Conservation of Natural Resources Educational Film Lumber, Oil, Coal, Fishing, Water 51124 (1937)

Synopsis

The film “Conservation of Natural Resources” dates to 1937, decades before the modern environmental movement took firm root in the United States. The film was released by Erpi Classroom Films, a division of Encyclopedia Brittanica, with the assistance of the University of Missouri (:07) The film focuses on the United State’s effort to protect natural resources and restore damaged land and waters beginning in the 1930’s. Coal was another resource in danger as cargo trains move the resource on screen (:28). The refuse from these resources from factories and towns left waterways polluted (:36). Farmlands and forests were left to ruin by misuse (:58). A map appears showing that the continent had once been nearly half covered with forests (1:11). At this point in time only about 2/5ths of them remained (1:24) and only about 1/4th of good timber remained (1:32). Lumber jacks are seen hacking at a massive tree (1:44), however about 60% of every tree cut went to waste. After the removal of trees, land was subjected increasing amounts of forest fires (2:13) and a hunter is seen flicking a cigarette butt which turns the forest quickly into flames. One hour of burning would ruin trees that took nearly a hundred years to grow (2:27). A man in binoculars is peering out into the forest as federal and government agencies sought to protect forests (2:53). The sign for Bass River State Forest in New Jersey appears (3:03) as a campaign of education began to help prevent forest fires. Another…

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Details

Running time

10 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage