Hello, My name is Alex Wenchel and I am the director of the upcoming non-profit film "The Intelligent Environmentalist".

This October and November I will be traveling across the country speaking with people that have made solar power work for their bank account. The premise of the film is that the environment's welfare is not a strong enough incentive to make average citizens act on their own. Instead, this film will look at how going "green" may actually save you money in the long run.

I would love to have at least one company, individual, or community that is using solar power off the grid. In many cases it is cheaper for someone to use solar than to run power lines to a remote location so if you are making use of solar in a way that saves you money am interested in speaking with you and possibly setting up an interview time.

I will be traveling across the United States covering most states south of the Mason Dixon line from coast to coast. If you have an interesting system in place, or interesting stories to tell, please contact me at intelligentenvironmentalist@gmail.com

You must be willing to appear on film and sign a release allowing me to use your likeness in the film. The film will be released for free download or streaming June 2011. For more information visit the film's website http://intelligentenvironmentalist.com

I look forward to hearing from members of this community that are off the grid!

When you say "non-profit", does that mean with a grant from Oil Giants, Inc.? After looking at your website, i am skeptical of your motives. Your job as a documentarian is to document the facts. That is true. But your job as a teacher and as a real human is to point the way for others and bring more light into the world. The subjective nature of the human experience is to put a personal spin on all information that is collected and presented. You can not avoid putting some bias, positive or negative, into the final edit. Your stated goal of a "light-hearted narrative" also showing the inadequacies of solar power sounds like an attempt by the oil and gas industry to marginalize people who live off-grid as some type of freaks or humorous dreamers. The truth is that solar power is very cost effective and reliable, and that we off-gridders are just like you. The only difference is: we have "learned how to stop worrying and love our solar panels," not fossil fuel!

I appreciate your response. I understand your concern but I want to assure you that I am in no way attached or backed by anyone, fossil fuel based or otherwise. I posted the article you are referencing because I want to point out that fossil fuels have had an important role in our history and shouldn't be universally hated. That does not mean that they should play that roll in the future, or even could if we wanted them to. After all, Oil is estimated to run out within the next 50 years.

So in response to your concern, the film I am producing aims to highlight the future of solar energy as a cost-effective solution to an energy crisis. However anyone goes about doing this is positive, and I would love to treat anyone interested with the same respect I would grant anyone. And finally, I definitely am not, and will not, be backed by anyone, although I am working to speak with major corporations on camera.

Alex

I appreciate your staight reply. I think it was the year before the movie Starwars was released. I was just a kid reading a magazine, and on the cover was a fantastic headline: "Due out for 1972! The new electric car!" What most people don't know is the first car ever was an electric car. I remember thinking, "golly gee wally! Where are all of these electric cars at?"

Ever ask why an oil giant corporation would purchase the patent rights to the nickle metal hydride battery patent, and then refuse to let it be used for anything more than "AA" toy batteries? Ever ask who killed the electric car? Remember all the talk about the new "hydrogen economy"? That was just converted natural gas. A bunch of hot air.

I'm not saying that oil itself is evil. It gave us sea turtles choking on plastic, children with cancer, asthma, and alot of other wonderful things. But the Oil Corporations are totally evil. Why do you think our military is dropping bombs on other countries and killing people? Do you think it's all about "terrorism"? When i was a kid, i watched kids on tv throwing rocks at tanks. I remember thinking, "why don't we go help those poor kids fight those tanks?" Those were OUR tanks!

The oil indusry is spending 100 times the amount of money on tv commercials about how they are going to make things right, instead of just paying the fishermen whose lives have been destroyed. Since i began writing this, i've heard 3 tv commercials on the propaganda box about how they are doing such a great job of cleaning the gulf! (you might not be seeing these if you don't live in Louisianna) And what about all of the oyster shacks and seafood restaurants that have gone out of business? They've convinced 90% of the population here that off-shore drilling is a good thing and should continue, even though less than 10% of us actually work for the oil industry in any way other than putting gas in our cars. Most jobs here are natural gas! And after the Texas city disaster, they spent 10 million on lawyers to avoid paying victims 1 million in benefits! They even use solar panels and AGM batteries on their off-shore rigs rather then burn the precious oil intended for sale to us suckers. Evil, and ironic!

So i apologize if i was unfairly harsh with you. I just feel that if you do not intend to be part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Good luck!