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The 11th hour. (92 min.). Explores the indelible footprint that humans have left on this planet, and the catastrophic effects of environmental neglect and abuse, and calls for restorative action through a reshaping of human activity. DVD 4175 Blue vinyl. (97 min.). An investigation of vinyl siding and its effects on people and the environment. Filmmakers Judith Helfand and Daniel B. Gold set out in search of the truth about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), America's most popular plastic. From Long Island to Louisiana to Italy, they unearth the facts about PVC and its effects on human health and the environment. Back at the starter ranch, Helfand coaxes her terribly patient parents into replacing their vinyl siding on the condition that she can find a healthy, affordable alternative. DVD 2188 Cane toads an unnatural history. (65 min.). Documents the history of the Cane toad in Australia. The cane toad - Bufo marinus - was imported to Australia in 1935 in an attempt to rid the country of the greyback beetle, which was devouring the sugarcane crop. Problem was, the beetle could fly, and the cane toad couldn't. What the cane toad was unusually proficient at, however, was making more cane toads. A humorous look at a serious problem. DVD 3247 The chances of the world changing. (99 min.). The film begins in a penthouse apartment high above the urban frenzy of New York City, where writer Richard Ogust lives among 1200 turtles and tortoises. For years, Richard has rescued these endangered turtles from the food markets in Southeast Asia, where an unregulated and flourishing trade keeps many turtles and tortoises at the top of the world's endangered species lists. Overwhelmed by the demands of managing his personal ark, Richard decides to create the country's largest turtle and tortoise conservation institute. DVD 2773 China from the inside. (240 min.). A series of four documentaries that survey China through Chinese eyes to see how history has shaped them, and where the present is taking them. Deals with the governance of China; talks about the past and future for Chinese women; looks at China's environmental challenges; explores China's conflict between personal freedom and governance. DVD 2547 Crapshoot the gamble with our wastes. (52 min.). A hazardous mix of waste is flushed into the sewer every day. Where does it all go? What does it do to us? Filmed in several countries, this documentary questions whether the sewer is actually compounding our waste problems. Scientists warn of links between sewage practices and potential health risks, while activists, engineers and concerned citizens challenge our fundamental attitudes to waste. Does our need to dispose of waste take precedence over public safety? What are the alternatives? DVD 983 A crude awakening the oil crash. (85 min.). A rock-solid argument that the era of cheap oil is in the past. Goes deep into the uncomfortable realities of a world that is both addicted to fossil fuels and blissfully unaware of the looming "peak oil" crisis. Debunks the conventional wisdom that oil production will continue to climb, and instead stare bleakly at a planet facing economic meltdown and conflict over its most valuable resource. DVD 4852 Deconstructing supper a film. (48 min.). Documentary film that looks at the way modern food is produced through genetic modification and through organic farming in Canada, Europe, India, and United States. A gourmet chef, John Bishop, leads us on an investigation of various genetically modified food products and the leader in genetic engineering, Monsanto. DVD 4470 Deep blue. (ca. 91 min.). Twenty specialized camera teams shot over 7,000 hours of footage in more than 200 locations around the world and descended as far as 5,000 meters in the most powerful submersible crafts to bring the audience this spectacle of underwater exploration into the secret lives of sea creatures. DVD 2335 Design e2: the economies of being environmentally conscious. (ca. 180 min.). Examines the economies of being environmentally conscious in green building design. The green apple uses New York City, particularly One Bryant Park and the Solaire, to demonstrates how the ubiquitous skyscraper can be a model of environmental responsibility. The second episode features architect and activist Sergio Palleroni as he works to provide design solutions to regions suffering from social and humanitarian crises. Shows projects in East Austin, Tex. and with the Yaqui Indians in Mexico where architecture students are helping residents build low-cost, environmentally-friendly homes using local materials. The green machine follows Mayor Richard M. Daley as he strives to make Chicago "the greenest city in America" with numerous LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified buildings, a solar-powered public transportation system, and many green roofs, including one on Chicago's City Hall. The fourth episode takes the notion of the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle) to grand proportions by turning Boston's "Big Dig" steel and concrete waste into spectacular residential design. China : from red to green? depicts a rapidly urbanizing country at its tipping point and finds a sustainable solution in Steven Holl's Beijing project, which will have the largest geothermal heating/cooling and greywater recycling system in the world upon completion. Deeper shades of green presents three visionaries who are changing the face of architecture and environmentalism and features some of their projects. Focuses