A Documentary Review on Planet in Peril: Battle Lines

Just how much do you know about the world you live in? Is it really that important to YOU, what happens in remote areas of the world? What occurs in the far reaches of a jungle in Africa is totally irrelevant to how we live our lives in North America... or is it? Can we afford to be so blasé about wars in Rwanda that jeopardize both the human and wild life populations? Is the ocean really big enough that it shouldn't matter if species of fish are being hunted to near extinction? Should it matter to us if children are being systematically poisoned in remote areas of mountainous regions in South America, just as long as it doesn't happen in our own back yards? What makes our society so much more important? Is it our wealth, both in natural resources and dollar figures... or is it our intellectual ability to soft soap the "have-not" nations of the world?

Anderson Cooper (Journalist and host of "Anderson Cooper 360", a television news magazine show on CNN), along with co-hosts Lisa Ling (Who became a well known television personality from her co-host days on "The View", as well as a correspondent for the "Oprah Show") and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent on several television programs, travel the world to these very remote areas, giving us an insight into what really goes on, and how it can affect our very own existence.

A few of the segments covered in this documentary are: Lead Poisoning In Children in Peru, The Curse of Oil in Nigeria, Tracking Deadly Zoonotic Viruses in Africa, Shark Hunting Off the Coast of Cost Rica, Ivory Wars and The Mountain Gorillas of Central Africa.

Lead Poisoning In Peru.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta travels to a small village high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, to see why the majority of the children are suffering from lead poisoning. Lead poisoning mainly affects young children in their early growing stages and can adversely affect their central nervous system, as well as creating learning difficulties. A metal smelting plant, run by Doe Run, an American based mining and refining company, overshadows the small village, spewing toxic fumes into the air. The company is very much aware of the dangers they are causing to the village children and have provided them with a school that helps to ensure that the children don't lose their motor skills. However, this is really just a band-aid effect, as the school can only accommodate 100 children at a time. And it certainly does not address the constant contamination of the air in and around the village that the children are breathing. There are so many more children who are not getting the help they need.

Little is said by the local politicians. Possibly, they just don't want to admit to the truth. The smelting company does provide much needed employment to sustain the needs of the families living in the village and nearby areas. If the smelting plant were to shut down, there would be no employment in the region. However, it is a fact that Doe Run can make the plant a lot safer to the surrounding areas and keep the air in the Andes Mountains a lot cleaner. They won't (or haven't when this documentary was made). One does have to wonder, are the children of Peru less important than the children of the US, as this would never occur in any North American city?

The Curse of Oil In Nigeria.

When most countries would revel in the discovery of oil, much of Nigeria sees it as a curse. Lisa Ling travels to Nigeria and discusses amongst a few militant rebels, the perils of being an oil rich country, supplying much of its oil to the US. One would think that this much sought after resource would provide the people with a comfortable, if not wealthy lifestyle. However, that is definitely not the case. The people still remain as some of the most poorest in the world. The money is not being used to provide quality schools nor health care facilities. It's not even being used to provide the people with much needed nutritional food. The money goes back into the oil rich companies and in the pockets of corrupt government officials.

And if that wasn't bad enough, there have been thousands of cases of oil spills over the years. In one instance, a broken pipe line was left to spew for months, releasing toxic oil and fumes into the air and nearby land, rivers and streams. Lisa Ling talks to some young local boys who were setting off to go fishing, to provide their families with an evening meal. They had to walk miles, trying to find a safe spot where the fish would not be contaminated. It is almost a fruitless endeavor. If such an oil spill were to occur in North America or Europe, you can be sure the problem would have been rectified immediately.

The people of the Niger Delta region live in total chaos and unrest, much in part because of the oil, and the government's and oil company's total disregard as to how it affects the people who live there.

Tracking Deadly Zoonotic Viruses in Africa.

Anderson Cooper travels deep into the jungles of the African interior to look for the source of a possible virus that could someday affect the entire civilized world, much like the HIV virus has done. This almost looks like something out of the scripts of a science fiction movie, however, this is all too real. Food has become so scarce in many remote areas of Africa, that the people are hunting and consuming whatever animals they can find and trap, just so they can survive. Many of these animals carry viruses that are natural and harmless to them, yet can be very harmful and even deadly to humans. Unfortunately, this becomes an afterthought, as the people need to eat or face certain death by starvation. It is in fact, believed that this the root cause of how HIV became a worldwide epidemic. When the people trap and kill these animals, should they have cuts, or become cut in the process, any blood from the animal can mix with theirs, and thus become contaminated. The people become infected and therefore can infect others around them. There is a distinct possibility that if these practices are continued, with global travel and trade so prevalent these days, a pandemic can surely be the result.

