just about windmills,
00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.999
I think Copenhagen is a place where bicycles are
planned into that, that city. That’s what I heard
00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:34.999
and I’ve also heard that it’s the happiest city.
Oh, really? Yeah, people are most happy there.
00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:39.999
You mean, even a grouch like me might start
smiling and… We’ll… we’ll find out. Okay.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:45.000
[music]
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.999
[music]
00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.999
But you know, if you’re
in Vancouver, Toronto,
00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.999
the number of bikes to cars,
00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:09.999
probably one bike for every ten cars. Yeah.
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.999
And here it seems to be the opposite. It’s
just the norm. Yeah. A skirt and stilettos.
00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:19.999
Wow. If I wore these outfits
on my bike in Vancouver,
00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.999
oh, man, people would think, I was nuts.
00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:29.999
That’s because your mini skirts are so short.
Dad, when have you seen me in a mini skirt?
00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.999
The biggest thing about Copenhagen
is the biking population.
00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:39.999
Close to 40% of the population
bikes to work or to school.
00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.999
It looks very different than
Vancouver which is where I grew up
00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.999
and we think there’s a lot of bikers there but… Holy cow, you
step outside your hotel in Copenhagen and you can get run over
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:54.999
by a slew of bikers. You’re
gonna give me a ride?
00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:59.999
Good idea. Are you in?
00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.999
Oh, I’ve got the break tight, sorry.
00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:09.999
Oh, that… that is a bit heavy.
Okay. What is your…
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.999
Daddy, we are going left.
00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.999
Look, they are laughing at us. All right,
we’re going, we’re going, we’re going.
00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.999
Mikael Colville-Andersen is half Canadian,
half Danish and he’s crazy about bikes.
00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:29.999
He loves the bike culture.
He’s nuts about them
00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:34.999
and all he wants to do is talk about
bikes and spread the word to the world.
00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:43.000
[music]
00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:49.999
You know, all over the world
before the Second World War,
00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.999
everybody wrote their bikes. Right. Then uh… you
know the dawn of the automobile age in the 50s
00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:59.999
killed all the bike culture umm…, you
know, every where in the western world.
00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:04.999
Umm… so Copenhagen in the mid-60s
was polluted and congested.
00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.999
People were buying more cars and it
just took some visionary urban planners
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.999
and politicians to say, hey, we want to
stop this. You know, reclaim the streets.
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.999
Copenhagen has a network
of almost 400 kilometers
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.999
of bike lanes stretching across the city.
00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:29.999
You know, I’m a firm believer in, you
know, if you build, they will come. Yeah.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.999
And if you know, we all have a personal responsibility, but, you know, the vast
majority of the population are not environmentalist. They are just living their lives.
00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:39.999
Yeah. And if we make it possible for them to,
you know, sort their garbage or to ride a bike
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.999
to work safely everyday.
If we think of Mikael,
00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.999
I mean Mikael is a bike freak. He loves the
fact that Copenhagen is so bike friendly.
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.999
So is there a special place on the train to put
the bike? Yeah, we usually suit at the back.
00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.999
Not because, it’s saving the environment,
producing less greenhouse gases
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:04.999
but because it’s a better way of… of living.
He has fun, it’s a great way to travel.
00:24:05.000 --> 00:24:09.999
Uh… you have less hassle with traffic.
Over and over again
00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.999
that’s what we encountered that the environmental
component is really a minor part of
00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.999
what motivates people. I think
he’s saying, you can catch up.
00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.999
I think the day in Copenhagen when
we were cycling all around the city,
00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.999
I’ve never seen my dad so happy and
relaxed and it was so pleasant.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.999
At home, he’s always stressed out because people
are pulling him at a million different ways
00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:39.999
but when we’ve been traveling,
he’s been really at ease.
00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.999
Wow, look at all the people. I
guess everybody expects a bigger…
00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.999
Yes, very typically in Danish. You know, we don’t, we don’t have the big
monuments. You know, we have hands fishing and the mermaid which is life size.
