Poisoned Water, Movie Review Example

“Poisoned Waters,” is an environmental reporting piece by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hedrick Smith. Known for examining the growing threats to human health and the ecosystem, in this Front line news piece, Smith looks at the state of fresh waterway contamination in fresh waterway areas like Puget Sound and the Chesapeake Bay and how their state of affairs have changed after more than three decades since the Clean Water Act was passed.

The report reveals how there are still polluted runoffs flowing in from agricultural, and suburban developments.  Smith provides scientific support to show that most of the toxins and pollutants found in some of the most iconic fresh water ways in American stem from everyday life products. This means that everyday people are posing a threat to themselves as well as the wild life, and fish that survive off of these fresh waterways, through contaminating the their drinking supply. The report touches on a severely overlooked concept within environmentalism the fact that the culture behind strives to save the environment in the past is very different from the current state of environmentalism. This is revealed by a statement made to Smith by Jay Manning, the Washington state director of ecology who notes, that the 70s were primarily about environmentalists feeling like they were fighting against polluters, but the truth is today it’s more about the way all people live as all people are polluters through their use of daily consumer products such as deodorants, face creams, and prescription medication and then dispose of them through the sewage system or traditional trash as opposed to recycling. The main point the report makes is that the environment is no longer as important in the public eye as it once was when the  Clean Water Act passed. People take it for granted that their water is clean or that some of these iconic regions of the world are being protected from environmental hazards. The truth is as the attention of the public eye has dwindled, so has the diligent responsibility of society to protect fresh waterways, only this time individuals are as much to blame as corporations.

Smith speaks utilizes research from a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that reveals in the Potomac River there is genetically mutated marine life in the Potomac River. The film reveals the River is home to frogs with six legs and female frogs with male genitals and vice versa are also found. The Front line scientist to confirm that pollution is the cause of these mutations. These graphic images to a great job of communicating this problem to the audience in a way that a simple article might not be able to produce. Smith also does an exceptional job at carrying the piece, as it is clear that the topic is of critical importance to the reporter. At one point he likens pollution of the water ways to a “ticking time bomb,” and refers to the pollution as a a cancer that is eating away at the natural resources of society. By the end of the piece the urgency to do something to resolve the issue is set, and the responsibility is left in the hands of the viewer. For this reason, I think the report is an effective and informative piece. This can be seen in how Smith provides ample enough research and examples to back all the claims made in the report. He also provides visual aids to assist in making his argument more impactful for the audience.