Green Videos From Acid Rain to Uranium By Phyllis Barich Volume 19 Number 4 1991 September Video librarian Phyllis Barich's retrospective mediography on the environment includes both classics from the NFB A Crowded Wilderness, The Energy Carol, One Man's Garden, Paradise Lost and The Quiet Racket and new releases not to be missed. This mediography of videos and films on or about the environment reflects the holdings of the Instructional Resources Branch of Manitoba Education and Training. While not exhaustive, it is a comprehensive listing of the titles in the collection which were produced in Canada or are about Canada and are appropriate for children and young adults. Because of the broad nature of the topic, a number of Library of Congress subject headings were used to search for these titles, chiefly: acid precipitation, acid rain, conservation, environment, environmental health, environmental protection, man-- influence on nature, pollution, recycling, salvage (waste, etc.), wetland conservation, and wetland ecology. The mediography includes videos and films, which, by their production dates, are deemed current as well as those that may be considered dated or historical. These latter titles are, however, worthy of a second look if only for review or background information. ACID RAIN 16 min.; col.; 1984; film; Studio City, Calif.: Film fair Communications [producer]; Marlin Motion Pictures [distributor]. Identifies what acid precipitation is and explains its causes and effects on our environment and health. Shows what is currently being done to overcome the problems and suggests additional action which might be taken. Grades 7 and up ACID RAIN: A NORTH AMERICAN CHALLENGE 16 min.; col.; 1988; video; [Ottawa]: Minister of Supply and Services Canada [producer]; National Film Board of Canada [distributor]. Explores the environmental, economic and health effects of acid rain and discusses what needs to be done to reduce the damage it causes in Canada and in the United States. Grades 7 and up ACID RAIN: NEW BAD NEWS 57 min.; col.; 1984; (Nova Series); film; [Boston, Mass.]: WGBH Educational Foundation [producer]; Marlin Motion Pictures Ltd. [distributor]. Shows the devastation caused by acid rain through scenes of the Black Forest in Germany, lakes in the Adirondacks and dissolving stone figures on the facade of Cologne Cathedral. The program reviews the chemistry of acid rain and the European and American sources of the sulphates and nitrates which cause it. Researchers discuss what is being done to investigate the problem, suggesting areas for further research and further courses of action. Grades 10 and up BEFORE ITS TOO LATE: URGENT MESSAGES ABOUT CONSERVATION 30 min.; col.; 1988; video; [Winnipeg]: Manitoba Educational Television [producer]. Manitoba is at a conservation crossroads. Almost daily something appears to reminds us of the strains our way of life is putting on the environment, particularly on our soil and water. This video focuses upon programs designed to protect our soil and water, as well as what yet remains to be done. Grades 7 and up. CANADA: DESIGN INNOVATIONS FOR CANADIAN SETTLEMENTS 17 min.; col.; 1976; film; National Film Board of Canada for the Canadian Habitat Secretariat [producer and distributor]. The Canadian environment and the dwindling supplies of fossil fuels have forced designers to consider alternate ways of building and creating communities. Using the towns of Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, and Fermont, Quebec, and the solar heated houses--Provident House in Ontario and The Ark in P.E.I. --as examples, the film discusses four design solutions as possible prototypes for future development. Grades 7 and up CLIMATE AND SOILS (Soils: The Living Blanket) 22 min.; col.; 1989; video; [Winnipeg]: Manitoba Educational Television [Producer]. The series focuses on Manitoba's soils and the importance of soil conservation. This program examines the relationship between climate and soils and Manitoba's climatic trends. Includes discussions with producers in various Manitoba soil regions about their soil management practices. Also considers future climatic trends. Grades 10 and up CONSERVING THE SOIL (Soils: The Living Blanket) 20 min.; col.; 1989; video; [Winnipeg]: Manitoba Educational Television [producer]. The series introduces viewers to Manitoba's soils and emphasizes the importance of soil conservation. This program considers the importance of understanding the soil's productivity as well as the necessity for soil conservation and good soil management techniques. Also discusses wind, water ant soil erosion. Grades 10 and up. CRISIS IN THE RAIN 27 min.; col.; 1981; film; Montero-Fulton Productions for Environment Ontario [producer]; Visual Education Centre [Distributor]. Focuses on the problem of acid rain in eastern North America and how it changes lakes and streams with damaging effects on fish reproduction and aquatic life. Reviews the chemistry of acid rain and the U.S. and Canadian sources of the sulphates and nitrates which cause it. Points out the potential economic loss to the tourist industry and the long-term dangers to buildings, bridges and human health if acid rain and acid snow continue unchecked. Grades 7 and up. A CROWDED WILDERNESS 9 min.; col.; 1972; film; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. Deals with the conservation of wilderness in Canada. Grades 10 and up. THE ENERGY CAROL 11 min.; col.; 1975; film; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. An animated film dealing with the conservation of energy resources. Grades 1 to 12 ENERGY MANAGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE 24 min.; col.; 1976; film; Melvana Communications Group [producer]; National Film Board of Canada [distributor]. Through animation and live action, the film creates the awareness of society's depleting energy bank. Stresses the three Rs of energy conservation: reduction, re-use and recycling. Discusses renewable and non-renewable resources. Grades 7 and up ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH (Zardip's Search for Healthy Wellness) 15 min.; col.; 1988; video; Toronto: Ontario Educational Communications Authority[producerl. TVOntario [distributor]. Zardip, an alien from a far-away planet, learns about the effects of pollution on earth, and why people have a responsibility to maintain the environment. Looks at ways to solve pollution problems. Grades 2 to 5 THE FOSSIL STOREHOUSE (North America: Growth of a Continent) 15 min.; col.; 1980; video; [Toronto]: Ontario Educational Communications Authority [producer]. TVOntario [distributor] The first segment deals with the use of coal throughout history and its location in North America, and the techniques of open pit and shaft mining are described and explained. The second deals with the formation and trapping of petroleum deposits, and the probe for new oil discoveries. Students are made aware of the tremendous variety of petroleum products through a montage of goods which have a petrochemical base. The third segment stresses the concept of fossil fuels as a limited resource in an energy-hungry world. Grades 7 and up. THE GARBAGE OUROBOROS: RECYCLING (Nature of Things) 28min.; col.; 1975; film; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [producer]; National Film Board of Canada [distributor]. Ouroboros, the tail-eating serpent, is the Egyptian symbol for recycling. Scientists, industrialists and ecologists are already developing a sophisticated waste recycling and reprocessing industry. This film features some of their ideas and some of the mechanical monsters they have created. Grades 10 and up. THE GLOBAL BLANKET (Soils: The Living Blanket) 20 min.; col.; 1989; video; [Winnipeg]: Manitoba Educational Television [producer]. The series focuses on Manitoba's soils and the importance of soil conservation. This program explores the soils of developing countries, such as Zimbabwe and other parts of Africa, and the Amazon rain forest. Considers the similarities and differences in their soils and the problems of wind erosion, land management, salinization and loss of top soil, as well as their management, conservation and production capacity. Includes interviews with specialists with experience with these types of soil. Grades 10 and up. THE GREEN HOUSE = LA MAISON VERTE 10 min.; col.; 1990; video; [Ottawa]: Energy, Mines and Resources Canada; Minister of Supply and Services Canada [producer and distributor]. An animated cat instructs a family in good energy saving habits around the house. Includes turning off lights when leaving a room, using a bicycle, fixing dripping faucets, using dishwashers and washing machines with full loads, and using energy-efficient shower heads. Grades 4 to 6 THE HARMONY PUZZLE 15 min.; col.; 1988; video; [Calgary]: Access Network [producer and distributor]. Introduces viewers to the link between the economy and the environment as well as to the concept of sustainable economic development. Students give their answers to two questions: What is environment? and what is harmony? The program considers waste effluent, air pollution and its consequences, waste affecting the landscape, the limits to our environment (including mismanagement of top soil), oil as a non-renewable resource, recycling and the necessity to change old habits and thinking. Concludes with the question "what can you do to help?" Grades 4 to 6 IT STARTS AT HOME 29 min.; col.; 1990; video; Minds Eye