This expansive documentary attempts to explore the history of global grassroots environmentalism. We begin with the Audubon Society, touch on the roots of the Sierra Club and Greenpeace, and end with a prelude to the Paris Agreement. Many celebrities give their voice to this documentary, including Meryl Streep, Ashley Judd, and Robert Redford. Several dozen notable environmental activists of the 50s and beyond are interviewed about their beliefs, actions, and ecology. The long history of environmental activism unfolds through a mix of interviews, narration, and archival footage.
Despite common infotainment stylings, A Fierce Green Fire is dry. Sahara dry. And while a tidal wave of information often accompanies such dryness in a documentary, A Fierce Green Fire is filled with baseless romanticism. President Nixon—noted for presiding over the Vietnam War, which left millions of tons of unexploded ordnance in several Southeast Asia countries and gave us Agent Orange—is selected as an example of bipartisan support for environmental action throughout history. Dozens of such senseless equivalences await anyone who views A Fierce Green Fire.
While the film is billed as exploring “grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change,” the focus is almost wholly celebrity activism and entirely American. Those interested in the history of the Sierra Club and its original leaders will find a lot of useful information in this documentary, but serious ecologists and environmental activists will want to steer clear of A Fierce Green Fire. As I write this, the US government is actively ignoring an ongoing environmental disaster caused by a train derailment near East Palestine, Ohio.
Inaction such as this continues a long trend of the US government’s bipartisan refusal to enact and enforce environmental and public health protections. This makes the saccharine declarations of victory in this documentary cringeworthy as the global temperature continues to rise. The film’s conclusion includes the words, “The environment is an impossible problem.” Such fatalism is bizarre and ultimately unsatisfying to anyone with a genuine interest in environmental justice and green activism. Poor. Not Recommended.
Where does this title belong on public library shelves?
While A Fierce Green Fire belongs in the environmental documentary section, it may get better reception among pop documentaries in public library shelves.
What type of film series could use this film?
Anyone creating a film series about the Sierra Club will find heaps of useful interviews in A Fierce Green Fire.
What kind of instructors could use this documentary as an educational resource?
While I would not recommend this title for classroom use due to its length and limited academic value, A Fierce Green Fire includes a teacher's guide, courtesy of Global Environmental Justice Documentaries, that will help instructors decide if the documentary will fit their lesson plans and learning goals.
How does this film contribute to a discussion of environmental or climate justice, and/or to environmental literacy?
This film does a good job chronicling the successes and struggles of some notable conservation efforts in the US, but it lacks its touted global scope and engages in confusing historical revisionism.
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A Fierce Green Fire: The Battle for a Living Planet premiered on the PBS American Masters (S28 Ep4) series on April 22, 2014. Read more at Bullfrog Films.
Teacher's Guide
Please download the teacher's guide for maps, background information, suggested subjects, questions and activities.
To date, the award-winning Global Environmental Justice collection consists of 48 films and teacher's guides. Use these links to read 12 reviews or browse the full collection of 48 films and download teacher's guides.
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