2009 princeton environmental film festival schedule

How many light bulbs does it take to change the planet?

This brochure printed on 100% recycled stock manufactured with wind power.

www.princetonlibrary.org/peff Thanks: Princeton Public Library Public Library Public Information Office Tim Quinn (director) - Jenna Garrison (graphic design) - Anne Levin (staff writer) bent spoon ice cream/Community Green /The D&R Greenway/The Hopewell Project Isles/John Witherspoon Middle School Environmental Club/Labywrinth Books /OASIS (Organizing Action on Sustainability In Schools) /Princeton Day School EnAct Club/Princeton Environmental Commission/Princeton Environmental Institute /Princeton High School Environmental Club/Princeton Living Well/Princeton Regional Schools /Princeton Tour Company-Biking and Walking Tours/ Princeton University Office of Sustainability/Sierra Club, Central New Jersey Group /Stony BrookMillstone Watershed Association /Suppers Program/Sustainable Princeton/West Windsor Bicycle and Pedestrian Alliance /Whole Earth Center of Princeton

Thanks to the following for their support: PEFF is made possible through funding provided by the Nathan Cummings Foundation and Church & Dwight Co., Inc. To help sponsor or support PEFF please contact: Lindsey Forden lforden@princetonlibrary.org Susan Conlon, Karla Cook, Liz Cutler, Jeff Domanski, Jamie Ewalt, Mimi Gabriel, Kai Marshall-Otto, Diane Landis Hackett, Janice Hall, Janie Hermann, Steve Hiltner, Wendy Kaczerski, Jean Marie Layton, Ross Mazur, Fran McManus, Herb Mertz, Dorothy Mullen, Martha Perry, Elyse Pivnick, Zora Schiltz-Rouse, Athena Sarafides and Palmer Uhl.

PEFF is organized by library staff with the help of a community planning committee: Princeton Public Library (609) 924-9529 ext. 247 sconlon@princetonlibrary.org Assistant Coordinator: Martha Perry Princeton Public Library mperry@princetonlibrary.org

is sponsored by the Princeton Public Library.

65 Witherspoon Street Princeton, New Jersey FREE ADMISSION to all screenings and talks.

Festival Coordinator: Susan Conlon

Schedule and Events

The Princeton Environmental Film Festival

January 2-11, 2009 Friday, January 2

Saturday, January 3 (continued)

Noon /Talk: Sustainable Princeton

2 p.m. /Film: Green Builders

Wendy Kaczerski and Matt Wasserman, from Sustainable Princeton, will talk about local efforts to build a sustainable community and a greener future.

2 p.m. /Talk: Isles

Since 1981, this Trenton-based organization has developed tools that families and neighborhoods use to build assets, restore the environment and achieve self-reliance. The talk with Martin Johnson, President of Isles, will highlight the renovation of a factory building and their Center for Energy and Environmental Training.

NJN looks at the quiet, green revolution in the building world, profiling a cast of pioneers who are making their part of the “built environment” a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly place. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Bob Szuter, NJN Television; and green builders featured in the film:Mark Biedron, co-founder of The Willow School; Christine Bruncati, Sr. Research Architect, Center for Architecture & Building Science Research / New Jersey Institute of Technology; Jennifer Senick, Executive Director, Rutgers Center for Green Building and Mike Strizki, Chief Technical Officer, Renewable Energy International Inc.

4 p.m. /Film: Garden Cycles Bike Tour presents: Faces from the New Farm

4 p.m. /Talk: Mark Biedron

Presented by Garden Cycles Bike Tour, this film documents a 2,000mile bike trip made by Lara Sheets, Liz Tylander and Kat Shiffler to explore the budding sustainable agriculture and local food movement from the mid-Atlantic into Canada.

The Willow School is a small, independent coeducational day school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, committed to combining academic excellence and the joy of learning and to experiencing the wonder of the natural world. Co-founder Biedron will talk about the campus, its green design and construction and LEED certified buildings.

7 p.m. /Film: Radiant City

7 p.m. /Film: Shark Water

This startling film on 21st century suburbanites opens the festival, railing against strip malls and other aspects of “the burbs.” Comedian Gary Burns, journalist Jim Brown, and writer James Howard Kunstler are among the players who consider what happens when cities get sick and mutate.

Filmmaker Rob Stewart is fascinated by sharks. His film, in visually stunning, highdefinition video, goes to the most shark-rich waters of the world, exposing the exploitation and corruption surrounding sharks in the marine reserves of Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands.

Saturday, January 3

Sunday, January 4

11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. /Workshop: Food Matters

1:30 p.m. /Film: Burning the Future: Coal in America

Food: Mood, Behavior, and Learning Issues Presenter Dorothy Mullen uses grocery items to help people examine their relationships with food. The brain effects of factory foods will be scrutinized and links between healthy farming practices and healthy people will be considered.

12:15-12:45 p.m. /How to Turn Your Lawn into Food

Dorothy Mullen and other Lawn-to-Food Project participants show how to turn a portion of lawn into dinner. People may sign for this 12-month, Princeton-based project and will be invited to three free workshops at Riverside School and a fall harvest dinner. Demystify the process and learn that growing food is easy!

