This animation explores a post-consumer society, envisioning a future with fewer work hours, increased re-skilling, homesteading, and small-scale enterprises. These shifts aim to reduce the consumer economy's overall size and impact. It is narrated by economist and best-selling author Juliet Schor and produced by The Center for the New American Dream.

Dr. Schor's book, *Plenitude*, delves deeper into these concepts. You can order it from Amazon or find it at your local bookstore.

This infographic and animation tracks cumulative natural gas wells drilled in Pennsylvania from January 2005 to April 2012, highlighting the state's transition from conventional vertical to horizontal drilling.

Horizontal wells, primarily in the Marcellus, Utica, and Geneseo/Burket shale formations, increased significantly. Concurrently, less productive vertical wells declined, resulting in an overall decrease in new well counts.

For a comprehensive analysis, read the full Today in Energy article here.

In "Promised Land," Matt Damon stars as Steve Butler, a corporate salesman, who, with partner Sue Thomason (Frances McDormand), targets a rural town for his company's expansion. Their mission involves securing drilling rights, bringing them into conflict with the local community.

The film explores the tension between big business interests and small-town values, specifically focusing on the controversial practice of fracking in rural America.

Slavery is fundamentally about commerce. Acclaimed humanitarian photographer Lisa Kristine specializes in capturing images of remote indigenous peoples, known for her evocative and saturated use of color.

Kristine collaborates with international humanitarian organizations, presenting her work to inspire discussions on human rights and social change. This content was recorded at TEDxMaui 2012 on January 22, 2012, at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center.

Dr. Ken Blanchard is a renowned author, prominent speaker, and highly sought-after business consultant. He co-founded The Ken Blanchard Companies in 1979 with his wife, Dr. Margie Blanchard, and currently serves as its Chief Spiritual Officer.

An international training and consulting firm, The Ken Blanchard Companies is built on the principles Dr. Blanchard has shared in nearly forty books, including the best-seller *The One Minute Manager*.

TED Fellow Marcin Jakubowski is open-sourcing blueprints for 50 farm machines, enabling anyone to build their own tractor or harvester. This initiative, launched in April 2011, is the first step in a larger project to create an instruction set for an entire self-sustaining village, with an estimated starting cost of $10,000.

For more details, visit the Open Source Ecology website. Additional information is available on TED.com.

Melting glaciers underscore how climate change is already a harsh reality for the world's poorest. This slow, silent disaster is causing dramatic water shortages, affecting millions.

Scientists are deploying satellite technology to find solutions for these critical water issues, particularly in the Andean region.

December 19, 2012

WWF's Global Marine Programme works to increase international attention for ocean conservation and protect the high seas.

These international waters, comprising 64% of the oceans (half the planet), lie beyond national jurisdiction and are open-access common areas. For more information, visit panda.org/highseas.

Joes Segal is a Professor of Cultural History at Utrecht University. His research focuses on modern art, cultural history, and the intersection of art and politics, particularly in Europe, the US, the Soviet Union, and China since 1945. He also investigates cultural boundaries and identity.

Segal authored *East German Material Culture and the Power of Memory* (2011) and *Divided Dreamworlds? The Cultural Cold War in East and West* (2012). He served as a guest curator at the Wende Museum and a guest professor at UCLA, supported by a Senior Research Grant.

In 2010, New York City's carbon footprint was 54 million metric tons of CO2, equating to 1.72 tons per second. This immense scale of atmospheric pollution is often difficult for most people to comprehend.

Carbon Visuals and the Environmental Defense Fund aim to make these emissions more tangible. They help visualize both the total output and the rate of emission, making the city's environmental impact more understandable.

This video is a trailer for Annie Leonard's book, *The Story of Stuff: The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health-And How We Can Make It Better*.

In the book, Leonard explores the effects of overconsumption on our planet, communities, and health, and proposes ways to improve these issues. To purchase the book, visit Amazon or your local bookstore.