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:54.999
It really sums up the whole spirit of the city,
I would say. Laid back cool and life size, so.
00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.999
But if we’re gonna build monuments,
umm… I like that much more.
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:04.999
We have the monuments out on the, on
the harbor, there’s 27 wind turbines.
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.999
You want to be a real tourist, you
take a picture. Yeah, of course.
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.999
This is really cheesy. I know.
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:23.000
[music]
00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:29.999
Now that we’re leaving, what do you think?
What do you make of our Danish experience?
00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.999
Once you see it in action, it is obvious.
00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:39.999
So it’s really inspiring and I
wasn’t anticipating being like this.
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.999
And everybody is just doing it because it’s easy.
Anyway, maybe at the end of this whole trip,
00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.999
we can come up with a list of, you
know, five or ten concrete things
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.999
that young people can start looking at
as things they can do, demanding things.
00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:59.999
So you really want to focus on
young people. I… It’s your world.
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.999
We got to keep young people really uh… you
know kind of up there demanding things.
00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.999
I think, and what makes it really
powerful is that there are answers.
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.999
It’s not like we’re saying, something has
got to be done. You know, it’s like…
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:23.000
[music]
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.999
I know, it’s hard but try to look pretty.
00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.999
Sarika, always spoiling the shot.
That’s so mean,
00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:40.000
then take it without me in it.
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.999
The whole process of modern
agriculture is very,
00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.999
very expensive in terms of energy. Right
now, modern agriculture takes something like
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:04.999
eight to ten calories of oil to grow food
00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:09.999
that will give you one calorie in the food.
Whereas, if you do it the traditional way,
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:14.999
you put one calorie of,
basically muscle. Yeah.
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:19.999
And you let the sun feed the plant and you
get six to eight calories of food back.
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.999
There is no question, we’ve got to go back to that way of
doing it, because you can’t convert oil into food that way.
00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:29.999
At his family chateau in the Loire Valley,
00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.999
Nicolas Joly makes wine according
to the principle of biodynamics.
00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:39.999
There was a big fight in 1214.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:44.999
He’s inspired by the monks who originally cultivated
this vineyard, more than one thousand years ago.
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.999
Joly rejects the modern
practice of monoculture,
00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:54.999
the growing of just one type of crop.
00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.999
It makes sense for a farmer to think,
well, we have the perfect wine.
00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.999
So let’s just go lots of the same kind.
00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.999
Yes, it does but nature is not like this.
00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.999
Nature doesn’t like to do the same.
Nature likes to rest. Hello. Hello.
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.999
I don’t think I’ve ever
been this close to a bull
00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.999
in the same field as I am now.
00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:29.999
What I understand is philosophically, they take an
animal or a plant and regard it as a living organism
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.999
and you can’t simply isolate that
organism from its surroundings
00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.999
and how it lives and what it eats?
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:44.999
So why do you have these cows? I need compost, I
need number one race of a cow which belongs here.
00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:49.999
That’s very different from organic
farming which just seems to me is just,
00:28:50.000 --> 00:28:54.999
we’ve got to get off the dependence
on chemicals. So what is this?
00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.999
Well, this is water mixed with laceration
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.999
of four days of metal.
Biodynamic agriculture
00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.999
is really a look back to more traditional ways.
But one that sees humans not being in charge
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:14.999
and controlling everything but being
a part of a bigger ecosystem.
00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:19.999
Where did you get this recipe?
Oh, it’s no recipe.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.999
Metal is really a friend of nature.
00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.999
Okay. Oh, I can smell that. Man.
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.999
When your farming is well done,
you are having your grape,
00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:39.999
all the process, (inaudible) of the
year, climate, how dry, when sit outs,
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:44.999
and how hot etc. And, and this,
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:49.999
this information we’ll carry
off fermentation. Cheers.
