Host Mark McNees interviews award-winning filmmaker Ben Kalina on the InNOLEvation® Mindset podcast, powered by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, about his climate-focused documentary work and his new film, “Plan C for Civilization.” Kalina traces his upbringing in rural Vermont and his early concern about global warming, then discusses past projects on sea-level rise and other environmental issues. The conversation explores plastic pollution, microplastics, corporate responsibility, limits to recycling, and the need for regulation and open dialogue. Kalina previews his film, which follows researcher David Keith and others in the contentious field of solar geoengineering (sunlight reflection), highlighting governance, trust, unintended consequences, and moral hazard. He also explains the economics of independent documentary filmmaking, including crowdfunding, grants, creative control, distribution challenges, and plans for screenings and eventual wider release via the film’s website.
How to Connect:
Website: https://www.plancforcivilization.com/
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8OIjLT0HiA
Substack: https://substack.com/@changingtheclimate
IG: https://www.instagram.com/plancforcivilization/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559366870047
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plan-c-for-civilization/?viewAsMember=true
00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
00:38 Ben’s Climate Film Journey
02:20 Sea Level Rise Hits Home
03:39 Growing Up in Ski Country
06:08 Plastic Pollution Wake Up Call
08:48 Single Use Plastic and Health
11:01 Accountability and Regulation
15:13 Introducing Plan C Film
16:43 Trailer Solar Geoengineering
19:44 Not an Advocacy Documentary
21:46 Why Geoengineering Enters Talk
25:12 Governance Trust and Moral Hazard
30:21 True Cost and Externalities
34:21 Tech Guardrails and Dialogue
36:03 Banning Climate Talk
36:49 AI Data Centers Costs
38:42 Regulating Tech Gap
40:45 Indie Filmmaking Reality
42:02 Funding Plan C
46:01 Doc Market Trends
54:02 Netflix Economics Shift
57:51 YouTube and Rights Strategy
01:00:03 Michael Moore Breakthrough
01:05:04 How to Watch and Support
01:07:57 Patience and Persistence
01:10:02 Podcast Wrap Up
