The new flick 500 Days of Summer, which generated much buzz as the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, rolls out in limited release today. Lot’s of people are talking about it as a romantic comedy meets Memento which in film terms means that those with ADD or short attention spans might be confused by this rambunctious romantic romp. But for us, the buzz doesn’t just lie in the zigzagging sex talk but rather in the architecture talk. Even more specifically in the Green architecture talk.

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On Tuesday, the Sundance Channel quietly rolled out an effort to change that. Billed as “film, art, music, design and more as we see it - filtered through that space between the underground and the mainstream,” the new SUNfiltered blog provides an eclectic range of content… and, as with the company’s television programming, green is a part of the mix.

As a company with a sensitive finger on the cultural pulse, it’s no surprise that Sundance has made eco-consciousness a part of the new blog. Of course, you’d also expect them to hire a smart, savvy blogger with an eye for cutting-edge green developments to cover this beat, right?

You’d expect that. What you’ll get, however: me.

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Honda, one of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival’s official sponsors, parked their hydrogen fuel-cell powered FCX Clarity right in the middle of Main Street Park City. The car has been getting a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ by most passer-bys, which may explain why the attendants looked slightly uncomfortable when I asked how much the car costs and how many are actually on the road.

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Fittingly, the film begins with a group of incredulous workers in hard hats listening to a project manager describe what a green building is. It turns out he doesn’t exactly know himself. “What does it give you?,” “what’s the point?” they ask. “I can’t answer that exactly,” he responds. But the skeptical laborers make jokes, dismissing the whole idea. After the manager explains that the condos will have “double flush” toilets, one man jokes, “I use that a lot - that system. One never seems to do the job.”

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Gas 2.0 writer, Clayton B. Cornell, meets Mr. Biodiesel himself, Josh Tickell, at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Tickell is author of several books on biodiesel, including From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank and Biodiesel America.

Tickell was at Sundance screening his new film on biodiesel, Fields of Fuel.

This is the first car (I’m aware of) to run on biodiesel made from algae. It debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. See the story here: First Cars Run on Algae Biodiesel; Breakthrough Production Possible - Gas 2.0.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, a good documentary can change your vocabulary.

Josh Tickell’s new film, Fields of Fuel, has just won the Audience Award for Documentary at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The film, which opened last Monday to a standing ovation, is a sharp, compelling look at biofuels and the history of America’s dependence on foreign oil. From home-made biodiesel to OPEC corruption, it covers the myriad reasons why we should be changing our fuel to change our lives.

Tickell, the man who essentially introduced the world to biodiesel, has brought us an outstanding contribution to the discourse on biofuels: Fields of Fuel says in ninety minutes what we’ve all been trying to sum up for years. Here’s the trailer:

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But hey, I’m at Sundance.

For the next ten days I’ll be on the lookout for films and panels pertaining to biofuels or the planet. It looks like Josh Tickell, the well-known author of From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank (who’s primarily responsible for the biodiesel homebrew movement in the last decade) has a film this year. It’s called Fields of Fuel.

I’ll also be collaborating with a colleague here to finish a short documentary we filmed last year called Veggie Truck. If it isn’t totally embarrassing (I haven’t watched the footage in almost a year) I’ll be posting it here.

Until then, I’ll be watching movies and fighting off frostbite.

For the fourth episode of their Big Ideas For A Small Planet series, the Sundance Channel takes on the challenging topic of dressing green. The first three episodes of this original documentary series have gotten a large amount of critical acclaim for bringing environmental issues to the millions of Americans who tune in. So far, the topics of fuel, building construction, and city development have been examined, offering up three different topic-specific ideas of how to enhance our lives and reduce our carbon footprint at the same time in each episode.

Premiering this Tuesday, May 8th at 9pm Eastern and Pacific, the Wear episode features commentary from Ali Hewson (Bono's wife and founder of Edun Clothing), Simran Sethi, Carson Kressley (the wonderfully flamboyant blond fashion guru from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), and Graham Hill (founder of TreeHugger.com). I must admit that when I saw Carson come on screen, I was worried that the episode might end up being less than serious, but he had a unique point-of-view to add to the subject of green fashion, acting as a voice for the many that see style as an integral part of their life, just like eating or sleeping. Helping to show people that wearing sustainable fabrics has little, if anything, to do with tie-dye and hippies is one of the most important factors for the growing green fashion market, and this episode does a darn good job of getting that point across.

