Last Friday, I went to a showing of the movie Fuel, the Sundance award-winning film that documents Josh Tickell’s journey in discovering the origins of the petrochemical industry—as well as the political constructs that sustain it—and his decision to do something about it. As a young adult Tickell went on an 11-year-long road trip, driving his modified vegetable oil-powered van, actively publicizing biofuels and capturing footage for this compelling film.

The movie demonstrates the vital need to reduce the consumption of gasoline by looking to other natural resources such as Ethanol (based on sugar or corn), Methanol (produced from biomass, including coal and natural gas), or biodiesel (from farmed microalgae). This last example is used to evoke hope in an otherwise bleak situation. The long-term goal is to reduce the price of microalgae biodiesel to a competitive price. Through channeling and converting methane gas, scientists are able to synthesize biodiesel. It even smells good. Think of sitting in traffic and smelling peanut oil instead of breathing in fumes of gas. Quite liberating!

What I appreciated was that it managed to communicate statistics through the integration of compelling 3D graphics, which captured my interest by making raw numbers and facts stimulating to watch.

Fuel has inspired social action and features supporters such as Woody Harrelson, Sheryl Crow and Larry Hagman. And former President Bill Clinton selected the Biodiesel America Organization to be a part of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Fuel is showing in New York from March 13 to 19. takepart and help get the film screened in your city.