Review of Documentary: Green

The documentary Green was directed, produced, and edited by Laura Dunn in 2000.
Click HERE for additional information about the filming of this documentary.

Summary

This eye-opening film takes a look at the issues of environmental racism and environmental injustice, particularly focusing on Cancer Alley in Louisiana.

In the 1930s, the state of Louisiana offered tax exemptions for chemical plants that started up business there. This led to many chemical makers and refineries along the Mississippi River, stretching from Baton Rouge to New Orleans – an area now known as Cancer Alley. Presently, the concentration of chemical plants is astonishingly high, with around 150 petrochemical plants in the 100-mile stretch of land. These huge, wealthy companies give nothing to the surrounding poor communities (except for noise and chemical pollution). These companies are all self-regulated, of course, which leaves me with little hope that they are planning on changing their ways anytime soon. As if this isn’t bad enough, more plants are still being allowed to start up in this area. For example, the Japanese corporation SHINTECH was trying to build a PVC plant in Convent, Louisiana.

I found this documentary to be very effective because it was brought down to a personal level through interviews of the citizens that have to deal with this mess everyday. Their stories were heart-wrenching, and described the awful effects of their contaminated environment: children with high rates of asthma and nosebleeds, and especially all the cases of rare forms of cancer. The Mississippi River is highly polluted, and fish and shrimp can no longer be eaten from it. In some areas, the soil is so toxic that people have been forced to give up their personal gardens. Everything is contaminated by chemicals: the water, the air, the ground. It seems as if the dangers are inescapable for residents; in fact, minorities in this area experience disproportionate amounts of cancer.

Dunn did a great job of portraying environmental injustice through the stories of the citizens, but also through her cinematography. Certain shots such as the train with car after car bearing a chemical warning really drove home the extent of this problem. Also, the series of company logos that have plants in the area seemed to go on forever. At another point, charts were shown that depicted the high rates of air pollution concentration in Louisiana as opposed to other parts of the country.


New Terms

benzene: a sweet smelling, highly toxic hydrocarbon; long-term exposure to benzene is known to cause anemia and leukemia

Cancer Alley: an area along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, in the River Parishes of Louisiana, which contains numerous industrial plants

developmental toxin: substance that causes malformations of an embryo or fetus

environmental injustice: inequitable environmental burdens borne by groups such as racial minorities, women, residents of economically disadvantaged areas, or residents of developing nations

environmental justice: the movement to reverse environmental racism

environmental racism: intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental rules and regulations, the intentional or unintentional targeting of minority communities for the placement of polluting industries, or the exclusion of minority groups from public and private boards, commissions, and regulatory bodies

neuroblastoma: a leading childhood form of cancer that arises in the adrenal gland or in tissue in the nervous system that is related to the adrenal gland

reproductive toxin: chemicals that can damage the reproductive systems of both men and women. Exposure to these agents before conception can produce a wide range of adverse effects including reduced fertility, an abnormal fetus, reduced libido, or menstrual dysfunction. Maternal exposure after conception may cause prenatal death, low birth weight, birth defects, developmental and/or behavioral disabilities, and cancer.

rhabdomyosarcoma: a malignant tumor composed of striated muscle fibers


Concepts that Challenged My Thinking

First of all, I can’t believe houses were allowed to be built on top of toxic landfills. Now that the repercussions of this poor planning are being realized, the top two feet of the ground are being cleared off. This is in no way going to fix the problem. Making matters worse, the people who live in this area were not even given the courtesy of being relocated. Construction was going on right outside their doorstep! Why is the EPA not being an ally for these people? Isn’t that their purpose, to be a protection agency? Also, the thought that these people are considered “expendable” just makes me so angry. Consider the definition of expendable: not worth preserving, able to be sacrificed to achieve an objective, capable of being replaced. In my opinion, labeling any human being in this manner is quite unethical.

I was really shocked by the way the reports of cancers in southern Louisiana are conducted. Apparently, the reports are divided into regions, causing the data to be spread out and therefore skewed. The concentration of cancer cases appears diluted compared to how it would look if it was accurately portrayed parish by parish. Also, it appears that the Louisiana Chemical Association funds this tumor registry. Really? I’m willing to bet that factors into the way the data is portrayed, don’t you think?

Another thing that really bothered me was how casually the people from these chemical companies treat the subject. The representative who was talking about how she respected the environment and planted a garden to attract birds and insects seemed unaware of the dire circumstances of residents living in the actual neighborhoods surrounding the plants. Also, the subject of the explosion in Norco was just glossed over by saying that at least the town got refurbished! Considering eight employees died in this explosion, I don’t know if a little cosmetic work for the town really evens things out.

Also, I realized I’m not doing anything to reverse this problem. In fact, I’m even contributing to it every day! I never stopped to think how practically EVERYTHING we use these days is touched by the chemical industry: soap, lipstick, contact lenses, glasses, pipes, shingles, and tires – the list is endless. It’s upsetting to think that by making a cheap purchase of a product in a store, I am taking advantage of other people who have to deal with the direct effects of these chemical companies.


Additional Resources

Many of us were shocked at the part of the documentary that talked about the people living on the landfill. For more information about the Agriculture Street Landfill, visit these two sites:
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/agriculturestreet/asl_p1.html#sum

http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/agstreet.htm#PROBLEM

Did SHINTECH succeed in getting a plant in Louisiana? Click HERE to find out.

For further information on the Shell explosion in Norco and the harm this company has caused to surrounding communities, check out this book excerpt.

(Photo taken by David Farmer at stock.xchng.)