00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.999
[non-English narration]
00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:59.999
[music]
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.999
Sarika and I are looking to see
what the future is for energy
00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.999
because of the oil crisis now, it’s, people
are beginning to reexamine everything
00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:14.999
and I think we’re seeing the bigger picture
00:30:15.000 --> 00:30:19.999
and that’s the excitement
of biodynamics to me.
00:30:20.000 --> 00:30:24.999
Yes and… and you could go further
00:30:25.000 --> 00:30:29.999
and say that for the second millennium,
the song was big is beautiful.
00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:34.999
The next song now is small is beautiful.
00:30:35.000 --> 00:30:39.999
There is a sense of what we call modernity
that whatever is newer is better.
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:44.999
And we’ve discarded a lot of things
as kind of superstitious, anecdotal.
00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:49.999
Uh… we devalue the kind of knowledge
that people have in the past.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:54.999
I think that the ancient way of… of doing things
was much… much more careful and conservative
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.999
and what we are finding now is holy cow,
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:04.999
they’re right.
00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:09.999
[music]
00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.999
Mum was pulling out these, I don’t know, what
they are, articles that you used to write
00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.999
and she showed me this one. You
remember this? That’s you.
00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.999
Oh, wow. I don’t know when it was.
00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:29.999
That’s 1989 when we did.
It’s a matter of survival.
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.999
That was the big show, that for me…
00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:39.999
Yeah, I, I remember the guy that designed
this thing. I thought it was pretty heavy.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:44.999
Okay. Well, look at your expression. Yeah. Let’s stop this
madness. We’re killing our environment and our children’s future.
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.999
Here are the facts, understand the problems
and find out how we can stop this madness
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.999
before it’s too late. Well…
And your expression, gee,
00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:59.999
so that was you when I was six and that’s
pretty scary to grow up like that.
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:04.999
And I think that’s probably around the time when you
said, you heard me say, well, what’s the point?
00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.999
Yeah. And then you probably did have
to shift how you thought about things.
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:14.999
Well, when you said, why should I do anything,
it’s too late, I, I listened to you and mum.
00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.999
I realized that you know, you guys listen.
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.999
You’re always there and here we are yelling
and, you know, oh, so and so politician
00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.999
and getting mad and kind of venting and
here you are soaking it up and feeling, oh,
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.999
if mum and dad can feel frustrated,
what’s the hope? And that’s why we said,
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:39.999
look, we can’t talk like that in front of
the kids. What freaks me out is sometimes
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.999
because there is so much bad news, I
kind of just let it roll off my back.
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.999
Well, you have to. You can’t… You
can’t uh… you can’t take it all in,
00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:54.999
it’s, it’s just too overwhelming.
00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:59.999
You know, when you get to be our age like
Preben and me, it’s not about whether
00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:04.999
or not the world is gonna change for us,
it’s about our children and grandchildren.
00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:10.000
You know, you think of me Dory and
Tom and it’s pretty terrifying.
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:28.000
[music]
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:34.999
So how do you say hello in Spanish?
Hola. Hola.
00:33:35.000 --> 00:33:39.999
Yeah, yeah. Hola.
00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:45.000
[music]
00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:58.000
[music]
00:34:00.000 --> 00:34:04.999
Cheers.
00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:09.999
Cheers. So our last country is Spain.
00:34:10.000 --> 00:34:14.999
I’d always thought of Spain as
an emerging economic power.
00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:19.999
And yet to me the astonishing thing
is that in terms of transportation,
00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.999
in terms of energy, Spain
is so far ahead of Canada.
00:34:25.000 --> 00:34:29.999
[sil.]
00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:34.999
This is an amazing train station.
00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:39.999
Yeah. Look at the jungle.
00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:44.999
Yeah. Here we are at the Atocha
railway station in Madrid
00:34:45.000 --> 00:34:49.999
and we’re here really to look at the wanted
high speed train system they’ve got.
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:54.999
Their trains apparently hit up to 300
kilometers an hour, but the amazing thing is,
00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:59.999
they’ve got a network of these trains that are
now going to connect and be available to,
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:04.999
up to 90% of the population. This is
so much more relaxed than in airport.