Pictures [producer and distributor]. Explores ways in which a family or an individual can contribute to solutions regarding environmental issues such as garbage, products in household cupboards, energy sources and the consumer's lifestyle. Emphasizes the importance of education with respect to environmental issues. Grades 10 and up. ONE MAN'S GARDEN 21 min.; col.; 1974; film; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. Presents an allegorical look at waste in society. Grades 7 and up PARADISE LOST 4 min.; col.; 1970; film; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. Uses animation without narration to describe the harmony of nature and its creatures, and to show their slow death with the pollution of the atmosphere. Grades 1 to 9. PARKS & WILDERNESS (MODULE ONE) Col.; 1990; 5 videos; Education Through Video Ltd. [distributor]. Contents: Ecology and Conservation (20 min.); Long Point: Diamond in the Rough (20 min.); Carmanah Forever (25 min.); For Future Generations (54 min.); Fate of the Forest (58 min.). Introduces viewers to environmental issues surrounding park and wilderness conservation. Program one, Ecology and Conservation, discusses problems associated with maintaining a nature reserve in England in its current state. Program two, Long Point: Diamond in the Rough, examines the importance and future of a wetland/sand dune ecosystem in southern Ontario. Program three, Carmnanah Forever, looks at the efforts of conservationists in British Columbia to protect a Sitka spruce forest. Program four, For Future Generations, looks at the establishment of the Canadian parks system and the development of Canadian conservation attitudes. Program five, Fate of the Forest, discusses the importance of forest preservation in view of its connection to climate, water, soil and species existence. Grades 7 and up POLLUTION: WORLD AT RISK 25 min.; col.; 1989; video; National Geographic Society [producer and distributor]. Introduces the subject of pollution by defining a new type of crime-- environmental crime--and giving examples such as midnight dumping of hazardous waste. Examines causes and effects of pollution including acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, atmospheric deposition and the greenhouse effect. Explores ways in which pollution problems can be solved and shows examples of projects being undertaken. Grades 5 and up. THE QUIET RACKET 7 min.; col.; 1966; film; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. A study, without narration, of a man who tries to escape the noise of the city by going into the hills, only to discover that the countryside is not unspoiled and uncrowded, as poets proclaim. Grades 4 and up SOLVING THE HARMONY PUZZLE: YOU'RE PART 15 min.; col.; 1989; video; Access Network [producer and distributor]. The program helps viewers to understand that they are part of the environment and its problems as well as the solutions to those problems. The program asks the question, "How does what we buy affect the environment?" and considers the product life cycle and the student as consumer. Individuals are urged to ask questions such as, Do I need this product? Which products should I buy? Is all this packaging necessary? How much should I use? How should I dispose of it? The program concludes with the point that if consumers demand more environmentally acceptable products, the manufacturers and retailers will respond. Grades 4 to 6 STREET CENTS (SHOW 8) 30 min.; col.; 1989; video; Canadian Broadcasting Corporation [producer and distributor]. A student-hosted television series which looks at how to watch out for the market-place gimmicks of obsolescence and fashionable gimmickry as well as how to determine the real value of a product, aside from its fashionableness. This program considers environmental concerns and surveys products such as disposable and regular cameras and granola bars. Includes an interview with Bob McDonald, host of a program called Wonderstruck, on how to make the earth a better place to live. Also discusses the history of some Canadian coins, updates four business ventures and presents some consumer complaints. Grades 4 to 8. SUPER-COMPANIES 57 min.; col.; 1987; video; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. Examines how the multinational corporations operate focusing on the aluminum industry and its international operations, particularly the example of the Alcan Corporation. From interviews with economists, leaders, citizens concerned with environmental issues and workers concerned with job security, we are shown how the profit motive can cause social and environmental problems. Experiences in Australia, British Columbia, Jamaica and Norway illustrate the complexity of dealing with the