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Energy Resources (16)
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Bate's Car: Sweet as a NutTony Ianzelo 1974 15 minThis short film presents Mr. Bate, an inventor who discovers a substitute for gasoline in barnyard manure. Even though he fits the classic mould of single-minded know-how and practical dreamer, his discovery is tried and tested. He demonstrates how his home-made digester does turn manure into potent methane gas that powers his auto. And for good measure, he demonstrates his latest sustainable invention – a bicycle powered by the bumps on the road. -
BlowhardBrad Caslor & Christopher Hinton 1978 9 minThis animated short tells the story of J.B. Edwards, an Easterner who went west to create a fuel company called Consolidated Dragons. When the supply of dragons starts drying up, the company's profits are sorely affected and a solution has to be found.
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The Battle of Rabaska - Chronicle of an Environmental ConflictMagnus Isacsson & Martin Duckworth 2008 1 h 18 minThis documentary is the story of citizen activists opposing a methane tanker terminal practically on their doorstep. Lucid and compelling, the film shows citizen action pitted against powerful lobbies and reminds us to be vigilant faced with Quebec's environmental and energy-related issues over the coming years.
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Design Innovations for Canadian SettlementsBruce Mackay 1976 17 minA 1976 documentary about innovative housing and community design as a way to conserve energy. Two planned mining towns, one in Quebec and another in Manitoba, are examined, as well as solar-heated homes in Ontario and Prince Edward Island. This film was produced by the NFB for the Canadian Habitat Secretariat, Urban Affairs.
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The Energy CarolLes Drew 1975 10 minThis animated short borrows A Christmas Carol’s storyline to sketch a satirical exposé on energy waste and conservation. In this version, Ebenezer "Stooge", a power company CEO, has a bold motto: to waste is to grow. After his midnight meeting with the spirits of Energy Past, Present and Future, however, that motto is up for thorough review.
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Fire - EnergyMichel Barbeau 2000 21 minThis short documentary is about Canada's energy resources: wind, water, sun, oil, uranium and natural gas. The film is part of the TRANSIT series on Canada's geography, which travels from the humid rainforests of British Columbia, to the desert-like badlands of Alberta; from the frosty Arctic where no trees grow, to the fertile farmland of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Region.
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The Hottest Show on EarthTerence Macartney-Filgate , Derek Lamb , … 1977 27 minA side-splitting combo of animation and live action that catapults the potentially mundane subject of home insulation to heights of hilarity. Even the host, Dr. David Suzuki, gets into the improbable act. He proves that "The Energy Crisis" is not a rock group, and that there are simple ways to stay warm in winter and save fuel dollars. Topics include: the origins of fossil fuels, how to optimize furnace efficiency, common areas of home heat loss, weather-stripping and insulation. A film to keep you warm and laughing.
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A House on the PrairieRon Bashford & Bob Lower 1978 17 minThis documentary describes the unfortunate legacy of the lone house on the prairie, an example of a dwelling entirely unsuited for the harsh winter or summer. We meet some builders and home owners experimenting with designs that are more energy efficient, such as the dome, the underground house and a ranch with wind, solar energy and methane gas from animal waste.
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Life and RadiationHugh O'Connor 1960 30 minThis short film explores the effects of atomic radiation on living things. It starts off with a discussion on the most familiar form of radiant energy (the sun) and goes on to include a demonstration of radiation. A discussion of the possible genetic alterations follows.
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Mastering a River1970 17 minAn examination of the effects of the hydroelectric power development of the South Saskatchewan River on the lives of the people who live in the areas it passes through.
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The New AlchemistsDorothy Todd Henaut 1974 28 minThis short documentary profiles a community engaged in developing sustainable living methods, including food production and small-scale solar and wind technology, on a farm in Massachusetts in the 1970s. Well before sustainability was a mainstream concern, these prescient innovators attempted to create a vision of a greener, kinder world. "Think small," say the New Alchemists. "Look what thinking big has done."
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Operation ConservationAndy Thomson 1979 23 minA bilingual film, in English and French, to encourage the conservation of oil. Produced by the NFB in 1979 for the Canadian Department of Defence.
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Sun, Wind and WoodDorothy Todd Henaut 1978 24 minThis short documentary film illustrates the various ways people fight the high cost of energy by devising ingenious ways to use wood, the sun, and the wind. The film highlights one such project named the Ark. Using natural systems only, this bio-shelter ingeniously provides housing, heat, food and electricity for an entire family.
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Strange Doings1964 9 minShark Hunt: Canadian Fisheries Patrol in the Pacific brings in a huge basking shark. Stringing a Line: A power line is strung by helicopter over mountains in Banff National Park. Arctic Town: Inuvik, a new town built on stilts inside the Arctic Circle.
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This Borrowed LandBonnie Kreps 1984 28 minThe Peace River Valley in British Columbia is an area of rich farmland threatened by the construction of a hydro-electric dam. This Borrowed Land gives the women who farm the Peace the chance to voice their growing concern over the conversion of farmland to uses not related to the production of food. They ask: "Will we leave our children enough land to grow food on?" They are firmly committed to their lifestyle despite the difficulties, both concrete and imponderable. A film about agriculture, ecology, land misuse, and stout-willed farmers who happen to be women.
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Worst Case ScenarioGlynis Whiting 2001 43 minThis documentary looks at the risks of a proposed sour gas well near Clearwater River, in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. Farmers and landowners all share concerns. Residents opposed to the well fear a deadly hydrogen sulphide leak. Shell Canada says it must drill to meet energy needs. When mediation talks break down, both sides anxiously await a ruling from Alberta's Energy and Utilities Board.
