Environmental DVD Library

Looking for a compelling documentary or film to complement your course curriculum? Don't have time to hassle with orders and funding? Look no further! Pace Academy's growing library of films is available to Pace faculty. If you are a Pace faculty member and would like to borrow a title from our library, please complete the form at the bottom of this page. A confirmation of your request will be sent to the email address provided within one business day.

	Affluenza (VHS) John de Graaf. 1997. 56 minutes. KCTS/Seattle & Oregon Public Broadcasting. “Through revealing personal stories, expert commentary, hilarious old film clips, dramatized vignettes, and "anti-commercial" breaks, Affluenza examines the high cost of achieving the most extravagant lifestyle the world has ever seen. ... Affluenza travels across the country to show you men and women who are working and shopping less, spending more time with friends and family, volunteering in their communities, and enjoying their lives more.” (January 13, 2010, pbs.org). View Trailer.
	Bag it: is your life too plastic? Suzan Beraza. 2010. 65 minutes. Reel Thing Films. An average guy makes a resolution to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. Little does he know that this simple decision will change his life completely. He comes to the conclusion that our consumptive use of plastic has finally caught up to us, and looks at what we can do about it. Today. Right now. View Trailer.
	Flock Of Dodos Randy Olson. 2006. 85 minutes. Docuramafilms. In a light-hearted take on the culture wars, FLOCK OF DODOS tweaks egos and pokes fun at both sides in the evolution vs. intelligent design debate. Evolutionary biologist and filmmaker Dr. Randy Olson rides along with jargon-impaired scientists and jargon-rebranding intelligent designers as they engage in the comic theatrics that erupt wherever science and religion clash over the origins of life. From the shadowy, well-funded headquarters of the pro-intelligent design Discovery Institute in Seattle to the rarefied talk of Olson’s science buddies around a late-night poker table, FLOCK OF DODOS lends a thoughtfully critical ear to the wonderful personalities and passions driving the Darwin wars. View Trailer.
	FLOW Irena Salina. 2008. 84 minutes. Oscilloscope Pictures. Irena Salina’s award-winning documentary, “FLOW,” tells the story of the world’s current and urgent water crisis. Salina’s film dials in on the struggle between the preservation of our water supply and the privatization of that water supply by asking the audience, “Can anyone ever really own water?” The documentary touches on the political, social, and even criminal implications of the world’s public and private water industries. Salina also offers a glimpse of hope by documenting alternatives to water supply privatization as well as renewable and viable solutions to the world’s water crisis. View Trailer.
	The Greenhorns: Serve Your Country Food Severine von Tscharner Fleming. 2011. 50 minutes. Severine Von Tscharner Fleming Armed with a camcorder, farmer-filmmaker-activist Severine von Tscharner Fleming spent two years crisscrossing America, meeting and mobilizing a network of revolutionary young farmers resettling the land. “The Greenhorns” is an ode to their grit and entrepreneurial spirit, an exploration of sustainable agriculture, and an enticement to reclaim our national soil. The ninety minute feature is the culmination of well over 200 hours of original footage from all regions of the United States, as well as original animation by young urban farmer and artist Brooke Budner, and rare agricultural archival footage from the Prelinger Archives. Ultimately, The Greenhorns shows us how farmers can move out of the margins recent history has consigned them to, and back to the heart of the American food landscape. (June 27, 2012, IMDb.com) View Trailer.
	If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front Marshall Curry. 2011. 85 minutes. Marshall Curry Productions. “If a Tree Falls” is a rare behind-the-curtain look at the Earth Liberation Front, the radical environmental group that the FBI calls America's 'number one domestic terrorist threat.' With unprecedented access and a nuanced point of view, the documentary tells the story of Daniel McGowan, an ELF member who faced life in prison for two multi-million dollar arsons against Oregon timber companies. The film employs McGowan's story to examine larger questions about environmentalism, activism, and terrorism. (June 27, 2012, IMDb.com) View Trailer.
	In Defense of Animals: A Portrait of Peter Singer Julia Akeret. 1989. 28 minutes. Julie Akeret. What Martin Luther King was to civil rights, Australian philosopher Peter Singer is to the animal rights movement. This is an excellent summation of both the philosophical and practical arguments that underpin one of the fastest growing political movements in this country and the world. According to Singer, the heart of the argument lies in the recognition that we should not discount the pain and suffering of another just because the being that is suffering is not human. Many believe this is a critical advance in the evolution of our moral thinking, and it is time for all of us to familiarize ourselves with the arguments of the animal rights movement, arguments that are too frequently trivialized or deliberately misrepresented. View Website.
	Journey of the Universe: The Epic Story of Cosmic, Earth, and Human Transformation Patsy Northcutt and David Kennard. 2011. 56 minutes. Patsy Northcutt and David Kennard Acclaimed author and evolutionary philosopher Brian Thomas Swimme shares his infectious curiosity about life’s biggest questions in the epic “Journey of the Universe.” Using his skills as a masterful storyteller, Swimme connects such big picture issues as the birth of the cosmos 14 billion years ago – to the invisible frontiers of the human genome – as well as to our current impact on Earth’s evolutionary dynamics. From the Big Bang to the epic impact humans have on the planet today, this film is designed to inspire a new and closer relationship with Earth in a period of growing environmental and social crisis. View Trailer.