multinational corporation. Grades 10 and up URANIUM 48 min.; col.; 1990; film/video; National Film Board of Canada [producer and distributor]. Because of toxic and radioactive waste, there are profound, long-term environmental hazards associated with uranium mining. For miners who work at the sites, there is a substantially increased risk of getting cancer. And, because most of the mining to date has been on land historically used by Canada's native populations, uranium mining violates the traditional economic and spiritual lives of many aboriginal people. Given our limited knowledge of the risks associated with uranium mining, this program questions the validity of its continuation. Grades 10 and up WASTE (Take a Look series) 10 min.; col.; 1986; video; TVOntario [producer and distributor]. Jeffrey, a city kid spending his summer on a farm, sees how garbage is part of the life cycle and plants a "reverse garden" to watch how things decay. The value of recycling is emphasized, and tells how to recycle old paper to make new. Grades 2 to 5. WASTE MANAGEMENT: TIME FOR ACTION 10 min.; col.; 1983; film; Tahl Commercial Film Productions for Environment Canada [producer]; National Film Board of Canada [distributor]. Explains what hazardous waste is, how it was disposed of in the past, and how it must be disposed of in the future to protect the environment and reduce health risks. Includes examples of how individuals and industry can decrease risks by reduction, recovery, re-use and recycling. Grades 7 and up. WETLAND 29 min.; col.; 1987; film/video; Waterhen Film Productions [producer]; Ducks Unlimited Canada [distributor]. Shows the value of wetlands to humans and their environment. A wetland is portrayed as a celebration of life, with its beauty and abundance of life. Explains the importance of preserving the remaining wetlands and how they are vital to the very existence of our natural world, as well as our own health and economy. Grades 5 and up. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE 14 min.; col.; 1988; video; Manitoba Educational Television [producer]. Safe and effective disposal, recycling, or avoidance of hazardous wastes has become a worldwide concern. Looks at the role of the Manitoba Hazardous Waste Management Corporation. Briefly examines how two companies in Manitoba, Perth Cleaners of Winnipeg and Toro Industries of Steinbach, have made efforts to eliminate hazardous wastes from their operations. Grades 10 and up Additional titles may be found in ''Films and Videos on Environmental Awareness," Visual Media/Medias Visuels, vol. 3, no. 5, May/June 1991: 15-28. DISTRIBUTORS Access Network 295 Midpark Way SE Calgary, Alberta T2X 2A8 (403) 256-1100 CBC Enterprises Canada P.O. Box 500, Station A Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6 (416) 975-3505 Ducks Unlimited Canada 1190 Waverley Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2E2 (204) 477-1760 Check your telephone directory for a regional office. Education Through Video Itd. 7 Wellwood Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6C 1G8 (416) 656-6953 Manitoba Educational Television Room W330 -1970 Ness Avenue Winnipeg, Manitoba R3J 0Y9 (204) 945-8463 Marlin Motion Pictures Ltd. 211 Watline Avenue Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1P3 (416) 890-1500 Minds Eye Pictures 1212A Winnipeg Street Regina, Saskatchewan S4R 1J6 (306) 359-7618 National Film Board of Canada There are twelve regional offices in Canada to rent/buy NFB productions. Telephone the toll-free number in your region for further information. Atlantic Canada 1-800-561-7104 Quebec 1 800-3634328 Ontario 1 800-267-7710 Western & Northern Canada 1 800-661-9867 National Geographic Educational Services 211 Watline Avenue, Suite 210 Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 1P3 (416) 890-1111 TVOntario Box 200, Station Q Toronto, Ontario M4T 2T1 (416) 48s2613 Visual Education Centre 75 Horner Avenue, Unit 1 Toronto, Ontario M8Z 4X5 (416) 252-5907 Phyllis Barich is Head of the Audio Visual Resources and Services Section of the Instructional Resources Branch, Manitoba Education and Training. The branch provides Kindergarten to grade Z2 teachers with library resources and support services to implement the province's curriculum and to improve the teaching and learning process. The Audio Visual Resources and Services Section delivers videos and films to Manitoba teachers and educators through a computerized media booking system and provides reference services for the video and film collection. Phyllis' work with films and videos was recognized by the 1991 National Film Board of Canada Award for Outstanding Video or Film Librarian at the Canadian Library Association annual conference in Montréal in June.