Edward Burtynsky on Manufactured Landscapes

In class, we watched a documentary by Edward Burtynsky on Manufacture Landscapes. Here is a shorter version from a TED talk:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/edward_burtynsky_on_manufactured_landscapes.html

I like how Burtynsky doesn't say that these landscapes are beautiful or vulgar, instead he leaves the viewer to interpret as he or she sees fit.

In the U.S. we are fairly far removed from where are products come from. This documentary helps to recconect our consumption patterns with the lives of those producing our products. One of the most striking scenes I saw in the documentary we watched (I don't believe it was included in the TED talk), was of a group breaking down old oil tankers. The tankers were beached, and then the workers took them apart. There was still some oil in the tankers, however, and seeing people work knee deep in crude oil was shocking. In the U.S. this would be unfathomable, as we have rights for workers and volunteers that even go clean off wildlife after oil spills. There has been a  lot of talk in politics recently about doing away with environmental regulations to spur job creation. Is this what they mean? I think we can create better jobs than that.