Videos on Science and the Environment

Big river c2009

Aaron Woolf, Curt Ellis, Mosaic Films, Wicked Delicate Films, Independent Television Service, and Bullfrog Films

Big River: Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has had on the people and places downstream. King Corn: Tells the story of how Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, college friends from Boston, move to Iowa to plant an acre of corn and follow their harvest into the food system. 1 videodisc (77 min.)

MEDIA 10-1637

 

Burning the future coal in America c2009

Examines the effects of coal mining on the environment in West Virginia and the groundswell of conflict that has arisen between the citizens and the coal industry. 1 videodisc (89 min.)

MEDIA 10-5557

 

Darwin's nightmare c2007

Hubert Sauper, Edouard Mauriat, Celluloid Dreams (Firm), Mille et Une Productions, Coop99 Filmproduktion, Saga film (Firm : Brussels, Belgium), Centre national de la cinaematographie (France), Arte (Firm), Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Home Vision Entertainment (Firm), and Image Entertainment (Firm)

A look at the Nile perch fishing industry in Tanzania, which is destroying the ecology of Lake Victoria while delivering few economic benefits to the Tanzanian people. A critique of post-colonial exploitation of Africa by the developed world and the forces of globalization. 1 videodisc (105 min.)

MEDIA 10-1494

 

Drowned out 2004

In 1961, the Indian government embarked on an ambitious "mega-project"--A number of successive large and small dams intended to provide electricity, irrigation, and drinking water for millions in drought- stricken regions, funded by a loan from the World Bank. To the inhabitants of Jalsindhi, an indigenous people known as Avidasis, it represents an end to a way of life they have lived for generations. Their farming village is due to be submerged by the construction of the giant Narmada Dam. As protests against the dam building become more widespread and the government's promises of relocation and water distribution are called into question, the villagers decide they would rather drown in their homes than move from their ancestral land. 1 videodisc (75 min.)

MEDIA 10-4349

 

The end of the line c2009

Rupert Murray, Ted Danson, Charles Clover, Claire Ferguson, Claire Lewis, George Duffield, Arcane Pictures (Firm), Calm Productions (Firm), Dartmouth Films (Firm), Fish Film Company, and Bullfrog Films

"[This] first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans ... examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, brought on by increasing western demand for sushi; the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish; and the profound implications of a future world with no fish that would bring certain mass starvation. Filmed over two years, The end of the line follows the investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, who exhibit little regard for the damage they are doing to the oceans. ... Filmed across the world--from the Straits of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market--featuring top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials, The end of the line is a wake-up call to the world."--Film's website. 1 DVD (ca. 82 min.)

MEDIA 10-2083

 

Flow for love of water c2008

Steven Starr, Irena Salina, Pablo De Selva , Christophe Julien, Group Entertainment (Firm), and Oscilloscope Pictures

"Builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis ... begging the question: Can anyone really own water?"--Container. 1 videodisc (84 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3004

 

The long march  c2001

This film tells the story of Chengdu. In 256 BC, the Dujiangyan Irrigation System was built, channeling the Min River through Chengdu in what is still seen as a triumph of hydraulic engineering. The irrigation system was neglected and abused during the industrial development of the 1970's, resulting in massive pollution and floods. Today, Chengdu's government has succeeded in reversing the damage, turning an urban nightmare into a model of modern-day planning. 1 videodisc (27 min.)

MEDIA 10-4323

 

Lost rivers 2012

"Nearly every major city was built near the convergence of many rivers. As cities grew with the Industrial Revolution, these rivers became conduits for disease and pollution. The 19th-century solution was to bury them underground and merge them with the sewer systems. These rivers still run through today's metropolises, but they do so out of sight. [This film] examines hidden waterways in cities around the world and introduces us to people dedicated to exploring and exposing them"--Container. 1 videodisc (72 min.)

