“Paris to Pittsburgh looks at the inspiring steps communities across the country are taking to confront the severe health and economic threats posed by climate change. From innovative ways to improve our food supply chain through Fleet Farming, parking lots shaded by solar paneled roofs to passionate college students making an impact in sustainable energy jobs, this documentary provides a hopeful road map for the future,” says Geoff Daniels, head of unscripted programming for National Geographic TV.
Bloomberg Philanthropies produced the film in partnership with Radical Media. The film is directed by Emmy Award winner Sidney Beaumont and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Michael Bonfiglio.
Iris Fen Gillingham ’22 was homeschooled on an off-grid farm in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Her family lives and teaches sustainability, growing and raising their own food. Iris raises Scottish Blackface and Shetland sheep and is a hand spinner. She is an artist and independent thinker with a deep interest in her Celtic heritage. She has grown up with the looming threat of the fracking boom coming to her home and the land she loves which led her to become a spokesperson for youth in her community. This brings her to press conferences, rallies, protests and meetings about environmental and social justice issues. She draws on her connection to the land where she lives and the warrior spirit of her ancestry to speak from her heart. She has led workshops and plenaries on youth engagement, ageism and empowerment.