"Can we imagine a world that is both green and stylish?" was the question presented at the very beginning of the 25-minute documentary. Following this, three ideas are given to make this imagination a reality: organic fibers, recycled fabrics, and reusing fashion. While the concepts of recycling and reusing are much less polluting, I'm not surprised that new, sustainable fabrics were covered first. The underground craft movement has been growing to a mainstream level, but not enough so that taking the time to modify or reinvent items in your closet has become chic. Buying stylish, green clothing right off the rack is still the easiest and most timely option for the bulk of consumers. Linda Loudermilk, the main feature of the first segment, is a great representation of being chic and sustainable.

There is no denying that the market for green fashion is growing rapidly, and one of the first facts presented in this episode proves it: since 2000, manufacturer demand for organic cotton fiber has increased an estimated 93% per year. Loudermilk in particular has shown that looking good and doing good can go hand in hand seamlessly. "We're not going to get rid of the ego, so to use it in a positive way is what I decided I wanted to do [eight years ago]." The downside of her line is that it is out of reach for a large portion of consumers due to cost. No other green fashion brands are featured in this segment, adding to the myth that new, eco-style has to be expensive (which we all know is not true thanks to the many affordable brands I have featured here at Green Options during recent months).

Idea two focuses on recycled fabrics, particularly on the efforts of outdoor mega-brand Patagonia. The concept of being able to break down an old garment to its molecular level and spin new fabrics that are just as effective as its first life truly embrace the Cradle to Cradle process. "The Ecospun recycling process has the potential to keep more than 2.5 billion bottles and containers out of the world's landfills each year." Considering the fact that our culture is having a tough time learning to live without plastic bottles, this tidbit of information is all the more pertinent. Other brands have been taking this idea and running with it, openly accepting old, used garments to be recycled back into their supply chain, saving the company money and protecting the planet's resources. Something that is rarely considered when clothes shopping is the true cost of the items you are buying: not just the price tag, but the environmental, social, and shipping costs as well. Buying items made from organic, sustainable, recycled, or fair-trade materials often have these factors built into their retail price, helping your purchase speak for more than just your personal style.

Last but by no means least, idea three centers around reusing fashion. "We get bombarded by magazines, newspapers that tell us that we have to be in the trend and we have to get new clothes every year, but it's actually not true. I think people are tired of looking like everyone else," says LoriPetitti, organizer for one of over 40 Swap-O-Rama-Rama events in cities around the world. Adding personal creativity back into fashion is what reusing is all about. While some are content while blending in with the crowd, many individuals, especially those under 30, are striving to be unique by modifying and creating their own garments and accessories in a variety of styles. I can honestly say that at least 50% of my wardrobe is rarely worn, either due to size or change in personal taste. Embracing the concept of reusing fashion allows you to adjust a piece to your liking, or even overhaul itcompletely by, for example, turning a pair of jeans into a skirt or combining two different tops to create one. The only extra resources used in this process are thread and a little bit of electricity to run a sewing machine; everything else comes good old human power. While this idea may not be the first choice for those that fancy the stores of New York's Fifth Avenue, it is a wonderful money-saving option for the average American.

"One of the biggest problems about fashion is that it's a really disposable industry. We have marketers, retailers, designers - all working towards creating new styles for every season," states Simran Sethi towards the end of the program, and I couldn't agree more. In a broad sense, the deceiving concept of disposable living is the issue for all of the subjects covered within the Big Ideas For A Small Planet series so far. All of our resources, from fuel and building supplies to clothing fibers and community, are ever depleting and can not be guaranteed. While this episode only begins to scratch the surface of what sustainable options and brands exist within the fashion world, it is concise enough to help inspire people to continue to investigate what is available within their price range.

For more information about the Wear episode, including clips and air times, click here. If you do not have cable TV (like me), you can download the full episode after it airs via iTunes.

What did YOU think of the Wear documentary? After viewing the full episode, come back and leave a comment for us with your opinion and feedback.

The episode for this documentary series about "forward-thinking" designers focuses on Fuel. The question that is posed at the beginning of this episode is: "Can we imagine a world without gasoline?". Then, they go to visit Joel Woolf of Veg Powered Systems. Idea 1: Vegetable Oil.

Idea 2: Biodiesel. They found a character for this one. Big Ideas went to talk to Colette Brooks of BioBling.com, which hooks up people with biodiesel capable cars, and the fuel.

Idea 3: Ethanol. For this one, they visit with Jeff Simmons, a race car driver for Team Ethanol. Towards the end of the episode, ethanol races against biodiesel. Who do you think wins?

Big Ideas got big names to make appearances on this show. You'll see clips of interviews with Dr. David Suzuki, Chelsea Sexton, and Laurie David scattered throughout the episode.

So check it out. It's a 25 minute free episode, downloadable on iTunes. Then tune in to Sundance's the Green each Tuesday at 9pm for more Big Ideas.