MEDIA 10-4890

 

One peace at a time c2009

Turk Pipkin, Monterey Media Inc, Nobelity Project, and Monterey Video (Firm)

A film about a messed up world ... and how we could fix it. Join Turk Pipkin as he chronicles the model Indian orphanages of the Miracle Foundation, family planning initiatives with Thailand's Mechai Viravaidya, Ethiopian water projects with A Glimmer of Hope, and Architecture for Humanity's global design challenge for communities in need in the Himalayas, the Amazon, and the slums of Nairobi. 1 videodisc (83 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2278

 

Plagues & pleasures on the Salton Sea 2006

Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer, John Waters, Cinema Guild, and  Tilapia Film

Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now called one of America's worst ecological disasters: a fetid, stagnant, salty lake, coughing up dead fish and birds by the thousands.  An insightful documentary that looks at exactly what went wrong. 1 videodisc (132 min.)

MEDIA 10-1457

 

A sea change c2009

Niijii Films, Inc and Bullfrog Films

"Documents how the pH balance has changed dramatically since the beginning of the industrial revolution: a 30% increase in acidification ... Experts predict that over the next century, steady increases in carbon dioxide emissions and the continued rise in the acidity of the oceans will cause most of the world's fisheries to experience a total bottom-up collapse--a state that could last for millions of years ..."--Container. 1 videodisc (83 min.)

MEDIA 10-2087

 

Semper fi always faithful 2011

"Marine Corps Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger was a devoted Marine for nearly twenty-five years... As a drill instructor he lived and breathed the 'Corps' and was responsible for indoctrinating thousands of new recruits with its motto Semper Fidelis or 'Always Faithful.' When Jerry's nine-year old daughter Janey died of a rare type of leukemia, his world collapsed. As a grief-stricken father, he struggled for years to make sense of what happened. His search for answers led to a shocking discovery of Marine Corps cover-up of one of the largest water contamination incidents in U.S. history. Semper Fi: Always Faithful follows Jerry's mission to expose the Marine Corps and force them to live up to their motto to the thousands of soldiers and their families exposed to toxic chemicals. His fight reveals a grave injustice at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune and a looming environmental crisis at military sites across the country"--Container. 1 videodisc (76 min.)

MEDIA 10-4279

 

Shored up 2013

"Shored Up is a documentary that asks tough questions about our coastal communities and our relationship to the land. What will a rising sea do to our homes, our businesses, and the survival of our communities? Can we afford to pile enough sand on our shores to keep the ocean at bay? In Long Beach Island, New Jersey and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, surfers, politicians, scientists and residents are racing to answer these questions. Beach engineering has been our only approach so far, but is there something else out there to be explored? Our development of the coastlines put us in a tough predicament, and it's time to start looking for solutions."--Provided by publisher. 1 videodisc (84 min.)

MEDIA 10-4872

 

Tapped c2009

Stephanie Soechtig, Sarah Gibson, Josh David, Jason Lindsey, Michael Walrath, Michelle Walrath, James Wilfong, Dennis J Kucinich, Ruth Caplan, Eugene Brown, Shirley Franklin, Earl Blumenauer, Melissa L Jarrell, Atlas Films, and Bullfrog Films

"Is access to clean drinking water a basic human right, or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other article of commerce? ... [T]his timely documentary is a behind-the-scenes look into the unregulated and unseen world of an industry that aims to privatize and sell back the one resource that ought never to become a commodity: our water. From the production of plastic, to the ocean in which so many bottles end up, this...documentary follows the bottled water trail through the communities which are the unwitting chips on the corporate table. A powerful portrait of the lives affected by the bottled water industry, this...film features those caught at the intersection of big business and the public's right to water." -- Container. 1 videodisc (75 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2370

 

Water and the dream of the engineers  2011

Richard Broadman, Cine Research Associates, and Documentary Educational Resources (Firm)

Explores the forgotten roots of our water systems as a background to the present conflicts between environmentalists and engineers. Explores current conflicts between these groups in regard to maintaining New York City's old water system and sludge dumping. Also examines the water wars in California and the problems of contaminated water supplies in New Orleans. 1 videodisc (80 min.) :

