The role of conservation films within the environmental debate

Abstract

In the environmental debate there is little middle ground. Many environmental issues become highly polarized, with neither side willing to compromise. Conservation films work as a catalyst fueling the fire. They create plot lines based on good and evil without fleshing out the grey area. Two different philosophies exist on the environment. One, ecocentrism, feels that the environment has value by itself . The other, anthropocentrism, believes that the environment's only value is what it provides humans. Conservation films fail to recognize the later belief. The Endangered Species Act has led to a lot of mistrust of biological information. All of these factors have led to the alienation of user groups and a break down of communication between both sides. The role of conservation films should be to begin the environmental discussion.