public speaking

Peter Byck is the director, producer and writer of carbon nation, a climate change solutions movie [that doesn’t even care if you believe in climate change].  During the filming and editing of carbon nation, Byck has met and collaborated with the leading minds from the world of climate, clean energy, military applications and land use.  Byck’s contacts span the globe – keeping him up-to-date on the fast moving frontier of the clean energy revolution.

Byck  appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher, Science Friday on NPR and The Bob Edwards Show on Sirius XM.

PUBLIC SPEAKING EXPERIENCE
As a public speaker, Byck has presented carbon nation for Boeing, Nike, Google, Microsoft, Shell, Walmart.com, SC Johnson, Stonyfield, Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room (Washington D.C + London), White House CEQ, CarbonTrade-Ex, NetImpact, Social Venture Network, AREDAY, PEW-BICEP, Prince Charles’ B.E.P. program @ Cambridge University, Yale, Duke, R.I.S.D., Metcalf Institute @ U of R.I., Art Center (Pasadena), Conservation International, & many other universities, companies and secondary schools across the country and internationally.

INSIGHTS
Byck’s public speaking engagements highlight his most unique discovery during the year and a half-long promotion of carbon nation: liberals and conservatives in the U.S. are not polarized, as the popular press presents.  Through Byck’s humor, curious mind and respectful approach, he gets to the core of peoples’ beliefs – listening carefully for common ground.  And in the realm of energy, he’s realized that if the subject of climate change is tabled, there is vast agreement on how the country should approach our use of energy: people are chomping at the bit for clean energy and energy efficiency.  Most see clearly that fighting wars to protect oil supplies is a losing battle.  And, a large portion of Americans are willing to make sacrifices to get us to a low carbon economy – they’re just waiting for someone to lead.

FILMMAKING EXPERIENCE
Byck has over 20 years experience as a director and editor.  His first documentary, “Garbage,” won the South by Southwest Film Festival, screened in scores of festivals and played at the Museum of Modern Art and Lincoln Center.  Byck has directed shows for MTV starring Will Smith, John Travolta, Nicholas Cage, Drew Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow & David Duchovny.  In addition, he has edited documentaries for Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” and “King Kong.”  Byck has edited documentaries and promotional shorts for Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, MTV, Vh1, BBC, Disney and MGM, including “The West Wing,” “The Matrix,” “Scrubs,” “er” and many more.  

Peter has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife and young son.

“What Polarized Country?” –
Stories from the making and promoting of carbon nation

Accomplished documentary director Peter Byck is currently on the road promoting his new climate change solutions movie, carbon nation.  In his 30-60 minute humorous and inspiring presentation, “What Polarized Country?”, Byck delves into his conversations with Americans from all political stripes about clean energy, wasting energy, national & energy security.  Byck is finding, one person at a time, that we are not a polarized country.  When we actually listen to each other, difficult in today’s hyped-up 24 hour news cycle, we find a great common ground – a vast area of agreement in the vital landscape of energy – how do we make it, who do we get it from, how clean do we want it and how well do we use it?
    Byck recounts stories from the filming: the one-armed cotton farmer from Texas who single-handedly built the world’s largest wind farm; the wild Alaskan who is revolutionizing geothermal power all the while not believing that humans cause climate change; the retired Army Colonel who’s leading the green hawk movement, saving soldiers’ lives by creating more energy efficient forward operating bases – bases that need less easily targeted fuel supplies.
    Byck tells of one specific conversation with a conservative tea-party member – a man who is sure he will disagree with everything Byck has to say, simply by learning Byck’s made a movie about climate change solutions.  Byck and the conservative break down how they would run the country – how they would spend tax dollars.  And both are shocked to realize that they agree on about 90% of the issues.  They discover that we are not a polarized country – we’re just being told over and over again that we are – and good people, from all over the country, are believing it – and acting as if we are polarized.  That’s where the trouble begins.  Byck is learning that we don’t have to buy the bull – that we can really listen to folks with varying opinions – and be amazed at how much common ground there is – “What Polarized Country?”

carbon nation praise:
    From the Right:
Evangelical Environmental Network: “I found carbon nation to be the best film on climate change that I've seen.  Not only is it simply and incredibly well-made film, its focus on solutions is quite empowering.  But it's the stories of Red State folks creating the clean energy revolution that steal the show. Entertaining, informative, empowering -- quite a combination.”
    From the Left:
The Huffington Post: “This is not just a film worth seeing, it is one that is well worth sharing – as widely as possible.”
    From the Military:
Steven M. Anderson, US Army (ret): “Without a doubt the best documentary I have ever seen on the energy situation… not too technical or preachy, often amusing and actually lots of fun to watch.”