The United States hit a low point with the economic recession in 2009. The conversation on energy conservation dwindled as Harry Lynch released a documentary titled Switch discussing just that.

Four years later, the award-winning documentary is shown around the country to educate students about an inevitable world energy transition. Monday night it played at N.C. State.

Switch displays that a transition from fossil fuels is a matter of when, not if. Information in the film is based on the scientific investigation and discovery of the practical realities of energy worldwide. 

Switch is showcased all around the world. The Switch Energy Project plans to change the use of energy through its film. 

Scott Tinker, director of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, was the film’s primary interviewer. He started his research on energy by observing his own use of it. 

Tinker noted in the documentary how much energy is used for daily activities like factory-made clothes shipped daily, the use of technological gadgets, power in people’s homes, car travel, heating, cooling and building. 

The documentary stated that coal provides half of the energy emission for the United States. Coal is globally used and easy to produce. 

Problems related to coal include the release of carbon dioxide in the air, which is harmful to the environment. Coal could probably be made clean, but it depends on whether the economy can afford it, according to the documentary.

As the world population increases, the use of energy increases, which impacts the demand of oil in the United States. The world uses an oil tanker every 13 minutes, according to the documentary.

The issue of global warming was also brought up in the film. It showed how as the world burns energy, the world becomes more comfortable with it.

The energy, environment and economy are closely linked to the changes in the use of energy. Energy solutions are chosen for their affordability, reliability, availability and cleanliness. 

The end of the event featured the panel of Fiona Baker, junior in environmental science; Ewan Pritchard, advanced transportation energy center; Stephen Kalland from North Carolina Solar Center; and Katie Shepherd from North Carolina Green Power. They answered questions from the audience and discussed the importance of changing everyday habits to save energy. 

“We will be a generation of movers and give to future generations,” Baker said. 

The panel reminded students that everyone can help with energy issues by doing something as simple as turning off a light or taking shorter showers.