	King Corn Aaron Woolf. 2007. 90 minutes. Mosaic Films Inc. & the Independent Television Service. After graduating from college, two friends embark on a journey to the heartland of America. Their mission: to grow one acre of Iowa corn and follow their crop from field to food. The alarming results: a startling discovery about the true nature of America’s biggest cash crop and the role it plays in the contemporary American diet as well as the contemporary American economy. However, their discoveries only lead to more disconcerting inquiries about the nature of and relationships between diet and agriculture in the United States. View Trailer.
	The Last Rivermen Robert Nixon and John Cronin. 1992. 34 minutes. Hudson Riverkeeper Fund. Fishermen lived in harmony with the Hudson River for more than 300 years until one toxic chemical changed their lives-perhaps forever. Will the Hudson River fishermen survive the decades of corporate abuse and government neglect or will they be the last rivermen?
	Life and Debt (Developing Stories, Series 1: Environment and Development) Octavio Bezerra. 1992. 47 minutes. BBC & Television Trust for the Environment. In this shocking docudrama, filmmaker Octavio Bezerra examines the link between Brazil’s struggling economic, social, and ecological crisis and the annual murders of over 500 children on the streets of Rio de Janeiro. The film unfolds during the advent of the world’s energy crisis as we see foreign economies fueling the exploitation of Brazil and the Amazon. While foreign nations benefit exponentially, the Brazilian nation is left abused, empty, and deeply entrenched in external debt.
	The New Frontier: Sustainable Ranching in the American West Irene Klaver and Melinda Levin. 2011. 28 minutes. Irene Klaver and Melinda Levin “The New Frontier" explores various controversies over cattle ranching and rangeland management in the American West. Shot on three family ranches in the Rockies of Colorado, southern New Mexico and Central Texas Blackland Prairie, the film examines cultural, scientific, political and philosophical considerations concerning environmental stewardship, the traditions of ranching families and communities, collaborations between ranchers, ecologists and environmentalists, and the controversial but often successful use of grazing animals to improve land and animal water biodiversity and healthy watersheds. Through interviews, archival images and present-day observational footage, the documentary also explores conflicts over public land grazing, the economic viability of family ranches, and the idea of the "Western mystique" currently prompting the conversion of thousands of acres of working ranch into "ranchette subdivisions." View Trailer.
	Power of Song Jim Brown. 2007. 93 minutes. Jim Brown Productions; PBS Masters. “In Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, Director Jim Brown documents the life of one of the greatest American singer/songwriters of the last century. Pete Seeger was the architect of the folk revival, writing some of its best known songs including Where Have All the Flowers Gone, Turn, Turn, Turn and If I Had A Hammer. Largely misunderstood and criticized for his strong beliefs he was picketed, protested, blacklisted, and, in spite of his enormous popularity, banned from commercial television for more than 17 years. Musicians including Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, Brice Springsteen, Natalie Maines, and Peter, Paul and Mary appear in this intimate portrait and discuss Seeger s lasting influence on the fabric of American music.” (December 7, 2009, amazon.com ). View Trailer.
	Risky Business Michael Dworkin & Melissa Young. 1996. 24 minutes. Moving Images Video Project. “Risky Business” is an excellent introduction into the wide and wicked world of genetically engineered foods, both plant and animal. In this documentary, filmmakers Michael Dworkin and Melissa Young examine the implications of generically engineering and altering our food supply. Collecting testimonials from a myriad of sources, the duo in this short, yet informative, film ask all the necessary questions regarding the futures of our food, our health, and the environment. View Website.
	Swim for the River Tom Weidlinger. 2006. A Moira Productions Film in association with Dateline Productions Christopher Swain braved whitewater, sewage, snapping turtles, hydroelectric dams, homeland security patrols, factory outfalls, and PCB contamination to become the first person to swim the entire length of the Hudson River from the Adirondack Mountains to New York City. Swain's experience links together stories of the river, which begins in wilderness and ends in one of the nation's densest population centers. We meet heroes who are fighting to protect the Hudson against a range of threats from industry, inept regulatory agencies, and public indifference. We also see how ordinary citizens can and do make a difference through choices they make effecting the environment, and by joining together around a common cause. View Trailer.
	Tar Creek Matt Myers. 2011. 54 minutes. Jump the Fence Productions. “Tar Creek” is the story of the worst environmental disaster you’ve never heard of: the Tar Creek Superfund site. Once one of the largest lead and zinc mines on the planet, Tar Creek is now home to more than 40 square miles of environmental devastation in northeastern Oklahoma: acid mine water in the creeks, stratospheric lead poisoning in the children, and sinkholes that melt backyards and ball fields. Now, almost 30 years after being designated for federal cleanup by the Superfund program, Tar Creek residents are still fighting for decontamination, environmental justice, and ultimately, the buyout and relocation of their homes to safer ground. As “Tar Creek” reveals, America’s Superfund sites aren’t just environmental wastelands; they’re community tragedies, too. Until the community fights back. View Trailer.
	The Unfractured Future: Indigenous Perspectives on Hydraulic Fracturing Tracy Basile and Scott Halfmann. 2010. 12 minutes. WESPAC Foundation This 12 minute film brings Native voices to the forefront of an urgent environmental, economic, and social issue in New York State: hydraulic fracturing. It calls us together to envision an “unfractured” future. The film was created by Tracy Basile, adjunct professor in Environmental Studies at Pace University and Scott Halfmann, as part of their participation in the “Reel Change for Nonprofits” class at the Jacob Burns Film Center’s Media Arts Lab. You can also view the film online.