The God Squad and the Case of the Northern Spotted Owl

This film reviews the controversial Endangered Species Committee proceedings over the Northern Spotted Owl and 44 proposed federal timber sales in southwest Oregon. In May 1992, for the first time in history, the cabinet-level committee chose economic interests over the survival of a species. While the proceeding ostensibly focused on the owl and a limited number of timber sales, the controversy was a microcosm of a much larger debate concerning the fate of the Pacific Northwest’s old growth forests and the Endangered Species Act. The story-behind-the-story—as told in surprisingly candid interviews with President George Bush Sr.’s cabinet members, their staff, witnesses, lawyers, and people in rural communities in Oregon—is a fascinating, cautionary tale for generations to come. Discussion with filmmaker Emily Hart to follow. Animated Short Terminator Tomatoes to precede.

Empty Oceans, Empty Nets

This film examines the full extent of the global fisheries crisis and the forces that continue to push many marine fish stocks toward commercial extinction. The show also documents some of the most promising and innovative work being done to restore fisheries and protect essential fish habitat. New market initiatives are examined that give consumers a powerful vote in deciding how our oceans are fished. Commentary is provided by fishermen and by many of the world's most respected marine and fisheries scientists. Discussion with Josh Eagle of the Stanford Fisheries Project to follow.

Cadillac Desert

Cadillac Desert is a four-part documentary series about water, money, politics, and the transformation of nature. Winner of the duPont-Columbia Journalism Award, the series tells, for the first time on television, how Americans have used, abused, protected, controlled, fought over, and died for water. The Mercy of Nature (Episode 3) is on the development of the Central Valley and State Water Projects in California's San Joaquin (Central) Valley. Filmmaker Jon Else has won several Columbia DuPont Awards, two Academy Award nominations, and two national Emmy Awards. Discussion with Professor Buzz Thompson and filmmaker Jon Else to follow.

Turf Wars: Conservation Claims in the Great Himalayan National Park (New Dehli, 2001)

In 1999, villagers in the Kulu valley in the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India lost their ancestral rights to graze animals and collect medicinal plants in the area. This blow to their livelihood occurred because of the creation of the Great Himalayan National Park which carved out a vast area for wildlife conservation at the expense of resource use by local residents. However, after excluding villagers from the Park, a part of this protected area was released for the construction of a hydro-electric power project. Turf Wars explores the conflicts around conservation and development from the perspectives of local villagers, Forest Department officials, biologists and engineers. It highlights the contradictions in the government's policies towards conservation which make local livelihoods expendable in the interests of biodiversity conservation, but sacrifices biodiversity for the cause of national development. Discussion with 2L Mark Axelrod to follow.

Blue Vinyl

"Scary and hilarious!"- Elvis Mitchell, New York Times A Toxic Comedy Look at Vinyl, The World's Second Largest Selling Plastic.With humor, hope and a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand, Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Judith Helfand and co-director Daniel B. Gold travel from Helfand’s hometown to America’s vinyl manufacturing capital and beyond in search of answers about the nature of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Her parents’ decision to “re-side” their house with this seemingly benign cure-all for many suburban homes turns into a toxic odyssey with twists and turns that most ordinary homeowners wouldnever dare to take. The result is a humorous but sobering and uniquely personal exploration of the relationship between consumers and industry in the feature-length documentary BLUE VINYL, which won the cinematography award in the documentary competition at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival.

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© Environmental Law Society and Journal 2005
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