00:35:05.000 --> 00:35:09.999
Remember in the airport, we
got to go through security.
00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:14.999
And so you’ve got a train
system then that is
00:35:15.000 --> 00:35:19.999
uh… displacing their airlines.
I think in North America
00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:24.999
we’re committed to a lifestyle that
is very wasteful and very polluting.
00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:29.999
That mean, we don’t learn anything
and try to improve on things.
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:34.999
Whereas in Europe, they’ve had
to do things in a different way.
00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:39.999
And you know, riding here on the,
the high speed trains for example,
00:35:40.000 --> 00:35:44.999
wow, what an experience.
What a great way to travel.
00:35:45.000 --> 00:35:49.999
[music]
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:54.999
Dad woke up sick this morning. Last
night, he wasn’t feeling so good.
00:35:55.000 --> 00:35:59.999
He is in bed right now in his pajamas. So I’m
going to be traveling around today by myself.
00:36:00.000 --> 00:36:04.999
[sil.]
00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:09.999
So we’re heading to Segovia
right now from Madrid.
00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:14.999
This is really neat because we’re in a rapid train and
umm… this is only gonna be about a 35 minute right.
00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:23.000
[music]
00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:39.999
While the main lure of Segovia is that
00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:44.999
it has a huge aqueduct that
runs throughout the city.
00:36:45.000 --> 00:36:49.999
It’s been preserved, this entire
time and it’s in perfect condition.
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:54.999
And it’s still… still standing.
It was really incredible.
00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:59.999
But it was really kind of a day to
take pictures and play a tourist.
00:37:00.000 --> 00:37:04.999
[sil.]
00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:09.999
It’s what I love about Europe, an incredible
history, while still looking to the future.
00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:18.000
[music]
00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:29.999
Boy, are we…
00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:34.999
So what do you think of the train?
00:37:35.000 --> 00:37:39.999
It’s fantastic. You know,
this is no clickity clack.
00:37:40.000 --> 00:37:44.999
There is no noise and there’s no kind of wobbling. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, that’s great. They are trying to perfect the system by,
00:37:45.000 --> 00:37:49.999
I think 2020 when uh… basically 90%
00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:54.999
of the population will be within a few
kilometers of a high speed train.
00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:59.999
Well, the environment was not the reason why
Spain decided to go for a high speed trains.
00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:04.999
So it’s kind of like a by-product bonus.
00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:09.999
It’s about quality of life. We’ve got
to focus on what is our life all about.
00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:14.999
Quality of life of our… Well, maybe that’s the end we
have to take. Do you think, it will work in Canada?
00:38:15.000 --> 00:38:19.999
I don’t know. But I’ll tell you,
00:38:20.000 --> 00:38:24.999
I’m gonna go home and I’m gonna be
bringing the, anxious to say Canada,
00:38:25.000 --> 00:38:29.999
what the heck are we wasting your time?
I hope you don’t lose that momentum.
00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.999
You know, I think it’s really
great that we came together
00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:39.999
because we can help each other out,
kind of continue along that same path.
00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:48.000
[music]
00:39:00.000 --> 00:39:04.999
I’ve read about the Abengoa experiment
00:39:05.000 --> 00:39:09.999
with heating water, with
an array of solar panels.
00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:14.999
I just wasn’t prepared for the
sight that, when we first stopped
00:39:15.000 --> 00:39:19.999
and had a look at it. Oh, look at
this, Sarika, look. That’s amazing.
00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:24.999
That’s incredible. I had no idea that
you’d be able to see it like that.
00:39:25.000 --> 00:39:29.999
I know, I know. It’s like a helo or something. But, I
mean, there is something almost religious about it,
00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:34.999
you know the way that light
is all coming up there. Yeah.
00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:39.999
Turn around, Sarika. Don’t make a face.
00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:44.999
That wasn’t, you’re making the face. Come
on. Great. We all know if you’d focus
00:39:45.000 --> 00:39:49.999
a magnifying glass on a piece of
paper, you can light that paper.
