Battle For the Trees; Saviors Of the Forest; Turning the Toxic Tide; Saviors Of the Forest; Turning the Toxic Tide

Although U.S. attention is pretty much focused on the Pacific Northwest and the Brazilian rainforest when it comes to environmental concerns, there's a Battle for the Trees also taking place in Canada along the British Columbia coast. Interviews with forestry officials are pitted against interviews with conservationists and environmentalists, with plenty of shots of ugly clearcuts interspersed with plenty of shots of tree-sitters and people who think that chaining themselves to the underside of a vehicle is a smart form of protest. While Battle for the Trees is a well-done film, it's too-specific story limits the audience. Listening to America: The Politics of Trees (VL-2/93), Our Vanishing Forests (VL-10/92), and The Forests Through the Trees (VL-5/91) are still better general overviews, though B.C. libraries will surely want this new one.Moving from the B.C. coast to the heart of Ecuador, Saviors of the Forest is an occasionally intriguing and often exasperating tale of two "camera guys" who are tired of doing local commercials, and want to accomplish something more meaningful: like a report on the Ecuadorian rainforest destruction that is serving corporate America and other hungry concerns. In this video verite field trip, the camera guys track the health of the Ecological Trading Company, a small operation that believes in sustainable logging and wants to use a giant portable saw called the "trekkasaw" to selectively log Ecuadorian trees. Not surprisingly, the company runs into spools of red tape, and nearly folds before a multi-millionaire offers to help with the funding. At its best, Saviors of the Forest has a sense of humor lacking in most environmental documentaries, and the best part of the program looks at that slippery concept of sustainability. But, the two camera guys desperately needed an editor guy and a narrator who didn't deliver the narration in singsong monotone. I had to watch this in four sittings and the moments that it really grabbed me were few and far between.How do you strike a good balance between the economy, the environment, and the community and still achieve sustainability? Not easily, that's for sure. Turning the Toxic Tide focuses on how the chemical pollution of one huge pulp and paper mill on the Powell River in British Columbia is adversely effecting not only the long-term welfare of local inhabitants, but also the here and now livelihood of shellfish workers (from beaches closed to claming due to health hazards). Combining interviews with area activists, independent workers, and mill employees, the video explores the various viewpoints of each segment of the population. a good film, overall, the emphasis on British Columbia (with discussion of local laws and regulations) and the specific case study approach make this of limited interest to general audiences.Battle for the Trees is recommended for B. C. libraries with strong environmental collections. Saviors of the Forest is an optional purchase. Turning the Toxic Tide is also recommended for B.C. libraries with strong environmental collections. (R. Pitman)