MEDIA 10-3396

 

The water bearer c2007

Pascal Gaelinas, Charles Tisseyre, and National Film Board of Canada

"Follows the efforts made by the men and women of Flores Island in Indonesia to reinvent their daily lives after 32 years in dictatorship.  Amongst them we find a Canadian, Gilles Raymond, in search of a code of ethics where action coincides with words.  Through the simple quest for clean running water, Catholics and Muslims work together to introduce a direct democracy and sustainable autonomy.  This is a road movie of sorts, [with] the ancient Ngada warrior culture serving as a backdrop, where solidarity rubs shoulders with defeatism, and generosity overcomes corruption" -- Container. 1 videodisc (52 min)

MEDIA 10-1766

 

Water first reaching the millennium development goals c2008

Charles Banda and Bullfrog Films

"Through the inspiring story of Charles Banda - a local fireman turned waterman who has drilled more than 800 wells in his impoverished country of Malawi - Water First conveys the critical role of clean water in addressing all other major global issues from hunger and poverty to women's equality, HIV/AIDS and environmental sustainability. These issues are articulated in the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)... Water First shows the vital importance of clean water in meeting all these humanitarian goals." - Container. 1 videodisc (28 min.)

MEDIA 10-2082

 

Water on the table 2010

Liz Marshall, Maude Barlow, Water on the Table Inc, Bullfrog Films, TVOntario, and Knowledge (Firm)

"Water on the Table features Maude Barlow, who is considered 'an international water warrior' for her crusade to have water declared a human right...More than a portrait of an activist, [the film] presents several dramatic opposing arguments. Barlow's critics are policy and economic experts who argue that water is no different than any other resource, and that the best way to protect freshwater is to privatize it." -- Container. 1 videodisc (79, 56 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2378

 

Water wars when drought, flood and greed collide c2010

Jim Burroughs, Martin Sheen, and Cinema Libre Studio

Documents serious water issues the world and all of humanity are facing. Includes: the devastating floods and droughts in Bangladesh, the sea overtaking the dams in Holland, the Tsunami in southeast Asia, and the massive hurricane that destroyed the city of New Orleans. Can the global community work together to deal with impeding calamities and perhaps avert a world catastrophe before it is too late? 1 DVD (55 min.)

MEDIA. MEDIA 10-2297

 

Waterlife c2010

Kevin McMahon, Kristina McLaughlin, Michael McMahon, Gordon Downie, Primitive Entertainment Inc, National Film Board of Canada, Big Picture Media Corporation, Sundance Channel, Nihon Hoso Kyokai, CanWest Global Communications Corp, Mongrel Media, Telefilm Canada, and Bullfrog Films

Examines the beauty and complex toxicity of the Great Lakes. Follows the epic cascade of the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. 1 videodisc (109 min.) :

MEDIA 10-2383

 

Ways of water human rights, gender, security & environment 2009

Peter H Gleick, Rutgers University, and Libraries

1 videodisc (82 min.)

MEDIA.   RU-ONLINE 10-1786      RU-ONLINE

 

When the levees broke a requiem in four acts c2006

Spike Lee, Sam Pollard, Jacqueline Glover, Sheila Nevins, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Ray Nagin, Al Sharpton, Harry Belafonte, Soledad O'Brien, Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Kanye West, Cliff Charles, Geeta Gandbhir, Nancy Novack, HBO Documentary Films, Forty Acres & a Mule Filmworks, Home Box Office (Firm), and HBO Video (Firm)

The world watched in horror as Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Many were shocked, not only by the scale of the disaster, but the slow, inept and disorganized response of the emergency and recovery efforts. Structured into four acts, each dealing with a different aspect of the events that preceded and followed Katrina's catastrophic passage through New Orleans. Tells the personal stories of those who endured this harrowing ordeal and survived to tell the tale. 3 videodiscs (ca. 256 min.)

