“What happens to the monitor you recycled when you opted for the flat-screen LCD you now have?” It’s hard to visualize you and your company’s impact on the world. And as the business world’s know conscious shifts to be more eco-friendly, it can be overwhelming to know what really goes on across the globe past your paper and plastic recycle bins and low-energy light bulbs.

Monday night I caught “Manufactured Landcapes” on the Sundance Channel (it’s OnDemand for Comcast users). It’s a documentary about photographer Edward Burtynsky and his quest to show the impact of the natural landscape and how it’s been changed by industry and population growth. The film strides to not be preachy and let’s the photographer’s work speak to the subject matter.

Burtynsky’s work and vision come through as you see him thrust his camera into the various locations throughout China, Bangladesh and other parts of Asia. The photos show you the impact that the world has with demand for oil, new technology and energy dependence.

One segment that struck a chord, was when he traveled to rural China to a town that breaks down e-waste (old electronics, computers, etc.) and recycles the metals used in manufacturing them. This may seem like a good notion until you learn that they were improperly disposing of computer monitors. Unknown to them, the monitors had harmful chemicals that have seeped into the water table and polluted it beyond human consumption and have it shipped in.

Knowing this makes me want to skip buying any new computers or cell phones and ride my bike everywhere. Please take 80mins out of your life and watch this movie. It’s will change the way you see your impact on the world.

Buy the DVD