The film and talk will be presented on Wednesday September 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the Patten Free Library, 33 Summer Street. The program is sponsored by Maine Partners for Cool Communities and Cool Communities-Bath.

The film focuses on architect Bill McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart who have developed a protocol in which “humanity works with nature, where technical enterprises are continually reinvented as safe and ever-renewing natural processes.”

Narrated by Susan Sarandon,  “The Next Industrial Revolution” depicts a sampling of the McDonough-Braungart projects here and abroad including their work with Nike Inc., the Ford Motor Company, and Herman Miller Furniture.  All projects focus on serving nature without sacrificing profitability.

Using the McDonough-Braungart protocol, Nike is creating a “green” materials palette, testing the more than 5,000 chemicals used to manufacture their products and systematically eliminating harmful ingredients. Ford has commissioned McDonough to direct the transformation of its giant River Rouge plant into a sustainable manufacturing facility in a restored river ecosystem, a $2 billion project with a 20-year timeline. Ford’s Volvo division is developing sustainable cars “that demonstrate a bold rethinking of personal mobility in harmony with the planet.”  The film also focuses on the Herman Miller furniture factory in Michigan. The energy savings and productivity gains in that facility paid back its $52 per square foot cost within its first year of operation.

The film does an excellent job of presenting “both theory and real world examples of a design revolution that has the potential to re-make our world,” according to James Speth, dean of the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.  William Clay Ford, Jr., Chair of Ford Motor Company, says, “Bill McDonough is one of the most profound environmental thinkers in the world,” one of the very few practical visionaries.

The film, directed by Chris Bedford and Shelley Morhaim, will be followed by a short presentation by Jim Wellehan, showcasing his Maine company’s actions to save energy while saving money. According to Jim, saving energy and greening his business have been very good for his bottom line. 

The program is the first in a series of public education films and talks planned by Cool Communities for the year. Cool Communities-Bath is a group of local citizens who have come together to work with municipal leaders and the community on a climate action plan and smart energy solutions. The group is engaged with Maine Partners for Cool Communities, a collaboration of the American Lung Association of Maine, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Energy Investment Corp., Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Sierra Club-Maine Chapter, which is working with grassroots activists in more than three dozen Maine communities to implement global warming solutions.

For more information about the program or Cool Communities-Bath, please contact 761-5616 or send email to Dr. Paul Perkins at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it