By Meagan Clark - "This is America, but America has been taken for a ride."
That's the opening of the trailer released Wednesday for Pump, a documentary about the U.S. oil industry's monopoly on gasoline pumps and how viewers can achieve more fuel choices. The non-profit Fuel Freedom Foundation, which aims to pry open the fuel market to cheaper fuel choices, is behind the movie with producers Submarine Deluxe and iDeal Film Partners.
Fuel Freedom co-founder Eyal Aronoff told IBTimes in June that with a simple software fix, most cars on the road today would be able to run on alcohol fuel.
"With the escalation of the situation in the Middle East we need to diversify our fuel sources," he said. "In particular we have a surplus of natural gas in the U.S. that can economically be converted to alcohol fuel. That is the true path forward for energy independence because unlike corn, the price of natural gas no longer tracks the price of oil."
According to its makers, the documentary "tells the story of America's addiction to oil, from its corporate conspiracy beginnings to its current monopoly today, and explains clearly and simply how we can end it - and finally win choice at the pump."
The film features former president of Shell Oil U.S. and founder of Citizens for Affordable Energy John Hofmeister, former president of the Rockefeller Foundation Peter Goldmark, former president of Brazil Luiz Inácio da Silva and Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk, while actor Jason Bateman narrates.
"Today oil is our only option of transportation fuel at the pump," Submarine Deluxe wrote about the film. "Our exclusive use of it has drained our wallets, increased air pollution and sent our sons and daughters to war in faraway lands. PUMP shows us how through the use of a variety of replacement fuels, we will be able to fill up our cars - cheaper, cleaner and American made - and in the process, create more jobs for a stronger, healthier economy."
Pump will open in select theaters and cities Sept. 12 and expand to additional theaters Sept. 19.