MEDIA 10-1511

 

After the storm a citizen's video guide to understanding stormwater 2004

Nick Walker, United States, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, and Weather Channel (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)

Protecting the nation's water resources will take the awareness and effort of individual citizens. Three case studies focus on the interconnections between water supply, water quality and the economic vitality and quality of life in our communities. 1 videocassette (22 min.)

MEDIA.  2-7716

 

Big river c2009

Aaron Woolf, Curt Ellis, Mosaic Films, Wicked Delicate Films, Independent Television Service, and Bullfrog Films

Big River: Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis investigate the environmental impact their acre of corn has had on the people and places downstream. King Corn: Tells the story of how Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, college friends from Boston, move to Iowa to plant an acre of corn and follow their harvest into the food system. 1 videodisc (77 min.)

MEDIA 10-1637

 

Cadillac desert: Part 1: Mulholland's dream c1997

Jon Else, Alfre Woodard, Marc Reisner, Trans Pacific Television, KTEH-TV (Television station : San Jose, Calif.), KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.), Home Vision (Firm), Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.), and TriStar Television

Tells the dramatic tale behind the irrigation of the Los Angeles basin, to the detriment of the Owens River under the direction of William Mulholland. 1 videocassette (85 min.)

MEDIA 2-7822

 

Cadillac desert: Part 2: an American Nile c1997

Jon Else, Alfre Woodard, Marc Reisner, Trans Pacific Television, KTEH-TV (Television station : San Jose, Calif.), KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.), TriStar Television, Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.), and Home Vision (Firm)

Relates the story of the quest for water and the role it played in the transformation of the American West. 1 videocassette (ca. 55 min.)

MEDIA 2-7821

 

Cadillac desert: Part 3: The mercy of nature c1997

Marc Reisner, Jon Else, Alfre Woodard, Trans Pacific Television, KTEH-TV (Television station : San Jose, Calif.), KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.), Home Vision (Firm), Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.), and TriStar Television

Chronicles the fierce battles which raged over the transformation of California'a Central Valley from a semiarid desert, populated by 300 Native American tribes, into the most productive and environmentally altered agricultural region in history. 1 videocassette (ca. 55 min.)

MEDIA 2-7823

 

Cadillac desert: Part 4: Last oasis c1997

Linda Harrar, Alfre Woodard, Sandra Postel , Trans Pacific Television, KTEH-TV (Television station : San Jose, Calif.), KCET (Television station : Los Angeles, Calif.), Home Vision (Firm), Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.), and TriStar Television

Investigates a new era of water security, looking at dams and water projects in India and China, as well as conflicts and supply problems in Mexico and the Middle East. 1 videocassette (ca. 55 min.)

MEDIA 2-7824

 

Darwin's nightmare c2007

Hubert Sauper, Edouard Mauriat, Celluloid Dreams (Firm), Mille et Une Productions, Coop99 Filmproduktion, Saga film (Firm : Brussels, Belgium), Centre national de la cinaematographie (France), Arte (Firm), Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Home Vision Entertainment (Firm), and Image Entertainment (Firm)

A look at the Nile perch fishing industry in Tanzania, which is destroying the ecology of Lake Victoria while delivering few economic benefits to the Tanzanian people. A critique of post-colonial exploitation of Africa by the developed world and the forces of globalization. 1 videodisc (105 min.)

MEDIA 10-1494

 

Groundwater a hidden resource 198-?

Basic, introductory information on ground water and ground water pollution. Suitable for middle or high school students. 1 videocassette (ca. 20 min.)

MEDIA 2-2381

 

The Groundwater video adventure 1989

This video focuses on groundwater and explains what groundwater is, how it becomes polluted, and how this pollution can be controlled. 1 videocassette (9 min.)

MEDIA 2-2013

 

H2O TV the wastewater video 1987

"An animated, lively and colorful introduction to wastewater treatment and its importance to our society. With music & narration"--Container. 1 videocassette (10 min., 48 sec.)

