EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

DATE: 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012.

EVENT: The new documentary film “Switch” addresses today’s most controversial energy questions. In the film, energy expert and University of Michigan alumnus Scott Tinker travels the world, exploring major energy sites, most of them highly restricted and never before seen on film. Producer/narrator Tinker will introduce the film and lead a question-and-answer session featuring a panel of industry and academic experts immediately following the screening. The event is free and open to the public.

“Switch” offers a balanced and pragmatic exploration of global energy solutions, including coal, solar, geothermal, oil, biofuels, natural gas, nuclear, hydro, wind and conservation. Tinker seeks the perspective of international leaders from government, industry and academia, and then introduces possible practical paths to our energy future.

The film is part of the Switch Energy Project, a multi-pronged effort to build a global understanding of energy. The Switch Energy Education and Efficiency Program will drive energy awareness and efficiency at 40 pilot universities across the country this fall.

Tinker is director of the Bureau of Economic Geology and the state geologist in Texas. He also is a professor and the acting associate dean of research at the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas. Tinker holds a master’s in geological sciences from U-M and a doctorate in geosciences from the University of Colorado. He has been a member of the U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Science’s Alumni Advisory Board since 2006.

PLACE: Power Center for the Performing Arts, 121 Fletcher St., on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor.

SPONSOR: U-M Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences with funding from the William T. Smith Endowed Lecture Series and Research Fund.

MEDIA: To schedule an interview with Tinker or the film’s director, Harry Lynch, contact Rachel Ecklund at recklund@arcosfilms.com or (512) 861-6278.

INFORMATION: See www.switchenergyproject.com or www.lsa.umich.edu/earth.

U-M Sustainability fosters a more sustainable world through collaborations across campus and beyond aimed at educating students, generating new knowledge, and minimizing our environmental footprint. Learn more at sustainability.umich.edu.