TuttleJPFilm2

John Peter Tuttle Annotation #2 – 10/11/2011 Film Annotation: “Blind Spot” Word Count: 1213

1.	Title, director and release year? “Blind Spot” is a 2008 documentary film, directed by Adolfo Doring.

2.	What is the central argument or narrative of the film? “Blind Spot” focuses on the future of energy in the world, focusing in particular on the future of the world’s oil supply, and how, in many cases, uses of oil are simply a “blind spot” that people just do not take into consideration during their daily lives, simply taking it for granted. Part of the problem with energy consumption nowadays is that society has gotten more complex in the past century, growing beyond a state where human or animal power is enough to get work done, and society has gotten used to free or at least rather cheap energy provided by fossil fuels. The issues surrounding peak oil are a good example of the sort of matrix thinking we have discussed in class – there are the obvious issues with energy, but that also ends up affecting the food supply, manufacturing of all sorts of modern products, etc. The film also explores a few other sustainability problems when discussing the idea of a “blind spot” – how many of these problems are tightly woven into parts of modern culture, and would be difficult to eliminate.

3. How is the argument or narrative made and sustained? How much scientific information is provided, for example? Does the film have emotional appeal? The argument is made using a combination of interviews and scientific information, with some narration linking different parts of the film. The film uses scientific information when appropriate – graphics and animations to help explain particular trends and processes – showing particular methods of drilling, for example. There is not too much emotional appeal used beyond bringing up the food crisis and potential consequences of it, but what is used tends to work well.

4. What sustainability problems does the film draw out? Political? Legal? Economic? Technological? Media and Informational? Organizational? Educational? Behavioral? Cultural? Ecological? All of the problems “Blind Spot” discusses focus around alternative energy and the declining oil supply. Part of the major problem with alternative energy issues such as these is that since they are not an immediate threat, people tend to ignore them – hence the title “Blind Spot”. It is a rather complex topic; there is obviously the need for different technological solutions to provide alternative sources of energy, which the film touches upon, discussing alternative, greener sources of energy; however, there are also issues educating the public to get them to realize that there are alternatives to oil, both for energy, and for making materials used in products. There is a bit of chicken-and-egg situation with any sort of green product (or energy source, for that matter), however; if companies do not think there is much of a market, they will not make a product, but given the lack of widespread education about green products, consumers probably will not end up considering them at all. The film also covers some of the political issues with oil and where it is coming from. The film also discusses how the issues with peak oil end up affecting the food industry; the price of energy ends up affecting the price of food, and with oil resources dwindling, the end result is a food crisis, creating yet another sustainability problem that needs to be dealt with. The issue of food prices is, of course, an economic one, and can often lead to other sustainability problems, such as overfishing, when we try to obtain food at the cheapest price possible. The film does touch on some sustainability problems that are not directly related to the issue of peak oil; these are not covered as much, but show how one problem can affect all sorts of other, seemingly unrelated parts of society.

5. What parts of the film did you find most persuasive and compelling? Why? The whole idea of a “blind spot” seemed rather persuasive in itself – admitting that while there is a problem, plenty of people just do not seem to know it is a problem, given that the results of oil are embedded in modern culture, and we all need to work together to fix it. It seems to be a bit less intense than some of the other movies that tend to only cover one or two of the parties involved with issues such as these. The parts about mountain-top removal were also rather convincing, if only because it seems like a rather extreme method to use – destroying large parts of mountains, just to avoid having to drill through them. They are a good example of the sort of extreme problems that can result from seemingly simple sustainability problems.

6. What parts of the film were you not compelled or convinced by? Why? There were not too many parts of the film I was not compelled by; I will admit, though, that these sorts of problems are certainly within my own “blind spot,” so I tended to dismiss some of the portions of the film that discuss some of the potential consequences of decreasing oil supplies.

7. What audiences does the film best address? Why? The film seems to be targeted towards the general public, as it provides enough background information for someone who has never heard of or considered the issues it brings up. However, it would likely be of more interest to people who are interested in alternative energy solutions, though it would likely be preaching to the choir in that case.

8. What could have been added to this film to enhance its environmental educational value? A tad more scientific information at times may be helpful, but overall, the film was pretty educational.

9. What kinds of action and points of intervention are suggested by the film? If the film itself does not suggest corrective action, describe actions that you can imagine being effective. As one would likely imagine, the film suggests using alternative energy sources, and potentially finding other ways to manufacture products that do not rely on oil as much. It also suggests educating people about alternative forms of energy, and potentially figuring out some way to reduce consumerism, as some of the issues with peak oil and energy stem from a more cultural problem, rather than a technological one. Educating the public about sustainability problems in general will also help these sorts of issues, as many of the problems discussed in the film are related.

10. What additional information has this film compelled you to seek out? (Provide at least two supporting references.) The film led me to do a bit more research on the food crisis, as it was an issue that I did not really know too much about. I found an article that discusses a report about the link between peak oil and the food crisis; the report explains how, due to a combination of dwindling oil supplies and political issues, the United Kingdom may experience a food shortage. I also looked up the World Bank’s page on the food crisis. “Fuelling a Food Crisis – new report on Peak Oil and food from Caroline Lucas.” 9 Jan 2007. http://transitionculture.org/2007/01/09/fuelling-a-food-crisis-new-report-on-peak-oil-and-food-from-caroline-lucas/ “Food Crisis – The World Bank.” http://www.worldbank.org/foodcrisis/