Pick of the Day: Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (DVD)

SLJ — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 14:00:04 +0000

Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie. DVD. 93 min. Prod. by Entertainment One and National Film Board of Canada. Dist. by Bullfrog Films. 2012. ISBN 1-93777-234-9. $295.
Gr 10 Up–Scientist and TV personality David Suzuki is well known in Canada where he is revered as the host of the long running science program, Nature of Things, and as an environmental activist. This film honors his career by weaving together the story of his life with his last lecture outlining the concerns which have become his lifework. He makes a convincing case that the Earth cannot long support the environmental attacks being inflicted upon it by pollution of the air, seas and soil. Combining archival footage of his life as a scientist, activist, and civil rights advocate with contemporary illustrations of the havoc being sown upon the Earth by humans, he presents his thesis that mankind is the environment. He warns that the continuing unabated plundering of our natural resources, along with the strains of overpopulation and overuse, will result in calamitous consequences of overfishing, over harvesting of timber, and the ever growing population. Suzuki offers no recommendations for immediate solutions, but does suggest that without international cooperation to hold back rampant growth and the degradation of natural resources, the Earth we leave to our grandchildren will be a far different place from what it is today. Although the message is dire, the presentation is not overwrought. The combination of personal narrative with a global perspective makes this very valuable for both lessons in environment and 20th-century history.–Eva VonAncken, formerly Trinity-Pawling School, NY

Pick of the Day: If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (DVD)

SLJ — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:30:27 +0000

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front. DVD. 85 min. Prod. by Marshall Curry Prods. Dist. by Bullfrog Films. 2011. ISBN 1-93777-21-9. $295.
Gr 10 Up–This fact-filled program utilizes archival footage, interviews, and commentary to relate the story of one man’s involvement in the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), an organization described by law enforcement as a domestic terror organization. It traces the evolution of Daniel McGowan from city resident to environmental activist, chronicling his involvement in property destruction as a member of the ELF and his arrest and current incarceration in a federal prison in Illinois. In a low-key voice, the male narrator reviews the history of environmental protest led by Earth First and its various monkey-wrenching activities. More radical elements of the group split-off to form the Earth Liberation Front, a loose collection of anonymous members who allegedly burned timber company offices, SUV dealerships, and a ski lodge in Vail, Colorado. Daniel McGowan was arrested in December 2005 and charged as a domestic terrorist. The script of this documentary is unbiased. Interviews with ELF activists, law enforcement officers, government agents, and citizens impacted by ELF are presented. Open-ended questions are posed, such as what is terrorism and isn’t big business responsible for oil spills and mountaintop removal mining? The subject matter, off-color language, and slow pace of the program make it most useful for upper grades. Classes in journalism, political science, and current events can utilize this program as well as literature classes reading Edward Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang.–Patricia Ann Owens, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mt. Carmel

School Library Journal» environment

Pick of the Day: Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie (DVD)

Pick of the Day: If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (DVD)