I have commented on the following posts:
Amy: Yay – VV
Roxanne: Toronto Non-Stop
Roxanne : Confessions of a Starbucksaholic
Austin: Classic Tribute: Super Mario World
Emmy: Major... DEADLINES !
http://em-rofl.blogspot.com/
Emmy: World issues - what are we doing wrong?
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The documentary ‘Go Further” was a real eye opener to our ways of consumption .The movie literally revealed how misinformed the Americans were regarding the condition of the environment. The movie did challenge my current ways of living. Although families have tried to live sustainable lifestyles, it is just not enough from Woody Harrelson’s perspective.
I could compare Woody Harrelson’s lifestyle to that of a modern day ascetic. In today’s society, where every possible luxury is at our disposal, to live a life of abandonment of those luxuries is a form of abstinence. Some of Woody’s ways were remarkable, especially his choice of hemp oil for running his bus. Some choices, like going vegetarian and organic, seemed less feasible. I admire Woody’s attempt to bring change in America, a state of strong corporate dominion.
From this movie, I have realized that our lives are definitely dominated by major corporations. Our choices of food and clothing are associated with brand names. I feel that this desire for brand names has isolated us from the truth of several ethic issues like that of the environment and human rights. This documentary revealed to me the sustainability of a simple lifestyle. Simplicity is an easy call to make a hard decision to follow. I still feel that the government isn’t working hard enough to spread awareness. The lack of information on the ecological crisis is isolating the community from the brutal truth of their effect on the environment. Even today, the ecological crisis is underrated and considered less significant that the current economic crisis and poverty.
I feel our efforts to protect the environment should go further that recycling. Saving water and electrical energy would be an important incorporation, which I can personally implement. I can reduce my consumption of fast food and turn to more local produce, these changes, though simple in nature, are still significant. Although I cannot guarantee radical changes world wide, local awareness would be a great way to start.
Here again, we are at crossroads for making tough decisions. We have our comforts but at the same time we have a responsibility. Our decision is extremely vital in a global scenario.
Exxon Valdez: Another Corporate triumph at the cost of the community
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How often do we realize the corporate injustices taking place in our society? Have we noticed the closure of a beloved store, known to many living nearby, with the opening of a Mega Walmart Superstore? These changes are barely noticeable in the larger span of events. However, the emotional trauma still exists.
The case concerning the Exxon Valdez oil spill in March 1989 epitomizes the frequent promotion of corporate benefits over human rights. This oil spill devastated the community surrounding the Prince William Sound near Alaska. Even though the infamous oil company claimed to take all possible steps to clean up the mess, it remained a superficial attempt and the community still suffers.
This community, isolated from high scale commercialism occurring in America, was self- sufficient. It relied on fishing as its main source of livelihood. Following the oil spill, fishing has never been the same: salmon and herring eggs have developed permanent deformities resulting in significantly low produce. The herring stocks collapsed in the market and have not recovered since.
The oil company hired a lot of people for a three year clean up program and many of those individuals have claimed to be suffering from chronic respiratory diseases even since.
The oil company never took true initiative to help ease the community’s suffering; however, what surprised me the most, after watching the documentary, was how the judiciary system kept helping the company ignore its responsibilities. The company was first slapped with a compensation of $5 billion. However, the company’s lawyers were able to bring down the compensation to one tenth of the original amount. The company has not realized that there is more than just money at stake here. The community can never fully recover for this environmental disaster. However a significant monetary compensation could have definitely help fishermen come back on their feet.
This company has since made over 140 billion dollars in profits. It is pathetic to see this sort of injustice taking place in society.
Being an environment enthusiast, I hadn’t heard much of this oil spill till the showcasing of the documentary during the Hot Docs run. I appreciate the contribution of Ms Powell and the Tech crew for providing me along with many other Comm. Students with the opportunity to learn about such compelling stories.
WAY TO GO COMM!!!
A lot of North Americans cannot start their day without their cups of coffee. Around 2 billion cups of coffee are consumed around the world every day. That’s a lot of caffeine !!! However, I never thought of how those coffee beans ended up where they are today.
After watching the documentary ‘Black Gold’, I found out that coffee plantations have been the source of livelihoods for generations of people living in tropical regions like Ethiopia and Columbia. This film mainly focuses on the Ethiopian coffee cultivators.
This documentary introduced to me the ills of unfair trade especially regarding the trade of coffee. In Ethiopia, a kilogram of the land’s best Harar coffee beans fetches the farmers only $0.23. A 12 ozs bag of the same coffee beans in priced at around $11. That is a huge difference. I am ready to purchase these exotic coffee beans at this price for their quality; however, it is unfortunate to know that only 2% of the cost is rewarded to the hard working planters.
After the collapse of the International Coffee Agreement in 1984, the only regulator of the supply of coffee around the world, the price of coffee has hit an all time low. Due to this unfair development, many workers do not have jobs. With very little income from this industry, the farmers cannot afford basic necessities like clean water, food and education for their children. Many of these laborers are not guaranteed basic labor rights.