This just goes to show, that what happens in some remote part of the world, a place were many of us will never see, or might never have even heard of, can affect us so profoundly down the line.

Shark Hunting.

Lisa Ling exposes the practice of illegal shark hunting off the coast of Costa Rica. Maybe because of our fear and misunderstanding of this deadly creature of the oceans, many might not see this as a problem, however, this can drastically affect the delicate balance of the eco systems in our oceans and seas. It is believed that there are as much as 50% less sharks in our oceans as there were a few decades ago. If illegal shark hunting is to continue, it might wipe the species out entirely within the next decade. One can only imagine what this would do to the natural balance of the ocean, and in turn, mankind.

Hundreds of millions of sharks are hunted and killed and more often than not, they are killed in a most cruel and inhumane way. Once the sharks are caught in the fishermen's nets, they are de-finned and then tossed back into the water, only to sink to the bottom of the ocean (they cannot swim without their fins), suffocate and die an agonizing death. The fishermen only want the fins, and not the rest of the meat. Much of the world might not be aware of this, unless you are familiar with the Chinese delicacy of "shark fin soup". Many of these fins are taken to a port in Taiwan, where they are sold to the many restaurants in Asia.

There was a time when this delicacy was rare, and a bowl of shark fin soup would cost the equivalent of $100. Needless to say, there was not the mass harvesting of sharks in the past. However, with bigger, faster and better equipped boats, fishermen can now cover more of the ocean in less time, getting the fresh fins to market in just days. This is reflected by the drastic reduction in cost of a bowl of soup.... a mere $10, so that even the average person can enjoy this favored delicacy.... but at what cost to the sharks and a very delicate eco system?

Ivory Wars.

This time Lisa Ling finds herself in Chad, Africa, to report on the illegal hunting of elephants for their ivory tusks. If you thought this practice was a thing of the past, with many countries banning the import and sale of ivory in order to save the dwindling elephant population, think again. Unfortunately, there is still a market for ivory, especially in Asia and the US. Sadly, it remains a huge problem, with poachers in Central Africa killing off 2/3 of the elephant population for their coveted tusks. The only way TO obtain the tusks is to shoot and kill the animal. It's hardly a fair means to an end.

As well, with little regard for the almost extinct elephant population, the poachers continue to hunt them. The money gained from the sale of the tusks is used to finance and purchase arms for the renegade militants. It's a vicious cycle, that may not see an end until the very last elephant has been taken down.

Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda and the Congo.

Finally, a bit of a success story as Anderson Cooper takes us to Rwanda and the Congo. After the bloodbath of near genocide in Rwanda a few years ago, the people of the region are finding hope for the future in a most unusual way... by caring for the gorillas... and in turn, themselves. They are helping to bring the villages back to life. Many tourists travel to this region just to get a glimpse of these magnificent creatures. They pay as much as $500 per person to be guided into the jungles to view the gorillas in their native habitat. In turn, this helps the villages and the people with the purchasing of much needed food, education and health care. It offers them a way to support and care for themselves. They are taking great care in helping to save and maintain this wonderful natural resource.

However, and unfortunately so, there are still areas of the Congo where the gorillas lives hang in the balance. Due to several militant groups that still linger throughout the area, the natural habitats of the gorillas are severely compromised. One can only hope that the people will see the concerted efforts of their neighbors and follow suit, in turn, helping their own people in a more positive way.

CONCLUSION:

One might wonder, why all these happenings should concern them. In fact, whatever happens in the furthest reaches of the globe, will inevitably trickle throughout the rest of the world, in either a small or monumental way, affecting us all. Whether it be through upsetting the natural balance of things, or wars amongst distant tribes, or whether it's because of greed and power via industry or government, it will eventually affect the very fibre of our lives in the civilized world.

Ignorance is not bliss and in some cases, it can be deadly. There is a need to know what is going on in our world, whether it's in some remote jungle region of Africa, a small, seemingly insignificantt village on a mountain top, or the frozen tundra of the north, we will all be affected sooner or later.

These are just a few of the topics addressed in this documentary.

If you'd like to read more about this documentary, you can find it at CNN, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/planet.in.peril/ It is definitely worth the

visit. This program will air on Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14 at 8PM, ET. Be sure to watch, it's an absolute must see.