Borderline Cases Environmental Matters at the United States-Mexico Border The environmental impact of the 2,000 factories (maquiladoras) on the US-Mexico border.
65 minutes
Directed by Lynn Corcoran
Produced by Lynn Corcoran
BORDERLINE CASES investigates the environmental impact of the nearly 2,000 factories - maquiladoras - that have been built in Mexico at the US-Mexico border by multinational corporations from the US, Asia and Europe.
In the early rush to globalization these factories, whose workers are paid a fraction of US wages, did not need to comply with costly environmental regulations. The result, according to one reporter, is that the border became "a 2,000 mile long open sewer, a vast toxic waste dump."
The public debate over NAFTA brought the border's problems to light. Today environmental issues take an important place in US-Mexico relations.
BORDERLINE CASES, a documentary essay, describes the consequences of 25 years of environmental neglect, the results of five years of earnest activity and promises made for the future.
A diverse mix of people of both countries, from grass-roots groups, government, academia, and industry, are rethinking traditional notions of borders as they engage in the search for solutions.
Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 1997
Copyright Date: 1996
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-285-8
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-681-X
Reviews "Corcoran effectively presents the argument that corporate capital flight from the United States is not restricted to the pursuit of a lower cost labor but, also serves as an escape from environmental regulations and enforcement - Recommended for anyone interested in the effects of corporate mobility and NAFTA."
Terrence McCormack, SUNY Buffalo MC Journal: the Journal of Academic Media Librarianship
"This excellent film, rich with current information and ideas, focuses on three pairs of border cities seriously affected by pollution from the maquiladoras and/or from the urban sprawl that they attract, sans any new infrastructure."
Science Books and Films
"To its credit - the film manages to stay even-handed throughout this politically and culturally volatile set of issues - Recommended"
"Recommended for anyone interested in the effects of corporate mobility and NAFTA."
Terrence McCormack, SUNY-Buffalo, MC Journal Awards and Festivals The Other America Film Festival, San Antonio
International Working Class Film & Video Festival
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