Module 1.1 - A Turning Point Event for Environmental Science, Celebrating the Comeback of the Burning River, 1969-2019

  1. Point of view- the video is framed in an ecological and historical perspective. The video documents the history of the Cuyahoga river in Ohio and how it went from being so polluted from industrial pollution that it caught fire in June of 1969 to being a beautiful and habitable river that people can enjoy today due to cleaning up the river. The people who are speaking on the issue in the video are local residents, scientists and people who contributed to cleaning the river. The video starts with the timeline in the 1960s when the river caught on fire then moving to the cleaning of the river and the legislative movements of the river leading up to a present day clean river like nature intended. 

  2. Purpose-This video aims to celebrate the recovery of the cuyahoga river with the help of local residents, environmental advocates, scientists, and the law or policymakers. This video intends to give us as viewers hope of environmental restoration even when something seems beyond repair even if it takes a river 50 years with hard work, determination and helping hands it is possible. This video educates us on the historical significance of the fires and how they helped push for the clean water act policy. This act regulates discharges of water pollutants in our waterways to prevent something like the Cuyahoga river fires from happening again.

  3. Question at issue- 

  • The Cuyahoga river's severe pollution was caused by oil and debris from nearby industrial pollutants; decades of this build up started multiple fires on the river. 

  • The government should be responsible for regulating companies that pollute natural waterways and resources and should comply

  • The media should be covering topics on environmental issues to notify the public so people can come together as a community to prevent these sorts of tragedies. The public needs to be educated about these issues.

  • Holding corporations accountable for the damages that they are doing to the environment. The more that we are educated as a community and the more that we hold these corporations accountable the more laws that can be passed in order to protect our environment.

  • Sustaining and maintaining the efforts that have been made to bring the river to its environmental success.

  1. Information- the cuyahoga river was polluted with debris, chemicals, and oils for decades causing many fires leading to its famous fire in 1969. The speakers in the video said that the air would choke you and in some of the videos you see that the river is completely black. The explanation and pictures from the event remind me of a pot apocalyptic movie or nightmare. This event became important to major environmental movements in the United States like the clean water act and the EPA. Before the act was passed it was legal to pollute the river to this point of destruction which was why people became so outraged by the fires seeing as it was completely destroying their quality of life and the nature around them. It's sad to think about the corporations that were responsible for this probably only cared about money and not the life that they were destroying. 

  2. Interpretation- the video wants to highlight the success story of the cleaning of the river and show that we can restore something that seems irreversible. They showed us how a team of people who had no idea how to clean up something this horrific worked together over the years to make it as beautiful as ever. They had a team of scientists working on how to get rid of the oil because at the time they had no idea how to get rid of oil and pollution that was severe. This video reinforced hope for the future seeing as all of the tragedies in our environment seem to be beyond the point of change this video can give us hope. Showing how the community takes pride in what they have now gives a new sense of appreciation for the viewers own environment and the want to sustain it and not take it for granted. I thought it was interesting how Frank Greenland stated that when rivers are burning things are bad. Why do rivers have to burn in order for people to see that things are bad. I understand that maybe people were unaware of this or uneducated of the severity because nothing like this has happened before to them, but today i feel there is no excuse because we are all aware, but no one seems to care because their is maybe this thought out in our heads that it is irreversible so we should just live our lives. 

  3. Concepts and definitions- 

  • The clean water act- 1972 restored and maintained the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's water. The fires of the river contributed to this act.

  • EPA- environmental protection agency. They are an independent agency of the United States government that takes on environmental matters. Members of the EPA who are now retired helped with the cleaning of the river.

  • Pollution- the introduction of harmful substances into the environment. The river was polluted with oils and chemicals from nearby industrial plants and communities.

  1. Assumptions- the video assumes that the viewer is aware of the history between thericer and the industrial era and all of the environmental neglect of that time period leading to the catastrophic environmental events. I think that there is also an assumption that the viewer is aware of the struggle to keep up the maintenance of the river or any natural resource for that matter or even assuming that the viewer is aware that something like this could happen or even is happening present day due to environmental damage caused by humans. 

  2. Consequences-  there was a short term effect on people when the fires started which caused people to protest resulting in acts and laws protecting natural resources. This led to the long term effect of the success on the health of the river over the years making it habitable again. This inspired efforts to restore other natural resources and environmental movements. It highlights the importance of collective action and hope in our community in environmental health and restoration everywhere. 

https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cuyahoga-national-heritage-river.htm


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