The U.S. is a wealthy nation, not broke, yet its economy is fundamentally flawed. It generates excessive pollution and waste. Instead of investing in sustainable alternatives, we prop up this "dinosaur economy" with billions in taxpayer money.

The Story of Broke advocates for a crucial shift in government spending. It proposes redirecting funds towards clean, green solutions: renewable energy, safer materials, and zero waste. These investments promise jobs and a healthier environment, offering a better way to rebuild the American Dream.

Releasing Tuesday, November 9, "The Story of Electronics" exposes the high-tech revolution's collateral damage: 25 million tons of e-waste, poisoned workers, and public costs. Host Annie Leonard guides viewers from gadget production in mines and factories to their grim end in Chinese recycling shops. The film advocates a "green 'race to the top'" for designers to create long-lasting, toxic-free, and easily recyclable products.

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition, promoting green design and responsible recycling, partnered on this production.

Released July 21, 2010, "The Story of Cosmetics" is a seven-minute film by The Story of Stuff Project. It exposes the widespread use of toxic chemicals in everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo.

Produced with Free Range Studios and hosted by Annie Leonard, the film reveals the health and environmental implications for consumers and workers. It also outlines ways to transition the industry towards safer alternatives.

The film concludes by urging viewers to support legislation that ensures the safety of cosmetics and personal care products.

UC Merced student Martin Figueroa spearheaded a campus movement to reduce water use. In 2011, he organized the "UC Merced Water Battle," a month-long competition involving over 600 students across residence halls. Utilizing real-time monitoring, participants collectively cut water use by 14 percent, saving 89,000 gallons.

Figueroa is now encouraging other UC campuses to implement similar "Water Battles" to expand conservation efforts.

Growing up in Detroit, Brittany Stallworth, a 2012 Brower Youth Award Winner, faced environmental injustice, including limited healthy food access and exposure to factory emissions. This experience fueled her to establish "Green is the New Black" at Howard University, a campaign dedicated to food and environmental justice.

Through her initiative, Stallworth organized expert-led workshops for students and a symposium that connected over 35 green organizations with college students for internships and jobs. Her passion has inspired others to advance food accessibility and environmental justice in underserved communities.

The 88,000-acre Scotchman Peaks Roadless Area, straddling the Idaho-Montana border, is one of the region's largest remaining wild areas. Inspired by its natural beauty, Jacob Glass produced "En Plein Air," a film documenting the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. This grassroots group, formed in 2005, seeks federal protection for the region, with the film highlighting two painters who use their art to advocate for the mountains.

The documentary received nationwide media attention, dramatically increasing the Friends' membership. This surge of public support for wilderness designation led to endorsements from many area chambers of commerce and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer.

Maya Salsedo, a 2012 Brower Youth Award winner, champions food justice, driven by her family's history of food insecurity. Descendants of Puerto Rican emigrants who worked in Hawaiian sugar cane fields, her family consistently faced challenges accessing healthy food.

This experience spurred Salsedo to action. In 2011, as a youth organizer with Rooted in Community, she proposed the Youth Food Bill of Rights. This declaration envisions a food system that benefits consumers, producers, and the planet, granting local communities more control over their food. Her work has since inspired peers nationwide, establishing a foundation for dialogues on what food justice means to today's youth.

Bill McKibben spoke at the Marion Institute in New Bedford, MA, from October 26-28, 2012. His presentation focused on the ongoing fight against global warming, urging New Englanders to join the effort.

McKibben, author of a dozen environmental books including the seminal *The End of Nature* (1989), co-founded the grassroots climate campaign 350.org. A fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he notably led the 2011 White House protest against the Keystone pipeline, which resulted in 1,253 arrests—the largest civil disobedience action in 30 years.

Conscious Global Leadership (CGL), founded by Tara Sheahan, empowers leaders to act from strength rather than fear. It emphasizes best inner practices to foster effective leadership.

CGL also mentors individuals, promoting heart-centered living and leadership. Discover more at Conscious Global Leadership.