Josh Tickell

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Josh Tickell
Josh and Rebecca Tickell at AFI Dallas.jpg
Josh and wife Rebecca Harrell Tickell at AFI Dallas Film Festival, March 2010
Born (1975-08-07) August 7, 1975 (age 48)
Lancaster, Ohio, United States
Spouse Rebecca Harrell Tickell (2010–present)

Josh Tickell (born August 7, 1975) is an American film director who specializes in movies with a social message. His first feature movie, Fuel [1] won the Sundance Audience Award for Best Documentary, was released theatrically in the United States and became a global sensation gaining over 1 million viewers on Netflix, iTunes, Hulu and CNBC. [1] [2] The movie was screened in the White House for energy and environment staff working in the Obama Administration.

Contents

Life and career

Tickell directed the Cannes Film Festival movie, The Big Fix . [3] The film explores possible connections between corporate and political malfeasance and the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. He went on to direct his third film, Freedom (2011), [4] which focuses on alcohol fuel and aired on the SuperChannel in Canada. He completed his latest documentary, PUMP, and is currently in production on Good Fortune. [5]

Tickell holds a Master's degree in Film from Florida State University's School of Motion Picture Arts. [5]

Tickell is married to activist and former actress Rebecca Harrell Tickell, with whom he collaborates on his films.

The Veggie Van Voyage

Tickell returned to the US, bought an old diesel-powered Winnebago van that he painted with sunflowers and called the "Veggie Van". [6] [7] He built a small biodiesel processor that he named "The Green Grease Machine" and then set off on a 25,000 mile, two-year tour of the US powered by the biodiesel he made from used grease collected from fast food restaurants along the way. This journey, which eventually became known as The Veggie Van Voyage, attracted the attention of numerous media outlets, serving to promote the publicity of biodiesel as a viable alternative fuel.[ citation needed ]

Books

After the Veggie Van tour, Tickell co-wrote his first book, From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank – The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel. [8]

His second book, Biodiesel America: How to Free America From Oil and Make Money with Alternative Fuel, examines the status quo of the oil industry, the automakers and the government and offers an alternative energy roadmap to wean the US off fossil fuels.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

In 2014, Harrell Tickell directed and produced the documentary film Pump , which is funded by the Fuel Freedom Foundation, [11] whose aim is to reduce American dependence on imported oil through replacing it with US-produced methanol from fossil gas, compressed natural gas (obtained by fracking) and biofuels. [12] These solutions are promoted in Pump, which includes an interview with John Hofmeister, Advisory Board member of the Fuel Freedom Foundation and former President of Shell Oil Co. [11] The film has The Los Angeles Times reviewed the film as "well reasoned and compelling". The film has also been criticised for promoting fossil fuel production such as fracking and methanol from fossil gas, as well as biofuels, [13] which are controversial due to their competition for agricultural land with food production and high emissions. [14] For instance, maize ethanol is estimated to have a higher emissions impact than gasoline and diesel, once carbon opportunity costs are factored in, and substantially higher emissions than solar-powered electric vehicles. [15]

In 2020, Tickell and his wife Rebecca Harrell Tickell co-directed documentary Kiss the Ground, which is narrated by Woody Harrelson, and advocates for restoring soils through regenerative farming as a solution to climate change and soil degredation. The film has received criticism for its uncritical presentation of the ideas of Allan Savory, a controversial figure who has claimed that the carbon sequestration potential of holistic livestock grazing is immune from empirical scientific study. [16] A Food and Climate Research Network meta-study found that Savory's claims that holistic grazing by livestock can reverse climate change were "unrealistic" and very different from those issued by peer-reviewed studies. [17] Kiss the Ground has also been criticised for its selective reference to Project Drawdown, [18] a respected ranking of solutions with the most potential to combat climate change - the film points out that Project Drawdown states that 13.72 - 20.92 Gigatons CO2eq can be sequestered in soils between 2020–2050 due to “Managed Grazing” (0.46-0.70 Gigatons CO2eq per year), but omits to mention that this would only be enough to offset of 7-11% of ruminant livestock's total estimated emissions of 6.4 gigatons CO2eq per year, [19] and that Project Drawdown ranks a reduction in livestock numbers due to "Plant-rich diets" as having the 2nd highest potential of all solutions, with potential to reduce emissions by 78.33 - 103.11 Gigatons CO2eq between 2020–2050 (2.61-3.44 Gigatons CO2eq per year). [20]

Clean energy advocacy

In September 2009, Tickell's documentary on alternative clean energy, Fuel , was rolled out into 150 cities. In 2012, Tickell's advocacy for clean energy led him to join the advisory board of Grow Energy, [21] a startup focused on developing algae as a viable energy resource.