on Ken Yeang and his "bio-climatic" National Library of Singapore, Werner Sobek and R128, his energy-efficient, steel and glass box house, and William McDonough and his model sustainable village of Huangbaiyu, China. DVD 2165 Everything's cool A toxic comedy about global warming. (89 min.). Explains how United States government policy has contributed to a gap between what scientists know about global warming and what the general public understands. Documents the efforts of journalists, environmentalists, and activists to close this gap and to motivate citizens and the government to take action. DVD 3811 FLOW For the love of water. (84 min.). A look at the world's water crisis and how the causes of the depleting water supply is connected to pollution, human rights, and even politics. Features interviews with scientists and activists. Includes commentary, expanded interviews, and more. DVD 5045 Garbage warrior. (87 min.). Using empty beer cans, old tires, plastic bottles and other garbage, iconoclastic architect Michael Reynolds, based in New Mexico, has been building ecologically sustainable structures for 35 years. Calling his structures "earthships," Reynolds has had conflicts with government officials over inflexible zoning and housing laws, but his architectural ideas were put to use in the Andaman Islands following the 2005 tsunami. DVD 5120 Global warming the signs and the science. (60 min.). This documentary profiles people who are living with the grave consequences of a changing climate, as well as the individuals, communities and scientists inventing new approaches to safeguard our children's future. Filmed across the U.S., Asia and South America, this program brings the reality of climate change to life and offers viewers a variety of ways to make a difference in their own communities. DVD 2559 The great barrier reef. (38 min.). "Viewers will experience not only the beauty of the reef, but will learn of its complex ecosystem, symbiotic relationships and the extreme fragility of its environment" -- Container. DVD 3186 Guns, germs, and steel. (165 min.). An epic detective story that offers a gripping expose on why the world is so unequal. Professor Jared Diamond traveled the globe for over 30 years trying to answer this question. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book. DVD 1417 Heat a global investigation. (120 min.). Facing pressure from governments, green groups and investors alike, big business is promising to reshape it's approach to the environment. Martin Smith travels the globe to test what big business is really doing to solve this urgent issue. DVD 5047 Homeland four portraits of Native action. (88 min.). Filmed against some of America's most spectacular backdrops, from Alaska to Maine and Montana to New Mexico, this award-winning film profiles Native American activists who are fighting to protect Indian lands, preserve their sovereignty and ensure the cultural survival of their peoples. Nearly all 317 Native American reservations in the U.S. face grave environmental threats - toxic waste, strip mining, oil drilling and nuclear contamination. A moving tribute to the power of grassroots organizing, Homeland is also a call-to-action against the current dismantling of thirty years of environmental laws. DVD 1553 Hot politics. (52 min.). This FRONTLINE/Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) co-production (3 )4z (Bexamines some of the key moments that have shaped the politics of global warming, and how local and state governments and the private sector are now taking bold steps in the absence of federal leadership. DVD 3154 How to save the world one man, one cow, one planet. (104 min.). "Exposes globalization and its mantra of infinite growth in a finite world for what it really is: an environmental and human disaster. But across India, farmers are fighting back. By reviving an arcane form of agriculture, they are saving their poisoned lands and exposing the biocolonialism of multinational corporations" -- Container. DVD 4468 An inconvenient truth. (96 min.). Former Vice President Al Gore explains the facts of global warming, presents arguments that the dangers of global warning have reached the level of crisis, and addresses the efforts of certain interests to discredit the anti-global warming cause. Between lecture segments, Gore discusses his personal commitment to the environment, sharing anecdotes from his experiences. DVD 2360 Journey to planet Earth: The state of the planet. (55 min.). Investigates some of the most critical environmental and earth science questions of the 21st century. Are populations soaring out of control? Are we running out of water? Will there be enough water and food for future generations? Global warming - a false alarm or a gathering storm? And why we should take these issues seriously before it is too late. DVD 3387 Journey to planet Earth: The state of the planet’s wildlife. (57 min.). Speculates that almost half of the world’s wildlife species may become extinct in the next fifty years as a result of loss of habitat, climate change, predation by humans, and other human activities. Suggests possible strategies for averting such a catastrophe. Examines the situations of lowland gorillas in Africa and in the Bronx Zoo, grizzly bears in the Blackfoot River valley of Montana, migrating birds and wetlands habitat in the Florida everglades, and elephants in Zambia. DVD 3388 Journey to planet Earth: The state of the ocean’s animals. (57 min.). Investigates why so many of our ocean’s animals are disappearing. Case studies focus on global issues