Earth Cinema Circle: A new eco-DVD club

Need a dose of film-inspired eco-activism? Join a new eco-film club: Earth Cinema Circle. Members receive three to six films with an environmental theme -- all in one DVD wrapped in 100% post-consumer recycled packaging --  every two months, while resting happy in the knowledge that they're supporting enviro-conscious filmmakers.

Launched earlier this year, Earth Cinema Circle gives the existing eco-socially conscious Ironweed Film Club some competition. ECC's focus is more strictly narrowed around environmental issues than Ironweed's, which tackles a broader range of progressive social issues ranging from media censorship ("This Film is Not Yet Rated") to fair trade ("Black Gold").

What kind of films will you get with ECC? "Garbage Warrior" is the feature film in ECC's first DVD (for Jan-Feb). This documentary features architect Michael Reynolds who uses the detritus of our consumer culture -- old tires, empty beer cans, used soda bottles -- to create "Earthships," uber-sustainable buildings that can exist off the grid. All his eco-building, however, got Reynolds into trouble in Taos, New Mexico. He lost architect license and got mired in a tangle of lawsuits. But the story doesn't end there: When tsunamis and hurricanes hit, many people were ready to think outside the box, and Reynolds was there to help out. His work in these disaster-affected areas, as well as his effort to pass New Mexico state legislation for sustainable living test-sites, makes for a story that's both heartwarming and inspiring. Here's the trailer:

A short film called "Flip-Flotsam" is also on this DVD. This cute poetic piece about lifecycle of flipflops tracks flip flops made in Mombasa (20 million pairs of flip flops made per year just in Mombasa!) to the feet that wear them out, to the water that carries the discarded pairs out to sea, to the marine creatures that ride these like inner tubes, to the shores where they wash up, to the people who refashion them into toys, and to the kids who play with them. The piece points to the fact that the things we throw "away" never really go "away," while also highlighting the utility of the things we consider trash and the creativity of the people who reclaim them -- all without ever getting preachy or didactic.

Eco-actorvist Ed Begley, Jr.'s the official host of Earth Cinema Circle  -- which I take to mean each DVD will contain a little clip of Begley introducing the films. Cost: $17.95 per eco-packaged DVD plus $4.95 for carbon-offset shipping and handling.