Deep Green

Filmmaker Matt Briggs, a dealer in gourmet mushrooms who has seen climate change despoil the forest environments in which he plies his trade, details personal moves he's taken to drastically reduce his household "carbon footprint" and looks at larger efforts directed at saving the planet, ranging from electric cars to "smart grid" power arrays that sync solar- and wind-power stations with "smart chips" in appliances. What differentiates Deep Green from similar eco-journeys featuring familiar talking heads (interviewees here include Michael Pollan and David Suzuki) is praise directed at emerging China—often portrayed as an industrial menace—for mandating green construction and recycling right alongside their industrial growth. A U.S. counterpart is Portland, which also serves as a progressive-policy role model. Described as a "weekend" project that, er, mushroomed from a short into a feature-length documentary, the tone here is consistently upbeat, although the cheerleading overlooks many dilemmas related to renewable-energy strategies (Germany is upheld for dealing with the enormous cost factor by offering tax-break incentives for green upgrades) and the continual music soundtrack feels heavy enough for its own carbon footprint. Although it wanders during a few odd bits—such as a standup comic waxing cynical about tree-hugging—this mostly engaging and inspirational film is recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)