including climate change, sea-level rise, over-fishing and habitat destruction. Areas of focus include: Antarctica and the emperor penguin; Melbourne Beach, Florida and sea turtles; Klamath River, Oregon and salmon; Monterey Bay, California and sea otters. DVD 3389 A killer bargain. (57 min.). "The Killer Bargain referred to by this documentary's title is the availability of cheap consumer goods, imported by Western companies, whose prices do not reflect the actual human and environmental costs associated with their production in the developing world. Consumers remain largely unaware of the conditions under which the goods they buy are produced; this film makes those connections shockingly clear. While some retailers and manufacturers refuse to talk to the filmmakers, workers, doctors and scientists testify eloquently to the tremendous human costs of globalization." --taken from California Newsreel web description. DVD 3659 Kilowatt ours energy conservation and renewables. (38 min.). "Kilowatt Ours reveals an optimistic message, introducing viewers to individuals, businesses and schools that have cut their energy use (and bills) in half. The benefits of energy conservation and renewable power to the consumer, the environment and the economy, empower viewers to become part of the clean energy revolution"--Container. DVD 4025 Las réfugiés de la planete bleue = The refugees of the blue planet. (53 min.). "Each year, millions of people the world over are driven to forced displacement. Global warming and the unbridled exploitation of natural resources are degrading the life-supporting environments of rural populations. This film sheds light on the little-known plight of a category of individuals who are suffering the repercussions" -- Container. DVD 4032 Lessons of darkness. (130 min.). Lessons of darkness: A stirring documentary of 1992 post-Gulf War Kuwait, focusing on the oil well fires ignited by retreating Iraqi soldiers. What resulted is less a simple documentary about an environmental catastrophe than an apocalyptic vision of hell, a strangely beautiful portrait of a world on fire. Fata Morgana: Herzog brings his cameras to the Sahara desert in order to film mirages. He combines the apocalyptic, often hallucinatory images of the desert with passages from the Mayan creation myth, the Popol Vuh, set to songs of Leonard Cohen. DVD 3541-3546 A life among whales. (57 min.). "Weaving together natural history and biography, A Life Among Whales is a fascinating exploration of whale biologist and MacArthur fellowship winner, Dr. Roger Payne. For four decades, Payne has advanced the boundaries of science and activism - beginning with his pioneering work on whale songs in the 1970's, to his study of ocean pollution today. With beautiful and haunting imagery, the film forces us to question our stewardship of Earth and our coexistence of some of its most intriguing creatures" -- From cover. DVD 2557 The life of birds. (ca. 500 min.). David Attenborough journeys across seven continents filming thousands of species of birds, revealing their patterns of behavior. DVD 606 Living with the Earth the Loma Prieta earthquake ; Living with the Earth : preserving the legacy. Earth revealed. (58 min.). The 1st program expresses human responses to the destructive forces of natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and landslides. The 2nd program explores the impact of human activity on Earth and discusses ways in which people can shape their actions to benefit Earth. ONLINE RESOURCE London. Facets Video cool docs. (82 min.). See a side of London that few tourists will ever see. Go to historic sites associated with authors such as Poe and Baudelaire, only to find pollution, urban blight and IRA bomb scares have changed the flavor of the beloved city forever. DVD 3242 Maquila a tale of two Mexicos. (60 min.). Examines the maquiladoras, U.S.-owned export factories employing inexpensive Mexican labor. Covers the displacement of peasant farmers who migrate to northern border cities such as Juarez and Tiajuana, where they endure dangerous working conditions in the maquilas for very low wages. Also examines the environmental disasters generated by these factories and the unsafe living conditions of the workers, which have resulted in a series of brutal rapes and murders of young women employees. Examines the violent rural confrontations between the Mexican Army and Mayan peasant farmers as part of the government's efforts to suppress the rebellion. Features interviews with workers, factory managers, government officials, army officers, indigenous peasants, and economists. DVD 2199 Maquilapolis City of factories. (68 min.). Explores the environmental devastation and urban chaos of Tijuana's assembly factories and the female laborers who have organized themselves for social action. DVD 2248 Oil on ice. (90 min.). A documentary connecting the fate of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to decisions America makes about energy policy, transportation choices, and other seemingly unrelated matters. Caught in the balance are the culture and livelihood of the Gwich'in people and the migratory wildlife in this fragile ecosystem. Discusses the conflict between the oil industry and environmentalists over the future of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. DVD 1211 A passion for sustainability. (56 min.). How innovative individuals, businesses and utilities around Portland, Oregon are following a set of scientific principles called The Natural Step, formulated by Karl-Henrik Robert. They are principles which offer an approach to addressing the unsustainable practices which have led to the current global climate crisis. DVD 4921 Plagues & pleasures on the Salton Sea. (73 min.). Fabulously offbeat and refreshingly upbeat, this lovable film gets friendly with the natives of the Salton Sea, an inland ocean of massive fish kills, rotting resorts, and 120 degree nights located just minutes from urban South California. DVD 3782 Planet earth. (406 min.). Scientists explain current theories about the formation of the earth's continents, oceans and climate, and examine the earth's relationship to the sun and other planets. ONLINE RESOURCE Planet Earth as you've never seen it before. (550 min.). A stunning 11-part series that captures rare action, impossible locations, and intimate moments with our planet's best-loved, wildest, and most elusive creatures. DVD 2721-2725 The secret of life on Earth. (41 min.). Go on a breathtaking adventure through time and across five continents to reveal nature's most vital secrets. You will see the alarming destruction humankind has caused to our ecosystems and find hope in recent efforts to restore the natural balance we have disturbed. DVD 2545 Secrets of the salt marsh. (20 min.). "A general overview of salt marsh ecology is captured here beautifully with crisp aerial, underwater and time lapse photography. To most people it looks like dead grass and mud, but the salt marsh is one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, teeming with life, from the microscopic plankton to the grand snowy egret."--Container. DVD 2567 Six degrees could change the world. (90 min.). By the year 2100, many scientists believe that the Earth's average temperature could rise by as much as six degrees Celsius. A compelling investigation explores what each rising, and critical, degree could mean for the future of our people and planet. Illustrates how global warming has already affected the reefs of Australia, the ice fields of Greenland, and the Amazonian rain forest. Explains what's real, what's still controversial, and how existing technologies and remedies could help dial back the global thermometer. DVD 4338 The story of stuff with Annie Leonard. (20 min.). The goal in producing the film is to raise awareness about the often hidden impacts of production and consumption, to highlight the connections between a wide range of issues, and to spark discussion about both the systemic nature of the problem and effective strategies to address them. DVD 3871 Strange days on planet Earth. (240 min.). Around the globe, scientists are racing to solve a series of mysteries. They suspect we have entered a time of global change swifter than any human being has ever witnessed. Where are we headed? Can we alter this course of events? DVD 1623 Swim for the river. (57 min.). Christopher Swain endeavors to swim the entire length of the Hudson River, from the Adirondack Mountains to New York City, in an effort to bring attention to the pollution therein. DVD 3189 Too hot not to handle. (54 min.). Over the past 100 years, the mass consumption of fossil fuel, especially in America, has contributed to a dangerous global warming that is now beginning to adversely impact our lives and promises to do far greater damage if we continue to ignore its warning signs. This cautionary documentary offers a guide to the impacts of global warming on the U.S. and gives measures that can be taken to reverse this trend. DVD 4252 Trade secrets a Moyers report. (ca.120 min.). This documentary exposes the 40 year history of the American chemical industry's supression of information regarding the threats to public health by synthetic chemicals being introduced into the environment at all levels. Addresses the danger to public health by the continued use of approximately 9000 of the 15,000 mass produced chemical substances that have never undergone toxicological study in the United States. Followed by a panel discussion moderated by Moyers including industry spokesmen, environmental, and medical experts. ONLINE RESOURCE Urban solutions from Curitiba, Brazil. (52 min.). This documentary aims at sharing ideas to provoke environment-friendly and cost-effective changes in cities worldwide. It focuses on innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits including affordable housing, parks, and the processes that transformed Curitiba into one of the most livable cities in the world. Includes exclusive interviews from Curitiba's mayors, Jaime Lerner and Cassio Tanigushi, as well as others who made Curitiba a world class model. DVD 4466 The white diamond. (90 min.). Filmmaker Werner Herzog follows enigmatic airship engineer Dr. Graham Dorrington as he embarks on a trip in the heart of Guyana to test his new helium-filled invention above the rainforest. DVD 1578 Who killed the electric car? (93 min.). Investigates the development and demise of the fuel-efficient, environment-friendly electric car. Examines the Bush administration's role in the car's being peremptory pulled from production, the influence of the automobile industry and oil interests, and implications for the future of sustainable energy in the United States. DVD 3170 World in the balance. (120 min.). In Japan, Europe and Russia, birth rates are shrinking and the population is aging. In parts of India and Africa, more than half of the still growing population is under 25. The world population is now careening in two dramatically different directions. China revs up examines China's booming economy and the impact its having on the environment. DVD 2371
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