The East Anglian Film Archive, the first and largest Regional Film Archive in England, was established in 1976. Since 1984, EAFA has been owned and operated by the University of East Anglia, Norwich (UEA), to support research and work to preserve our moving image heritage. More than 250 hours are freely available online as examples of the wide range of film which attracts interest the world over.
This film is part of Free
Making Our Own Beds
Lessons have been learned and mistakes rectified. With hindsight and enthusiasm in spades, Beds County prepare for the future conservation of its countryside and inhabitants.
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Overview
In 1970, a campaign launched in the hope of alerting Europe to the importance of protecting and conserving the environment. The so-called 'European Conservation Year' campaign flooded a great enthusiasm by the Beds County Planning and Countryside Committee who, in this film, face a considerable conundrum: how best to meet growing demands for industry and housing whilst protecting land and smaller settlements, wildlife, and controlling pollution.
The film reflects the larger realisation of the damaging effects of intense population and industrial growth in the nation after the Second World War. An awareness of human impact on the environment had been growing in Britain since the 1960s. Besides being the European Conservation Year, 1970 was the first year that ‘Earth Day’ was held across the pond, galvanising more than 20 million Americans to rally for the environmentalism cause. This period saw the emergence of environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the Nature Conservancy Council.
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