Events
Power in the Desert - virtual film screening and discussion
April 22, 2025
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM Pacific Time
Virtual premiere screening and discussion of Power in the Desert.
“A Better Next Big Thing” documentary on PBS KVCR
Watch "A Better Next Big Thing":
A newdocumentary based on Charging Forward premieres April 10, 2025 on PBS KVCR
As the world races to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, lithium has become the backbone of the battery-powered future. Beneath California’s Salton Sea lies one of the world’s largest deposits, positioning this economically marginalized region—now called Lithium Valley—at the heart of a global transformation.
A Better Next Big Thing, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jacob Kornbluth, asks: Can this community rewrite the rules of who benefits from the green economy? Featuring voices from Imperial Valley and appearances by Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor, the film explores how labor, local organizers, and state leaders are fighting for a just energy transition.
The film premieres on April 10th at 8:30 PM Pacific Time on KVCR channels, and also available to stream on demand at: https://video.kvcr.org/show/a-better-next-big-thing/.
University of Toronto
SPRING BOOK EVENT
Stay tuned to this page for details and information on an upcoming Charging Forward book talk at the University of Toronto in March 2025!
UC Student and Policy Center, Sacramento
Join us on February 19th for a discussion at the UC Student and Policy Center with authors Chris Benner of UC Santa Cruz and Manuel Pastor of USC, moderated by Blanca Begert, climate and energy reporter for Politico.
USC Campus - Charging Forward book event
Explore the intersection of environmental justice, renewable energy, and community equity with USC professors Manuel Pastor, Juan De Lara, and Jill Johnston at a Charging Forward book event at the USC Doheny Memorial Library.
Charging Forward book talk at USC
*** WILL BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO L.A. WILDFIRES*** Explore the intersection of environmental justice, renewable energy, and community equity with USC professors Manuel Pastor, Juan De Lara, and Jill Johnston at a Charging Forward book event at the USC Doheny Memorial Library.
University of California, Washington DC Center
Join Manuel Pastor and Chris Benner in Washington DC for a book event, Justice and Clean Energy.
Book Passage, Corte Madera
Join Chris Benner for Charging Forward Lithium Valley, Electric Vehicles, and a Just Future Book Passage - Corte Madera Store
Sun., Nov. 10th, 2024 • 4:00pm PT • free
Book launch day: A note from the authors
Today’s the day we’ve been waiting for! On this book launch day, Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor offer a personal note and thoughts on what Charging Forward means to them. Read on…
Charging Forward book event at Commonwealth Club of CA
Join Chris Benner and Manuel Pastor at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 17, 2024.