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J. Henry Fair on Devastating Beauty
The photographer talks about what he aims for in his shots of industrial scars on the American landscape. (2:15)
Produced by: Molly Roberts
Related:
Devastation From Above
J. Henry Fair's aerial photographs of industrial sites provoke a strange mix of admiration and concern
January 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
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Comments (9)
Very beautiful photos, but they present a one-sided view of reality.
To get the healthy per-acre yields we enjoy for corn, wheat, and other crops, phosphate fertilizers are needed. And their production necessarily calls for major chemical operations which unfortunately have unattractive and polluting waste streams. They are unavoidable.
Major and costly cleanup efforts are theoretically possible, but they would entail huge cost increases in phosphate fertilizer, which would entail major increases in crop prices, and thus products made from these crops.
Life is full of inevitable compromises. Rather than brand the fertilizer producers as evil polluters, we must look a the whole equation.
Posted by george sweeney on January 13,2011 | 07:00 PM
I liked the video.I just wish that we could stop these tragedies before they happen. We are celebrating the new electric cars, but does the electricity come from burning oil? Will having joyrides into space cause any damage to the atmosphere? Would we have done things differently if we knew how much pollution came from cars? Thanks
Posted by Margaret McIntyre on January 11,2011 | 11:38 AM
Why there always be a conflict between private profit and public benefit? It seems that, unless policed, private interests all-too-often operate to the detriment of the public and their efforts to produce maximum profit/least cost to them Congress is always pushed by moneyed interests to legislate on the side of private profit rather than take action in the public interest. Yes, they do do good things (i.e. Clean Water and Clean Air Acts but as soon as "the Party of Big Business" gets power,such acts get watered down or reversed all together..
I loved the photo presentation.
Posted by Austin Stern on January 10,2011 | 01:31 PM
Re: sending these images to Congress: While some of these situations may require address at a government level, let's not forget the power of the collective consumer in our buying choices, both in how much we consume and from which companies we get it.
Posted by Mark Kitchens on January 8,2011 | 11:02 AM
Thanks Mr. Fair for trying that people realize that everybody can do a lot of things for saving our planet.
Posted by Ana Patricia Farfán Y. on January 7,2011 | 06:14 PM
Beauty in polluted environment. Is it worth it? Not for me. The price for that kind of beauty is too high a price to pay. Thank you for bringing it to our attention in a way that commands attention.
Posted by Liz Kruidenier on January 6,2011 | 03:17 PM
Fantastic suggestion by Mr. Haworth!
Posted by KarenRunyon on January 4,2011 | 01:59 PM
send a copy of the photographs with captions to all congressmen
Posted by dale k. haworth on January 4,2011 | 10:59 AM
Great story--disturbing subject matter.
Posted by Dave Dunham on December 30,2010 | 12:05 PM