As consumers in developed nations, we have the power to bring justice to the poor laborers in the developing countries. By purchasing commodities available through fair trade methods, we are able to provide to these farmers what they deserve: a just reward for their labor. The consumer can only change if he or she is fully aware of the injustices taking place across the globe. The people of these nations are made dependent on foreign trade and more often than not, these governments of these nations are relieved of their responsibilities to provide a sound infrastructure to create jobs for the people. It is essential to make these governments self sustainable, not through fulfilling material needs but through promoting their inherent skills.
Wow! ‘Super size me’ super sized my appetite. The fries, the Big Macs, the McFlurries… and them came the fall to shame.
From my above reaction, it is obvious that I was initially enticed to the whole concept of surviving on McDonalds for an entire month. It’s like the dream of every five -year old coming true - being able to complete the Hot Wheels or Barbie collection through buying a Kids meal every day of the week. But then, the excitement fades away with the plunge into reality.
After viewing this documentary, I realized how influenced our society is by mega corporations like McDonalds. We have grown to love fast food and have, in a way, let it take control. There is no denying the convenience of fast food: a two -minute wait in a queue compared to the tediousness of home cooked meals. In today’s fast paced society, a quick grab is highly favored. But is regular consumption of fast food healthy? Definitely not.
‘Super Size me’ introduced me to the ills of fast food hidden behind the big ‘Mmmmmmmssss.’ Prior to this viewing, I was only familiar with this theory through my mom’s constant nagging to eat healthy and random information. I was impressed by Morgan Spurlock ‘s commitment to the challenge.
Even after watching how the fast food companies promote their products, I still feel that we have power over them because we are the CONSUMERS. We still have to decide how we spend our money. Blaming the fast food chains is only part of the solution; the other is reviewing our own lifestyles. Are we willing to sacrifice our convenience for the greater good? Our health demands it.
Our health is connected to our well -being and therefore the well being of the society. Hence it becomes imperative to choose wisely.
The release of the ‘Inconvenient Truth’ took the world by storm. This powerful documentary sheds significant light on one of the hot spots for global debates: global warming. Through this documentary, Al Gore portrays the earth in a truly remarkable way: our only home. I really appreciate how Al Gore was able to connect personally with this crisis.
According to me, this documentary was nothing less than spectacular. It was more than just a burst of facts, but a profound analysis of the bigger picture regarding global warming. The documentary helped me personally come in terms with reality. Being a great fan of Star trek and Star Wars, I have always envisioned a space colony away from earth. But the truth is that no matter how far fetched our dreams are, we still need the resources from earth to fulfill them. All our space missions have being powered by natural resources only refined in the laboratories.
With no legitimate signs of alien lifeforms, we can only compare our successes and conquests to our activities here on the earth. Even though this planet is one of maybe millions of planets and just another celestial body, it is our only home and even if we venture out into space someday, we will still be defined by our proximity to our home.
Al Gore has been associated with the concept of global warming for years. He even tried to use his political campaign to favor the cause of the environment. In recent times, research groups have been labeling Al Gore a hypocrite. I read an interesting opinion piece in July 2008 in the National Post on how Al Gore was not ‘ walking the walk’. It contained allegations of how Al Gore lives lavishly in a house contributing to an enormous carbon footprint and how he uses private jets to fly to conferences instead of boarding the public Boeing.
My question to the writer of this article is: Are n’t we all guilty of hypocrisy? Don’t all of us, at one point in our lives, preach ideals we don’t follow? Then, how are we any different than Al Gore?
Many problems are often left unresolved due to lack of personal responsibility. We are all culprits for promoting global warming and pointing fingers will not resolve the problem. I am not denying the allegations made regarding Al Gore; I am only concerned that the time that we use to scrutinize Al Gore’s character could be used to focus on the ‘actual crisis’.
Whatever the truth maybe, no one can deny that the ‘Inconvenient Truth’ has opened our eyes to the previously hidden dangers of global warming. I only hope that we can accept our responsibility and work towards saving the planet.
Why do directors dedicate themselves to telling stories which, at times, are forbidden?
Why do these directors risk their lives and their comforts for isolated stories?
Because these stories have the power to break certain norms of society which isolate us, here in the western world, from the compelling truths of the real world.
Documentaries have become more sophisticated with the use of advanced visual and audio aids. However, their purpose of raising awareness hasn’t changed. I appreciate all those directors who venture out to cover real stories, which often remain hidden even from the eyes of the media.
These stories come out from regions heavily repressed by political dictatorship or regions destroyed by natural disasters. Some stories follow a personal struggle that links the audience to a bigger ‘picture’.
None of the emotions are staged, nor are the settings recreated; the story is being told as it is. Most of the documentaries are unscripted; hence the story is sometimes brought forward with sporadic dialogue, which adds to the essence of reality. Some documentaries contain raw footage, which often bring out harsh realities.
Broadcasting corporations like CBC and PBS are doing an amazing job with their brief yet compelling documentaries.
Documentary directors provide their audiences with opportunities to contemplate several critical issues.
I salute all those involved in bringing justice to people lacking compassion through their filming and documenting skills.
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