Education

Tickell holds an undergraduate degree in Sustainable Living from New College of Florida.

After the publication of his first book, Tickell enrolled in Florida State University's School of Motion Picture Television and Recording Arts where he earned his MFA in film.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricultural, domestic or industrial biowaste. Biofuels are mostly used for transportation, but can also be used for heating and electricity. Biofuels are regarded as a renewable energy source. The use of biofuel has been subject to criticism regarding the "food vs fuel" debate, varied assessments of their sustainability, and possible deforestation and biodiversity loss as a result of biofuel production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biodiesel</span> Fuel made from vegetable oils or animal fats

Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats.

Vegetable oil can be used as an alternative fuel in diesel engines and in heating oil burners. When vegetable oil is used directly as a fuel, in either modified or unmodified equipment, it is referred to as straight vegetable oil (SVO) or pure plant oil (PPO). Conventional diesel engines can be modified to help ensure that the viscosity of the vegetable oil is low enough to allow proper atomization of the fuel. This prevents incomplete combustion, which would damage the engine by causing a build-up of carbon. Straight vegetable oil can also be blended with conventional diesel or processed into biodiesel, HVO or bioliquids for use under a wider range of conditions.

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a vegetable oil refining fuel production process commercialized by the Finnish oil and refining company Neste. Whether as an admixture or in its pure form, Neste MY Renewable Diesel is able to supplement or partially replace diesel fuel without problems. Neste MY Renewable Diesel guarantees that every gallon sold meets ASTM D975 and EN 15940 specifications in compliance with OEM standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Energy crop</span> Crops grown solely for energy production by combustion

Energy crops are low-cost and low-maintenance crops grown solely for renewable bioenergy production. The crops are processed into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, such as pellets, bioethanol or biogas. The fuels are burned to generate electrical power or heat.

Renewable Fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels, Hydrogen fuel, and fully synthetic fuel produced from ambient carbon dioxide and water. This is in contrast to non-renewable fuels such as natural gas, LPG (propane), petroleum and other fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Renewable fuels can include fuels that are synthesized from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. Renewable fuels have gained in popularity due to their sustainability, low contributions to the carbon cycle, and in some cases lower amounts of greenhouse gases. The geo-political ramifications of these fuels are also of interest, particularly to industrialized economies which desire independence from Middle Eastern oil.

Biofuel is fuel that is produced from organic matter (biomass), including plant materials and animal waste. It is considered a renewable source of energy that can assist in reducing carbon emissions. The two main types of biofuel currently being produced in Australia are biodiesel and bioethanol, used as replacements for diesel and petrol (gasoline) respectively. As of 2017 Australia is a relatively small producer of biofuels, accounting for 0.2% of world bioethanol production and 0.1% of world biodiesel production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Savory</span> Zimbabwean farmer

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vegetable oils as alternative energy</span> Fuel made from plants

Vegetable oils are increasingly used as a substitute for fossil fuels. Vegetable oils are the basis of biodiesel, which can be used like conventional diesel. Some vegetable oil blends are used in unmodified vehicles, but straight vegetable oil often needs specially prepared vehicles which have a method of heating the oil to reduce its viscosity and surface tension, sometimes specially made injector nozzles, increased injection pressure and stronger glow-plugs, in addition to fuel pre-heating is used. Another alternative is vegetable oil refining.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Algae fuel</span> Use of algae as a source of energy-rich oils

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Biogasoline is a type of gasoline produced from biomass such as algae. Like traditionally produced gasoline, it is made up of hydrocarbons with 6 (hexane) to 12 (dodecane) carbon atoms per molecule and can be used in internal combustion engines. However, unlike traditional gasoline/petroleum based fuels, which are mainly composed from oil, biogasolines are made from plants such as beets and sugarcane or cellulosic biomass- substances normally referred to as plant waste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sustainable biofuel</span> Non-fossil-based sustainable production

Sustainable biofuel is biofuel produced in a sustainable manner. It is not based on petroleum or other fossil fuels. It includes not using plants that are used for food stuff to produce the fuel thus disrupting the world's food supply.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Harrell Tickell</span> American actress

Rebecca Reynolds Tickell is a producer, director, actress, singer, and environmental activist.

