Who Killed the Electric Car? (2006)

I don't think of myself as a tree-hugger. I can't imagine moving out to a commune to fertilize the land with my own waste. But I do rinse out my cans, bottles, and jugs for the recycling truck and scowl self-importantly at the long line of SUVs next to my fuel-efficient Honda in line to pick up students from school. Basically, I haven't yet inconvenienced myself in order to make the world greener -- but I happily make easy changes and am surprised at those who are too selfish to do so.

It's not like I really love separating and washing my trash while paying $8 extra a month to do so as though it's a privilege rather than extra work, but it'd be truly difficult for me to stop. I've tried to let recyclables just stay in the trash can when guests have tossed them in there -- but the thought of leaving them just bothers me too much when it's so easy to keep them from taking up landfill space. I know that the level of emotion can't compare, but it gives me some idea of the outrage California drivers felt when they were no longer allowed to drive the cars they'd come to love: cars that were quiet, efficient, dependable, and non-pollutive. Some were in tears, others were simply mad, all were dumbfounded at the decision to stop producing these cars that had lists of people eager to own them.

Don't be scared off by the environmental sound of the film. Even if you don't care a whit about spotted owls or global warming, this is good movie-making and, in my opinion, must-know information for all Americans.

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