National Geographic Documentary Films, in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and RadicalMedia, has released the new film Paris to Pittsburgh (free at NatGeoTV.com), a tribute to the impassioned efforts of individuals battling the most severe threats of climate change in their own backyards. Set against the national debate over the United States’ energy future and the Trump administration’s decision to exit the Paris Climate Agreement, the film captures what’s at stake for communities around the country and the inspiring ways Americans are responding. The film, which premiered in December in 172 countries in 43 languages, is directed and produced by Emmy Award winner Sidney Beaumont and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Bonfiglio.

It features local leaders and everyday citizens telling the stories behind climate-related recovery and resiliency. The documentary illustrates the tireless innovative efforts to reduce carbon emissions, including those in former coal boomtowns such as Pittsburgh, where Mayor Bill Peduto says, “There are now more jobs in renewable energy in the state of Pennsylvania than coal, natural gas and oil combined.”

This article appears in the February 2019 issue of Natural Awakenings.