On Common Ground: Alexis Bonogofsky
Synopsis: “On Common Ground tells the authentic stories of individuals whose lives have been shaped by our public lands. Taken together, these stories remind us of all that we stand to lose if we sell, pollute, privatize or otherwise destroy the literal common ground we share as Americans. As go our public lands, so goes our democracy. Today, both stand imperiled.” More information: www.oncommonground.land.” This video is good for exploring environmental ideology and environmental discourses.
Seed Matters: Organic vs. Agribusiness
A short animated film that tries to shed light on the difference between organic and industrial agribusiness. This is useful for exploring environmental discourses around food systems and environmental ideology. Gender roles can also be discussed.
Chipotle Ad: Back to the Start
Willie Nelson, Coldplay, Chipotle and director Johnny Kelly collaborated with the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to create this short animated film highlighting the issue of sustainable farming. This video is good for generating a discussion about different food systems–sustainable and industrial–and how these systems are represented. This is also excellent for exploring the spectrum of environmental ideologies (anthropocentric versus ecocentric). Given that this is produced by a fast food chain, could this be considered an example of greenwashing?
Ford’s EV Ad: Organic Compost
Pashon Murray, founder of Detroit Dirt (http://www.detroitdirt.org), parodies the Cadillac ELR Coupe Super Bowl ad. It shows a version of the American Dream in which an entrepreneurial Black women succeeds by creating a business of organic compost. This video should be juxtaposed with the Cadillac Super Bowl ad and can be used as the basis of a discussion about competing visions of the American Dream (who it includes or excludes and its impact on the environment). This ad can be used to explore ecological values. It can also be used in any discussion about the range of environmental politics portrayed in advertising.
Cadillac EV Super Bowl Ad: The American Dream?
This Cadillac 2014 Commercial is for their electric vehicle (EV) ELR Coupe. Explore with students how it represents the American Dream and its connection with class status, race, and gender. The ad is promoting an EV, but are the beliefs and values depicted beneficial or damaging to the environment? Compare this ad with Ford’s Upside: Anything is Possible ad.
Samsung Ad: Drag and Drop World
A 2008 ad from the early days of touchscreen technology, it touts the benefits of being able to change and manipulate the world. This is a great warm-up video to discuss whether or not it expresses anthropocentric (human centric) or ecocentric (environmental centric) values. Students can discuss who has the power to shape and change the world and for what ends (for example, what kind of person in the video has the power to manipulate the world). It also allows for the discussion of the types of behaviors that are beneficial or damaging to the environment. Finally, it also depicts gender relations and can be used to discuss the relationship between gender and the environment (ecofeminism).