Directed by Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell
Reviewed by Karen Hemry
The movie Pump may provide just the motivation for me to convert my car to an electric or Flex Fuel model in the near future. The documentary points out that, with rising demand for cars and gasoline in booming China, it will be imperative for the US to finally end its dependence on international oil sources within a few years. While US fracking can provide up to 50 percent of our demand for oil, biofuels and electricity are certainly cleaner, cheaper, and more abundant sources that are already available to power our vehicles.
The film, the latest expose on the subject of US fuel from SoCal-based world-renowned filmmakers Joshua Tickell and Rebecca Harrell Tickell complains that Americans are not given a choice at the pump. What do they mean by lack of choice? They assert that we could be offered ethanol, methanol, and/or electric powering stations at our local gas stations. According to the film, almost all of the recently manufactured cars in this country are designed to run on biofuels, but unless your car is designated as a FlexFuel car, it is currently illegal to operate on ethanol or a combination of gasoline and ethanol.
Where can you even find alternative fuels for your vehicle? They suggest using an internet search or an app. However, less than three percent of US gas stations currently sell ethanol. The largest gas stations are owned by the oil “monopolies,” but independent stations could be offering alternative fuel choices if we demand it. As the film states, what we need is, “Fuel democracy and fuel choice, not fuel monopoly.”
Jason Bateman narrates this snazzy and accessible documentary. Pump opens in theaters on September 19 in Los Angeles.
Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!