00:39:50.000 --> 00:39:54.999
That’s the heat from the sun being concentrated. At
a Abengoa, what they do is use an array of mirrors
00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.999
over 600 mirrors and super heat that water
00:40:00.000 --> 00:40:04.999
which is then used as steam to drive
turbines and generate electricity.
00:40:05.000 --> 00:40:09.999
I mean, in this plant, we
have a power of 150 meters
00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:14.999
and we have 624 heliostat. That
entire thing is one heliostat.
00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:19.999
These heliostats are setup to mimic
what in my mind are sunflowers
00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.999
and whenever the earth moves a little
bit, they move towards the sun
00:40:25.000 --> 00:40:29.999
and so there was something that was nice. It
was almost like bio mimicry. That is cool.
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:34.999
Look at it now, Sarika. I can’t
even look at it. It’s so bright.
00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:39.999
Honestly, I can’t just look down there. How
many homes could that heat? With this power,
00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:44.999
you can supply to 11,000 people.
00:40:45.000 --> 00:40:49.999
Oh, my God. Holy. That’s amazing.
Look at that.
00:40:50.000 --> 00:40:54.999
Can you see the beam is going up from the
mirrors. Exactly, that’s unbelievable.
00:40:55.000 --> 00:40:59.999
And there’s so many more than
I thought there are. Holy.
00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:04.999
Sarika, that’s all free energy.
00:41:05.000 --> 00:41:09.999
All free. Now I’m gonna be walking around
saying, oh, it’s all wasted. Look at the sun.
00:41:10.000 --> 00:41:14.999
The sun is just so generous in the,
00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:19.999
in all of this energy, it rains down
on the land day after day after day.
00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:24.999
It’s free and we’re not so stupid that we
can’t figure out ways to exploit that sun.
00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:29.999
From the simplest ways of just heating
up water to what we saw in Seville,
00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:34.999
where you get this kind of
science fiction, you know,
00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:39.999
sending the sun and beams
up and boiling water.
00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:44.999
I mean the answers are all there.
We just have to change our minds
00:41:45.000 --> 00:41:49.999
and say, we want a sustainable society and
that’s got to be back to renewable energy.
00:41:50.000 --> 00:41:54.999
And I feel absolutely uplifted
that it’s all there. We can do it.
00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:59.999
It just means we have
to change our mindset.
00:42:00.000 --> 00:42:05.000
[music]
00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:14.999
[music]
00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:19.999
Look at all the windmills there.
00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:24.999
Holy cow.
00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:29.999
I don’t know that they make me feel good.
00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:34.999
I know, you keep looking for it. I’m finally realizing why it was
so important that I actually came here. You’re gonna go swimming?
00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:39.999
I usually draw my energy
00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:44.999
from people who are a little bit younger.
But the funny thing is, he’s 72
00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:49.999
and he still has that energy and sometimes I’m thinking, okay,
yeah, you know, this is, this is interesting, this is great.
00:42:50.000 --> 00:42:54.999
But he is so gung ho about it and he
still feels like something can be done
00:42:55.000 --> 00:42:59.999
and that is so remarkable. Of
course, it’s been wonderful
00:43:00.000 --> 00:43:04.999
to watch Sarika really beginning,
wondering whether there are solutions
00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:09.999
and now at the end of the, the three
weeks feeling really pumped like dad.
00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.999
We’re gonna go back and we’ve just got
to use this and… and do something.
00:43:15.000 --> 00:43:19.999
Oh, it feels so nice.
00:43:20.000 --> 00:43:24.999
I can’t believe that this
trip is finally over.
00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:29.999
But if we had to end it, I think this is the best
way to possibly end a trip on the ocean again.
00:43:30.000 --> 00:43:38.000
[music]
Distributor: Bullfrog Films
Length: 45 minutes
Date: 2009
Genre: Expository
Language: English
Grade: 7-12, College, Adults
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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