“There’s no Hispanic air. There’s no African-American air. There’s air! And if you breathe air – and most people I know do breathe air, then I would consider you an environmentalist,” as one advocate put it. The first to consider the entire history and scope of environmentalism, from conservation to climate change, this film explores how disparate environmental issues built into an international cause, the largest movement the world has ever seen and perhaps the most crucial in terms of what’s at stake. A Fierce Green Fire covers iconic events of the past 50 years, including the rising conservation ethic of the 1960s that culminated in the first Earth Day in 1970, rescuing the people of Love Canal from toxic chemicals, saving whales and the Amazon rainforest. Finally, the film examines the origins of climate change with the accompanying political paralysis and the grassroots movements that are beginning to transform industrial society and put us on a path to sustainability. Bill McKibben, Paul Watson, Tom Lovejoy and Carl Pope are among over 30 environmental leaders interviewed. Based on the book of the same name by Philip Shabecoff.

Directed and produced by Mark Kitchell. Executive Producer: Marc N. Weiss. Edited by Ken Schneider.