Up Close & Toxic 2002
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by CBC "The Nature of Things"
Directed by Caroline Underwood
VHS, color, 45 min.
Jr. High - Adult
Health Sciences, Environmental Studies
Date Entered: 11/21/2003
Reviewed by Kay Hogan Smith, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lister Hill Library of the Health SciencesUp Close & Toxic is a lighthearted look at a serious subject - indoor air pollution. Produced for Canadian Broadcast Television's The Nature of Things, the program sets out to examine the invisible pollutants endangering the health of a blithely ignorant "Ozzie & Harriet"- style family. The use of expert "ghosts" (such as John Roberts a.k.a. "Doctor Dust") to measure the amount of pollutants in the fictitious home and report their observations provides another entertaining element that in no way distracts from the seriousness of their warning: that pollutants in our homes, schools and offices are potentially more harmful than those encountered outdoors in the most polluted city. The science behind the message is presented in an easily understood manner, and the production values are excellent. A good introduction to the topic for all audiences.