United States policy in regard to biofuels, such as ethanol fuel and biodiesel, began in the early 1990s as the government began looking more intensely at biofuels as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil and increase the nation's overall sustainability. Since then, biofuel policies have been refined, focused on getting the most efficient fuels commercially available, creating fuels that can compete with petroleum-based fuels, and ensuring that the agricultural industry can support and sustain the use of biofuels.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regenerative agriculture</span> Conservation and rehabilitation approach to food and farming systems

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<i>Pump</i> (film) 2014 American film

Pump is a 2014 documentary film by Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell. The film begins by exploring the history of petroleum-based fuel consumption, the use of the Internal combustion engine and the geopolitics involved with petroleum. It is primarily focuses on the United States but also includes a segment on the automotive industry in China. The film then explores in-depth on the alternative energy options for vehicles that are either readily available for use or can be on a mass scale. This includes ethanol fuel, methanol fuel, Flexible-fuel vehicles in Brazil, flexible-fuel vehicles in the United States, and electric vehicles including Tesla Motors.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Fuel Film". Thefuelfilm.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Josh Tickell". HuffPost . Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
  3. ↑ "The Big Fix Movie | The shocking true story behind the BP oil spill". Thebigfixmovie.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Freedom documentary by Josh & Rebecca Tickell | the Green Girl Next Door". Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "A Full Service Film and Video Production Company". Archived from the original on June 5, 2014. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ Tickell, J. (1997). A Drive Toward Sustainable Living:Renewable Energy Alternatives to Current Lifestyle and Transportation Patterns (Bachelor thesis).
  7. ↑ Bevill, Kris (2012). "Biodiesel Magazine | biodieselmagazine.com". Biodieselmagazine.com. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  8. ↑ Tickell, Joshua; Tickell, Kaia (2012). From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank: The Complete Guide to Using Vegetable Oil as an Alternative Fuel: Joshua Tickell, Kaia Tickell, Kaia Roman: 9780970722706: Amazon.com: Books. Biodiesel America. ISBN   978-0970722706.
  9. ↑ Hirsh, Sophie (January 9, 2023). "Standing Rock Protests Come to Life in Feature Film 'On Sacred Ground,' Starring David Arquette (Exclusive)". Green Matters. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  10. ↑ Papadatos, Markos (January 10, 2023). "Rebecca and Josh Tickell talk about 'On Sacred Ground' film". Digital Journal. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Pump The Movie". Fuel Freedom Foundation. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  12. ↑ "About Us". Fuel Freedom Foundation. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  13. ↑ Steiner, Lauren (October 10, 2014). "Buyer Beware: Latest Documentary From the Tickells Promotes Natural Gas". Truthout. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  14. ↑ Jeswani, Harish K.; Chilvers, Andrew; Azapagic, Adisa (November 2020). "Environmental sustainability of biofuels: a review". Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 476 (2243). Bibcode:2020RSPSA.47600351J. doi:10.1098/rspa.2020.0351. ISSN   1364-5021. PMC   7735313 . PMID   33363439.
  15. ↑ Searchinger, Timothy D.; Wirsenius, Stefan; Beringer, Tim; Dumas, Patrice (December 2018). "Assessing the efficiency of changes in land use for mitigating climate change". Nature. 564 (7735): 249–253. Bibcode:2018Natur.564..249S. doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0757-z. ISSN   1476-4687. PMID   30542169. S2CID   54478982.
  16. ↑ "Holistic management – a critical review of Allan Savory's grazing method". Table Debates. September 16, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  17. ↑ Garnett, Tara; Godde, Cécile (2017). "Grazed and confused?" (PDF). Food Climate Research Network. p. 64. Retrieved February 11, 2021. The non-peer-reviewed estimates from the Savory Institute are strikingly higher – and, for all the reasons discussed earlier (Section 3.4.3), unrealistic.
  18. ↑ Carter, Nicholas (October 5, 2020). "Kiss The Ground: Just A Last Ditch Effort To Keep Meat Relevant?". Plant Based News. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  19. ↑ Twine, Richard (January 2021). "Emissions from Animal Agriculture—16.5% Is the New Minimum Figure". Sustainability. 13 (11): 6276. doi: 10.3390/su13116276 . ISSN   2071-1050.
  20. ↑ "Table of Solutions". Project Drawdown. February 5, 2020. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Grow Energy - About our Company". Growenergy.org. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
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