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

1. Point of View

(Interpret the video’s frame of reference, perspective, orientation.)

The video’s frame of reference is that of someone or a group of people who live in Ohio and lived through seeing the river burning and the consequences associated with that. The video also goes on to show the frame of reference for the restoration of the river and the associated benefits. At the beginning of the video it is mainly highlighting how dire the situation was and that they had reached a critical juncture in terms of how the river was being used as a dumping ground for industrial waste. Toward the end of the video the tone is much more hopeful; it shows the benefits of taking care of natural resources and responsibly utilizing them for economic gain. 

2. Purpose

(Infer the purpose/goal, objective(s) of the video.)

The purpose of the video is to educate people who were not aware of the Cuyahoga river fire on the particulars of what happened (when, where, how, why) and how the surrounding community dealt with it. I think the video is intended to not only bring attention to the issues, but to serve as a history and reminder of what can happen when there is no oversight to how natural resources are being used and abused by private business interests that have no motivation to take care of those resources. The video would be useful in showing how the EPA and environmental regulations came about; there was a need for it because without it, legally there is nothing preventing this from happening again.

3. Questions at Issue

(Present the problems and issues presented in the video.)

The problem is that the river was so polluted that it caught on fire, which made people realize just how dire the effects of pollution were becoming. Another problem that the video presents is that historically speaking, this was a new phenomenon and people didn’t quite know how to deal with it. It seems strange in retrospect, but the idea that we need to proactively protect our environment wasn’t something that was really thought of up until this point after the industrial revolution. Like many other major social changes, it wasn’t until there was a disaster that it changed the course of how we do things. 

4. Information

(Write out the data, facts, observations, and experiences the video presents.)

When the river caught fire, people didn’t know how to fix it - they had to use the river itself as a sort of guinea pig to learn what needed to be done and how to do it. Some of the participants in the video describe the runoff from the local steel mills and other industrial processes into the river. One person at the beginning of the video describes it as being an “alien environment” - the smell, the smoke, the toxicity of the air. One of the participants in the video describes how the businesses on the bank of the river would use a giant squeegee to push oil and other debris into the river to get rid of it.

5. Interpretation and Inference

(Explain the video’s conclusions and solutions.)

Taking care of the area’s natural resources can potentially increase natural tourism - per the video, there will be better white water rapids for kayakers to take advantage of once the dam is removed, and the fish in the river will be able to move and migrate more which will have a positive impact on the natural ecosystem. The video also mentions that as a result of the increased natural tourism, more restaurants and hotels will open up in the area, stimulating the local economy. 

6. Concepts

(Identify and explain the theories, definitions, axioms, laws, principles, or models you find in the video. Look these up if you don’t know what they mean.)

One of the models that was created as a result of the river fire that relates to the laws is the Ohio EPA. Formed in 1972, the Ohio EPA “combined environmental programs that had previously been scattered throughout several state departments” (epa.ohio.gov). Essentially the EPA is the governing body that establishes and enforces laws relating to standards for air and water quality, waste management, and hazardous substance handling that private businesses and citizens must abide by to operate and live within Ohio. 

7. Assumptions

(Explain the video’s presuppositions, assumptions, those things taken for granted.)

The assumptions I picked up on in the video are that the viewers have some general knowledge of American history and specifically industrialization in America. There is also seemingly the assumption that the viewer has some understanding of American business practices. 

8. Consequences

(Tell what the end results, outcomes, and/or effects are/were.)

The ultimate outcome of the Cuyahoga river fire was a positive change; investments in environmental protection including the formation of the Ohio the EPA, people becoming more aware of and educated about environmental protection, and optimism about the future of the river. In its new, cleaner and healthier state, the river is being used for boating, kayaking, etc., which has resulted in a quality of life shift for residents, but there also are now more fish and other wildlife in and around the river.  The river is now a symbol of how regulations and environmental protection can have immeasurable positive impacts on all who utilize it.

             Photo: Reporter Richard Eller shows sticky sludge from polluted Cuyahoga River.

            Undated - taken some time in the 1960's. Photographer unknown.

Sources

"About Us." Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, epa.ohio.gov/about.

Celebrating the Comeback of the Burning . 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=18JpT61rX6A&list=PL1QVFWinMEQVayLVMzv7CzuOz2d1mTY90.

Petkovic, John. No joke: Cuyahoga River is reborn 50 years after fire (vintage photos). 1960, cleveland.com, Cleveland, OH. www.cleveland.com/life-and-culture/g66l-2019/06/8a062d9dec2958/no-joke-cuyahoga-river-is-reborn-50-years-after-fire-vintage-photos.html.