12:45-1:30 p.m. /Ask the Expert:

Barbara Bromley, Mercer County Horticulturist

Find out how to turn your own lawn into a vegetable garden. Even a space recently treated with herbicides can be converted. Learn from Bromley, Mercer County master gardener and horticulturist.

Writer/director David Novack looks at the conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia.

Filmmaker David Novack attending with Jeff Domanski, PhD Candidate, Wilson School, Princeton University. .

4:30 p.m. /Talk: Sharks – 35 Years After Jaws

Wendy Benchley, board member of the Environmental Defense Fund and widow of Peter Benchley, joins Stan Waterman, president of the Advisory Board of the Shark Research Institute in this program of film and conversation. Benchley will show film from her personal archives and talk about diving with sharks. Waterman will discuss his ocean adventures with unique footage of fellow divers with sharks.

Monday, January 5 Noon /Film: Juliette of the Herbs

The life and work of Juliette de Bairacli Levy, renowned herbalist, author and holistic medicine pioneer is the subject of this film.

Filmmaker Tish Streeten attending.

2 p.m. /Panel Discussion: Whole Earth Goes Green:

The challenges and rewards of greening a commercial building

The panelists will provide an overview of their LEED compliant renovation project at the Princeton store and talk about the challenges and successes of envisioning, designing, building, and using a green retail building. Information will also be provided on the services and suppliers who participated in the project and on the process of acquiring LEED certification.

Panel: Herb Mertz, member of the Whole Earth Center Board of Trustees; Ronald Berlin, the project architect; Wayne Pietrini, project manager for Baxter Construction; Alex Levine, manager of the Whole Earth Center deli and café. Moderated by Fran McManus.

4 p.m. /Film: WWOOF ‘n Wander

Princeton native Joshua Halpern spent nine months last year helping on organic farms from Hawaii to the Himalayas through WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), which connects farmers in 89 countries with volunteers willing to help on the farm in exchange for food, lodging and experience. Halpern will answer questions following the screening. Filmmaker Joshua Halpern attending.

7 p.m. /Panel Discussion: The State of the Organic Farm in New Jersey

Local farmers and organic food activists address the growing interest in safe food, organic practices, farm-to-school practices and the return of the community farmers’ markets. Learn how the public can participate in ensuring that the movement develops in a positive direction. Panel: David Earling, Gravity Hill Farm; Beth Feehan, West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market; Mike Rassweiler, North Slope Farm and a representative from NOFA-NJ. Moderated by Dorothy Mullen.

Tuesday, January 6 1:00 p.m. /Talk: Greening your Business or Library

Suzan Globus, FASID, LEED AP, principle of Globus Design Associates, illustrates a threestep process to putting your business or library, regardless of size and industry, on the path to sustainability. Using her firm as a case study, Globus describes the approach to “walking the talk” about sustainability.

4 p.m. /Film: Flow

This award-winning documentary examines what experts call the most important environmental issue of the 21st century: the world water crisis. Interviews with scientists and activists reveal the growing crisis and give viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions.

7 p.m. /Speakers: Communicating Climate Change

1 p.m. /Film: Swim for the River

Christopher Swain braved everything from whitewater to homeland security patrols to swim the entire length of the Hudson River. His experience links together stories of the river, which begins in wilderness and ends in one of the nation’s densest population centers. We meet heroes fighting to protect the river from industry and inept regulatory agencies, and learn how ordinary citizens can make a difference.

4:00 p.m. /Talk: “Garblogging”

The world of “garbloggers” is diverse and ever-growing, ranging from artists sharing work made out of recycled materials to armchair environmentalists tracking their own waste to make a political statement. Leila Darabi, creator of the blog everydaytrash, will give an overview of the many voices talking and tracking trash online and the common themes connecting them.

6 p.m. /Film: Trashed

Bill Kirkos’ investigation of the garbage business, one of the fastest growing industries in North America, is at times humorous but deeply poignant. The film analyzes the causes and effects of the seemingly innocuous act of “taking out the garbage” while showcasing the activists working to affect change and reform the current model. Filmmaker Bill Kirkos attending.

7:30 p.m. /Talk:Elizabeth Royte

Author of Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It, Royte is an award-winning writer about science and the environment. Her other books include Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash, and she has written for Harper’s, National Geographic, Outside, and the New York Times Magazine.

Friday, January 9 Noon /Film: Herban Garden

The Herban Garden was transformed from a vacant lot in Princeton Borough into a garden of food, soundscapes and sculpture, combining the talents of local sound designers, sculptors, architects and a beekeeper to create a memorable park. The garden is now gone, but the film tells the story about its evolution from those who helped to create it. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Chris Allen.

2 p.m. /Film: Coal Ties

This short documentary explores the connections between electricity consumption in small-town Yellow Springs, Ohio and distant Meigs County, a region oversaturated by coal-related industry. The screening will be followed by a Q&A session with filmmaker Carl Reeverts, who co-produced the film with Paul Zink as a senior project at Antioch College. Filmmaker Carl Reeverts and Paul Zink attending.

