Pretty Slick

Gr 9 Up—Narrated by Peter Coyote, this documentary examines the use of a controversial dispersant, Corexit, in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, one of the largest environmental disasters in U.S. history. After reviewing oil company BP's various attempts at capping or shutting off the oil flow, filmmaker James Fox then presents a detailed study of the dispersant. What he exposes is a huge cover-up by BP in using the toxic Corexit, which has been compared to the defoliant Agent Orange. Even after being told by the Environmental Protection Agency to use another dispersant, BP continued to deploy the dispersant, which caused the oil to sink to the bottom of the ocean, thus giving the surface appearance that the spill had been cleaned up. That, along with a slick ad campaign, seemed to assure people that all was well in the Gulf. In interviews with scientists and the local citizens, it is apparent that nothing could be farther from the truth. It is also appears that the government was compliant in the use of Corexit. Various reasons are cited, including lack of oversight, deregulation, and the demand for profit by BP. The film's profound facts and opinions make it useable in classes studying environmental science, ethics, and communication.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colleges, Mount Carmel, IL