I watched a potent documentary titled Manufactured Landscapes showcasing the recent project by Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky last night. Not for those who fear a film short on dialogue, I found this to be a haunting, accurate picture of the environmental footstep being left by the industrialization of China. Note, director Jennifer Baichwal and Burtynsky did not intend this to be viewed as a political piece, they were merely trying to “take beautiful pictures.”

I found picture to be powerful and would recommend it to anyone interested in a time capsule of a changing nation. It will certainly make you consider not only where your products and possessions are made but where they end up when you are done with them. It also depicts the change that took place along the Yangtze River leading up to the completion of the Three Gorges Dam, the largest dam ever constructed by man. I spent a week traveling down this river two years ago and saw these changes first hand. Millions of people were displaced, and were tasked with taking apart their cities brick by brick before they were moved. Needless to say, it did not get much press on our local networks.