Switch (2012 film)
Switch is a 2012 documentary about global energy directed by Harry Lynch. It features Scott W. Tinker, a geologist and energy researcher who leads the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin and teaches at the Jackson School of Geosciences. The film is part of the Switch Energy Project, which includes a website with extra videos and educational programs, plus interviews with energy policy experts like Ernie Moniz, Steven E. Koonin, Richard Jones, and Richard A. Muller.
The film aims to be nonpartisan and science-based, exploring how the world might move from coal and oil to future energy sources. It has been supported by environmental groups, government agencies, fossil and renewable energy companies, and academic institutions. Switch premiered at the 2012 Environmental Film Festival in Washington, DC, and has since shown at many festivals and conferences before opening in New York theaters in September 2012.
Switch starts in Norway, where renewable hydropower powers the electricity system. Tinker asks what the energy transition will look like for the rest of the world. Over about 90 minutes, he travels the globe to learn and compare different energy options. He first calculates how much energy a person uses in a year, including energy in food, products, roads, and buildings. He uses that figure to judge each energy type.
He looks at coal and oil first: can coal be clean? will coal remain important? will oil prices rise? will we run out? Then he examines replacements. For oil, the options are biofuels, natural gas, and electricity. For coal, the options are geothermal, solar, wind, natural gas, and nuclear power. He visits facilities, talks with experts, and weighs the pros and cons of each energy source.
In the end, he outlines a likely energy future. Coal and oil will still play big roles, especially in developing countries, but the world will gradually move toward alternatives over about 50 years. Renewables grow the fastest, natural gas provides the largest share of replacements, and nuclear energy will be roughly on par with renewables. The film stresses that energy efficiency and personal conservation will be crucial. It ends with the idea: the most important thing is to change the way we think about energy, so we can change the way we use it.
Critics praised Switch for its neutral, thoughtful approach, strong visuals, and clear explanations, with Tinker as a likable and curious guide. By 2013, Switch was being shown at universities as part of energy-awareness programs, and the Switch Energy Project website highlights educational programs developed with the American Geosciences Institute.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:58 (CET).