Most people are just getting their bikes back out onto the road, but Denis Boullion never put his away. In an effort to reduce his environmental footprint, he rides his bike all year long.
reen Party candidate for Ottawa Centre, showcased Boullion in his first film Be the Change, about Ottawa residents who make an effort to live lightly. He is now producing his second film, Powerful: Energy Security for Everyone, about breakthroughs in sustainable energy both locally and around the world.
In March, Chernushenko screened his first film at the Green Lifestyle Film Festival in Los Angeles where he received the Green Apple Award for his work.
At the time, he wondered how people in LA, with such a different climate and lifestyle, would react to Boullion’s determined biking.
“People laughed appreciatively when they saw my friend hop on his bike and ride off the Rideau Canal into the snowstorm,” he said.
But environmental events, such as film festivals, draw small crowds, and Chernushenko attributes this to one major factor.
He says people are inactive when it comes to environmental efforts because they are bombarded with pessimistic messages, and the Los Angeles event was no exception. He adds that individuals mobilize when they hear about active solutions, such as the ones in his upcoming film.
“[Green films] don’t have to be all ‘happy happy, the world is great’ because it’s not. But there are many films that conclude with someone surmounting the obstacles and finding solutions.”
In Powerful, Chernushenko provides a number of examples where communities actively use sustainable energy. He says solutions such as these in his films allow people to feel as though a movement is possible.
Susan Tanner, executive director of the Canadian Environmental Network, agrees that focusing on problems may be ineffective and Canadians are avoiding the issue because they are afraid.
“Environmentalists just know more about the problem, which makes them even more frightened than the public,” she says.
But not everyone thinks Ottawa residents aren’t active enough
Peter Blanchard founded the website GreenOttawa.ca to unite people with an interest in the environment. He says Ottawa’s efforts are too heavily criticized.
Blanchard says that activism can be seen through events such as organic gardening courses, and Ottawa’s upcoming Eco-Fair, which offers a variety of everyday ways to be friendly to the environment.
The GreenOttawa.ca event list also includes a film competition that Chernushenko is organizing.
Contestants were asked to create original short films about eco-friendly lifestyles in Ottawa.
“You’ll be amazed at how ordinary people living right next door are doing neat things,” Chernushenko says.
“If we share the success stories, we will inspire more and more people to go further and further. And we can have fun doing it.”