Review: Pump Documentary Takes on U.S. Oil Addiction
An ambitious, not-that-boring documentary takes on America’s oil addiction
Brad Wieners
Illustration by Jing Wei
Pump, which sounds like a workout video or some other form of private entertainment, begins with a bit of newsreelish history and a couple of surprising contentions. First, that Henry Ford initially designed his engines to run on ethanol. Second, that John D. Rockefeller funded the push for Prohibition in the early 20th century not to keep people from being overserved at bars, but to keep alcohol out of cars.