MEDIA 2-2456

 

Hoover Dam 1999

Stephen Stept and Peter Coyote

Rising more than 700 feet above the raging waters of the Colorado River, it was called one of the greatest engineering works in history. Workers struggled through heat, choking dust and perilous heights to build a colossus of concrete that brought electricity and water to millions and transformed the American southwest. 1 videocassette (56 min.)

MEDIA 2-4296

 

The hospital at the end of the earth  2001

Geoff Bowie, Petra Valier, and David T Suzuki

The Aral Sea was once one of the world's largest and most productive inland bodies of water until a Soviet plan to turn Central Asia into the greatest cotton producer destroyed it. This program details the irreversible damage to the ecosystem and the resulting health problems faced by the remaining inhabitants of the region. 1 videocassette (54 min.)

MEDIA 2-5450

 

In our water 1982, 1981

Meg Switzgable

Investigates the degree of chemical pollution in local drinking water. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA 2-932

 

The Nile 1986

Jacques Yves Cousteau, Philippe Cousteau, and Theodore Strauss

In this breathtaking travelogue, The Nile, the Cousteaus embark on a daring ten-month expedition along the entire course of the world's largest river, capturing on film the nile's astonishing natural beauties, menacing dangers and primative cultures and animal sanctuaries. Treasure troves of natural wonders are unearthed by the expedition as it moves from Uganda to Khartoum to Egypt, before concluding at the man-made wonders of the Nile, the Jonglei Canal and the Aswan High Dam. Emphasises some of the negative results of the building of dams and irrigation channels. 1 videocassette (116 min.)

MEDIA 2-1392

 

Plagues & pleasures on the Salton Sea 2006

Chris Metzler, Jeff Springer, John Waters, Cinema Guild, and  Tilapia Film

Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now called one of America's worst ecological disasters: a fetid, stagnant, salty lake, coughing up dead fish and birds by the thousands.  An insightful documentary that looks at exactly what went wrong. 1 videodisc (132 min.)

MEDIA 10-1457

 

The plow that broke the plains : a U.S. documentary film ; The river : a U.S. documentary film 198-?

Pare Lorentz

The first work traces the social and economic history of the Great Plains from the settlement of the prairies though the World War I boom to the years of depression and drought. The second work traces the history of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Shows the consequences of sharecropping, soil exhaustion, unchecked erosion, and flooding. Concludes with scenes of regional planning, Tennessee Valley development, and correlated Federal efforts. 1 videocassette (54 min.)

MEDIA 2-141

 

Running water I erosion and deposition ; Running water II : landscape evolution 1992

Robert Lattanzio, David Gilfillan, and Maureen Muldour

Part 19 analyzes the role of running water in sculpting Earth's surface, discusses tectonic and hydrologic cycles and how they work together to shape the land.  Part 20 recognizes the roles human activity can play in intensifying or reducing flood danger, and describes the process by which streams and valleys are shaped and landscapes formed. 1 videocassette (60 min.)

MEDIA 2-2711

 

Saving water the conservation video 1990

This video program was developed to help educate the public about important water quality issues. 1 videocassette (8 min.)

MEDIA 2-2014

 

The Surface water video 1988

This video describes how every aspects of water, including surface water, contributes to environmentally sound water quality. 1 videocassette (9 min.)

MEDIA 2-1370

 

A tale of two rivers c2002

Seth Kramer, Andrew Morreale, Daniel B Polin, Stacy Keach, Great Projects Film Company, South Carolina Educational Television Network, National Academy of Engineering, Public Broadcasting Service (U.S.), and PBS Home Video

A tale of two rivers shows how America harnessed two of its mightiest rivers and put them to work for its citizens. The projects - the Mississippi River's system of levees and floodways and the Colorado River's Hoover Dam - constitute vastly different engineering efforts. 1 videocassette (ca. 60 min.)

MEDIA 2-7008

 

Thirst c2004

Alan Snitow, Deborah Kaufman, Snitow-Kaufman Productions, and Bullfrog Films, inc

The survival of communities is threatened when big business buys the water supply. 1 videocassette (62 min.)

