Discussing 'Planet of the Humans' w/ Special Guest Dr. Sean Parson
Channel: Burnt Out in Budapest
Date: 2020-05-17

In this episode, I discuss the controversial new documentary film Planet of the Humans, directed by Jeff Gibbs and Executive Produced by Michael Moore. My special guest for the whole hour + is Dr. Sean Parson, Associate Professor in the departments of Political Science and International Relations and Sustainable Cultures at Northern Arizona University. 

We dig into some of the very obvious weaknesses of the film, like it's lack of a global approach to the problem of sustainable energy and population growth and distribution; the over-reliance on old white people to comment on the supposed "over-population" problem; and its total lack of attention to the existing movements that challenge many of the very real problems the movie highlights.

Importantly, we don't leave it there. We use the film to have a holistic discussion about the myriad problems that exist in the "sustainable energy" narrative that the film's director, Jeff Gibbs, has said publicly is the main goal. There is much about this film that is wrong and in some cases downright harmful to certain aspects of the environmental movement, particularly those which deal with environmental justice, the global food web, and global distribution of finite resources. Crucially, there is also much about this film exposes and articulates that has lain dormant in environmental discussions for far too long. We also go into some depth on those aspects of the film, the aspects that have made so many liberal environmentalist red with anger. 

Many listeners will come away angry at the end of this discussion. Many will not. But one thing is clear, this movie has sparked heated discussion on a heated planet. We need way more of that. 

To see the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11vI-7czE
For More on Sean Parson: https://www.seanparson.com/

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