Educational Media Reviews Online

Environmental Ethics bills itself as a “comprehensive standards-based course that teaches ethical decision-making through an examination of humankind’s relationship to the natural world.” Although this video (which is packaged with an Educator’s Guide and Student Workbook, both of which are creative and thoughtful) contains a variety of well-produced and inspirational vignettes, it does not provide the necessary background or scientific explanation that would qualify this production as a comprehensive course in ethics or the environment. Thus it is recommended with reservations. The program contains a number of short segments about a diverse group of Goldman Environmental Prize winners (awards for grassroots environmental leaders), organized loosely into categories such as Wildlife, Forests, and Water. Each profile is approximately 3-4 minutes in length.

Where the program does succeed is in its ability to succinctly profile a number of activists from diverse countries and vastly different walks of life, illustrating why they became passionate about various environmental causes and how that enthusiasm is translated into action. One indigenous farmer from Borneo is able to organize a disparate group of tribes because of their common concern for their farming culture, successfully fighting off industrial interests. An American student works on a tuna-fishing boat to obtain the visual documentation needed to put an end to the collateral slaughter of dolphins. A Japanese citizen spearheads a movement to reclaim the tidal wetlands of the Isahaya Bay that have been decimated by a disastrous public works project. Viewers hear directly from the activists, who often risk imprisonment and, in some cases, torture and death. When the subjects speak in heavily accented English, subtitles are provided.

There are certainly many subtle points to be extracted for student debate and consideration. For instance, one profile about a Rwandan activist fighting to save the mountain gorillas hints at the connection between the country’s wildlife parks and the nation’s tourist economy. Are environmental concerns and the protection of wildlife really at odds with the demand for human progress? Key themes of personal identification with the environment and generational responsibility emerge clearly over the course of the program. These qualities will make this production a valuable resource for those instructors seeking supplementary material for a class exploring environmental issues or activist culture.