The Mississippi: At the Tipping Point (2011)

By clarifying the problems of the Mississippi, in this film scientists, religious leaders, environmental activists, politicians, and the media focus on ecological questions facing the world's third largest water system. Should coastal areas be abandoned or defended? Is global capitalism compatible with a habitable planet? What lessons were learned from Hurricane Katrina? And is there a way that religion help save the planet? Though the Mississippi River plays a key role in the American economy, the forces of human progress and the forces of Nature have always been in conflict. Humankind's goal is for economic growth and prosperity, and for this we have shackled the river with dams to produce electricity and irrigation, built levees to protect from flooding as well as straight channels to facilitate navigation. With each new imposition on the river for our benefit, however, Nature has fought back and we've paid the price later: Now we are dealing with wetland loss, hurricane damage, ecosystem collapse, flooding, pollution, dead zones in the Gulf, toxic spills, and human ill-health. How can we sustain the Mississippi and those who depend upon it? This film offers invaluable clues.