Tackling environmental issues | The Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society, CCMS | 1974

This documentary explains how NATO’s science programme called the Committee on Challenges of Modern Society is supporting collaborative projects that tackle the world’s environmental crisis. Set up in November 1969 at the suggestion of US President Richard Nixon, the Committee coordinated and encouraged research on environmental issues to explore possible solutions to problems such as pollution caused by modern society.
Contrasting tranquil images of nature with shocking, but sadly familiar scenes of the air and water pollution, noise and filth produced by human beings, this documentary presents the many areas in which NATO helps to tackle environmental issues. For instance, air quality assessment with the development of a measuring system for the cities of Ankara, Frankfurt and St Louis, which can be used by other cities; the study of fresh water and seawater pollution from sewage and oil spills (accidental and intentional) and how the results provide the basis for future action against the alarming increase in the levels of water pollution; road safety tests and efforts to reduce traffic congestion through alternative, ‘clean’ public transport; developing more efficient ways of treating waste and processing household refuse; seeking clean energy solutions to replace fossil fuels by tapping into natural resources…
The narrator explains that by creating the Committee on Challenges of Modern Society, NATO was recognising its treaty obligations to promote conditions of stability and well-being; the results of these collaborative projects could be used to provide the basis for future intelligent action against the alarming increase in pollution across the globe.
The NATO Information Service regularly covered the activities of the Committee on Challenges of Modern Society for TV networks from 1970, preparing short TV clips on the main meetings of the Committee. This documentary was made at the suggestion of the United States representation at NATO to highlight the non-military cooperation achieved by the programme. Dedo Weigert Film Gmbh was commissioned to prepare a script and produce the documentary; it was released in 1974 and forms part of the NATO Film Archive.
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