3:30 p.m. /Talk and Screenings: “Communicating Sustainability: Video and Podcast explorations by Princeton University students”

Shana Weber of Princeton University’s Office of Sustainability presents short podcasts and video productions by Princeton students about sustainability. The works are the result of Student Environmental Communication Network internships, academic course-work, and a summer training program.

Berrien Moore III, Heidi Cullen and Charles Lyons from Climate Central will address challenges of communicating about climate change and how Climate Central is working at employing a strategy of making climate change a local issue. They will include segments they have produced with and for for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer/ PBS. Climate Central is an

accessible one-stop source for timely, relevant, high-quality climate information through a variety of channels, targeting the media and leaders in business, government, and religion. It operates without partisanship, bias, or lobbying.

Wednesday, January 7 11:00 a.m. /Panel Discussion: Farm to School Initiatives in New Jersey The Whys and Hows of Serving Fresh Local Fruits and Vegetables in Our School Cafeterias

It is not an easy task to convince the school board or the food service company to change the way they have conducted business for decades but these panelists are proof it can be done with patience and creativity. Find out how a private school, a public school and a university have transformed their food service and moved away from processed foods to fresh local fare. Panel: Rachel Rizal and David Bejar, Princeton University ‘09, Community Based Learning Initiative; Sal Valenza, Food Service Director, West New York, New Jersey Public School System; Gary Giberson, Director of Dining Services at Lawrenceville School, President, Sustainable Fare; and Linda Geren, Resident District Manager for Sodexo Campus Services.

4 p.m. /Film: All in This Tea

Tea importer David Lee Hoffman is followed to the most remote regions of China in this documentary, as he searches for the finest handmade teas in the world. As the Chinese open their doors to the global marketplace, Hoffman opens their eyes to their own ancient tradition while introducing the west to the exquisite taste of fine, handmade tea. The film will be followed by a discussion with Paul Shu, owner of Holesome Tea & Herb of Princeton.

7 p.m. /Talk: Greening the University-

7 p.m. /Film: Addicted to Plastic

No invention in the past 100 years has had more influence than synthetics. But such progress has a cost. This global journey looks at the material of a thousand uses and its toxic legacy. Filmmaker Ian Connacher attending.

Saturday, January 10 11 a.m. /Talk: New Approaches to Community Building and Growing an Environmental Economy This panel discussion about fitting healthy design and sustainable architecture into everyday budgets will also touch on the potential for creating eco-conscious communities. Anastasia Harrison of WESKetch Architects, Jason Kliwinski Spiezle Architectural Group and Elizabeth Slate of The Alchemical Nursery Project are the panelists.

2:30 p.m. /Film: King Corn

This documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fastfood nation raises troubling questions about how we eat and how we farm. This is a special reprise from last year’s festival. Filmmakers Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney attending.

7 p.m. /Film: The Greening of Southie

Ellis and Cheney return for this second film, the story of a revolutionary “green building” in South Boston and the men and women who bring it to life. Things don’t always go as planned, and the young development team has to keep the project from unraveling. The film has music by the Brooklyn-based duo Force Theory.

Filmmakers Curt Ellis and Ian Cheney attending.

A buying for the future perspective

As Executive Director for Purchasing at Rutgers University, one of the largest state educational institutions in the nation, Kevin Lyons had the opportunity to put research and theory into practice. His story reveals his dogged determination, attention to small details, consensus-building with stakeholders, corporate social responsibility, frustrations, humble courageousness, and willingness to be marginalized--all necessary to affect change. Lyons will present insights into how one individual can affect large scale environmental changes.

Thursday, January 8 Noon /Panel Discussion: The Benefits of School Gardens for Students, Teachers, Schools and Communities

The Princeton Schools now have edible teaching gardens at six public schools K-12. The gardens offer hands-on learning that enhances the curriculum in every subject from math to social studies, art to Spanish and more. This panel will look at the benefits of creating a school garden from the perspective of administrators, principals, teachers and students. Panel: Keerthi S. Shetty and Rosa Mendoza, Princeton University ‘09, Community Based Learning Initiative; Ross Mazur, Princeton High School, Co-President, Environmental Club; Annie Kosek, Principal, Littlebrook Elementary School; Lew Goldstein, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, Public Information and Community Relations, Princeton Regional Schools. Moderated by Diane Landis.

Sunday, January 11 1:30 p.m. /Film: Greetings from Asbury Park

Angie, 91, lived through three decades of rust, riot and ruin in Asbury Park, the one-time postcard paradise of the Jersey Shore. Now the tiny bungalow that she has called home for half her life will be seized by eminent domain. A panel discussion following the film will explore this specific experience in New Jersey and related environmental justice issues.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Christina Eliopoulos, and the panel included: Kerry Margaret Butch, Project Director, Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC); Bill Potter, attorney, Potter and Dickson; and Roy Jones, Executive Director, South Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.

4:30 p.m. /It’s a Wrap The PEFF Festival Wrap-Up Party. Refreshments served.