MEDIA 2-7325

 

The Wastewater treatment process an enhancement of nature 1980

Dan Manas and Bruce Duykers

A step-by-step introduction to the processes by which nature purifies its rivers and streams, and to how these processes form the basis of the purification techniques used by wastewater treatment plants. 1 videocassette (ca. 20 min.)

MEDIA 2-2462

 

Water 1995

Lu Hanessian, François St.-Laurent, and Anne Évrard

This program looks at the composition and properties of water and its ability to adopt different forms. Examines the uses of mineral water and looks at rain water as a source of pollution. 1 videocassette (24 min.)

MEDIA 2-3004

 

The water bearer c2007

Pascal Gaelinas, Charles Tisseyre, and National Film Board of Canada

"Follows the efforts made by the men and women of Flores Island in Indonesia to reinvent their daily lives after 32 years in dictatorship.  Amongst them we find a Canadian, Gilles Raymond, in search of a code of ethics where action coincides with words.  Through the simple quest for clean running water, Catholics and Muslims work together to introduce a direct democracy and sustainable autonomy.  This is a road movie of sorts, [with] the ancient Ngada warrior culture serving as a backdrop, where solidarity rubs shoulders with defeatism, and generosity overcomes corruption" -- Container. 1 videodisc (52 min)

MEDIA 10-1766

 

Water is for fighting over 1996

Dane Hahn and Jack Leathem

Along the parched California Nevada border, groups with compelling yet competing interests claim the water of the Truckee River Basin. Film examines the lives and livelihood of these people for whom the Truckee River water is so important. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-5758

 

Water, water everywhere 2001

David Chamberlain, Vlad Goetzelman, and Suzanne Grew Ellis

Studies the hydrologic cycle and water's chemical and physical abilities to dissolve and transport minerals, nutrients, and toxins. 1 videocassette (20 min.)

MEDIA 2-5893

 

Waves, shores, and beaches 1994

Mary Lee Nolan and Thomas F Soare

As waves and tides rush toward shore, they participate in an ongoing process of shaping the earth.  Various geological and geographical formations have resulted from this action.  This program explains the forces and the terminology that relate to the geographical formation of the shorelines. 1 videocassette (27 min.)

MEDIA 2-2574

 

Ways of water human rights, gender, security & environment 2009

Peter H Gleick, Rutgers University, and Libraries

1 videodisc (82 min.)

MEDIA.   RU-ONLINE 10-1786      RU-ONLINE

 

When the levees broke a requiem in four acts c2006

Spike Lee, Sam Pollard, Jacqueline Glover, Sheila Nevins, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, Ray Nagin, Al Sharpton, Harry Belafonte, Soledad O'Brien, Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Kanye West, Cliff Charles, Geeta Gandbhir, Nancy Novack, HBO Documentary Films, Forty Acres & a Mule Filmworks, Home Box Office (Firm), and HBO Video (Firm)

The world watched in horror as Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005. Many were shocked, not only by the scale of the disaster, but the slow, inept and disorganized response of the emergency and recovery efforts. Structured into four acts, each dealing with a different aspect of the events that preceded and followed Katrina's catastrophic passage through New Orleans. Tells the personal stories of those who endured this harrowing ordeal and survived to tell the tale. 3 videodiscs (ca. 256 min.)

MEDIA 10-1511

 

Wind, waves, and water dynamics 1989?

Bernard W Pipkin, Peter F Buffa, Aaron Fletcher, Steve Sheppard, Richard Audd, Mike Riolo, and Bob Latanzzio

Explains how waves move, what causes the movement, and what effect it has on the deep surface environment. 1 videocassette (29 min.)

MEDIA 2-3166

 

Yellow Creek, Kentucky 1984

Anne Lewis and Martin Newell

Documentary about the legal and political struggle of the residents of a small southeast Kentucky community and their efforts to stop a commercial tannery from dumping toxic wastes into the creek that flows through their town. 1 videocassette (29 min.)

MEDIA 2-2299