Edward Burtynsky part 1

In this video, it showed works from an artist named Edward Burtynsky. His work focused on photographic documents about recycling and waste and the people that have to live and work under these conditions. The recycled goods that come from America are shipped to China to be sifted through by hand. All the things we buy and throw away affect people that are on the other side of the world directly. Not only does it affect that certain individual and the place that they live in but as well as the surrounding habitats that have to deal with the chemical run off from the recycling towns in China. In India, natives have to disassemble oil tankers that were used to ship oil over to our country. They are paid low wages for working under dangerous conditions. His documentary made me more aware of how consumerism in America can negatively affect third world countries and the environment around it. His work is beautiful yet eerie and leaves the audience with a better understanding about what goes on in the world.