Here is another one from Uli Henrik Streckenbach just because I love his work so much. Unfortunately it is in German, but the visuals should still give you an idea. Hopefully the video will be narrated into english…
F-Gases
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Communication+
Let’s Talk About Soil
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Communication+, Just for Fun
Another fantastic video by German boy Uli Henrik Streckenbach. All about the carelessness in which our limited amount of topsoil is treated.
Ending Overfishing
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Communication+, Just for Fun
An amazingly animated video by Uli Henrik Streckenbach from Berlin about the extent of overfishing and how the EU parliament can do something about it.
Why Do Banks Make So Much Money?
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Communication+, Economics, Economics Level 1, Level 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOa8U0yixgQ
It’s hard to believe but banks have the licence to print money, or rather the licence to type it into a computer screen every time some one takes out a loan. It defies common sense but stop and think about it. If an economy grows, the money supply must grow too. Someone needs to inject this new money into the system. Normally you would think it would be the government, but they only create a small fraction of new money (physical money and electronic base money). Money has to be created from nothing, that’s what creation is. The unbelievable fact is that banks are licensed to have this ability. The more unbelievable fact is that no one talks about this in all the economic debates.
If you stop and think about it, the implications are mind boggling. Banks have huge control on the direction an economy takes. They like to loan to safe investments such as property and not to risky investments such as small businesses. This is why house prices are so unaffordable. Also when they create money through a loan, they charge interest. This interest does not exist. There is a mathematical flaw in the system which means our level of debt will always get bigger. And then there are the ethical concerns. What is the moral obligation to pay back a debt of money that was created out of thin air? Why does a sovereign nation need to borrow money from banks and be charged interest when they could create this money themselves at no interest. Why do we need to bail out the banks that provide this money creation when governments could claim back this power? Why don’t governments stimulate their economy by giving money directly to it’s citizens instead of handing it to banks to lend out to it’s citizens.
I’m still wrapping my head around this but it’s clear that this is a massive story that would shift the whole “cut government spending” debate on it’s head. Ask yourself why this issue of money creation is not talked about in the mainstream media.
Ever Heard of Climate Change? Over 40% of the world says “no”
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Climate Destabilisation, Climate Level 4, Communication+, Level 4
This presentation entitled “Climate Literacy in Global Perspective” by Anthony Leiserowitz, Ph.D. was recorded at a side NOAA/NASA/NSF event at COP 15 Climate Summit in Copenhagen on December 9, 2009. He reports on the results from a global study of public climate change awareness, knowledge, and support for climate policy conducted with the Gallup World Poll, an annual survey of 150-plus countries.
Global Warming’s Six Americas
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Climate Destabilisation, Climate Level 4, Communication+, Level 4
Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, discusses the divergent views of Americans over climate change.
Ending the Silence on Climate Change
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Climate Destabilisation, Climate Level 4, Communication+, Level 4
In this truly excellent (46 min) interview Bill Moyers talks to climate change communication expert Anthony Leiserowitz (PhD) from the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. He explains why climate change is largely ignored, and what we should do about it.
More specifically he talks about how “You almost couldn’t design a problem that is a worse fit with our underlying psychology.” Climate change is an almost invisible problem and our flight or flight instincts do not work with this slow burn threat. It involves abstract ideas and reasoned thought. As a result we all react to this problem in largely 6 different ways and for different reasons. He then goes on to talk about who these “Six Americas” are and how we need to speak to these groups in different ways.
This helps explain how the current political situation in the US has come to be. He also talks about how the lack of reporting from the media causes the issues to be “literally out of sight, out of mind” and how a highly organised disinformation campaign, similar to that of the tobacco industry, has further clouded the issue for the public. But broad support for climate action does not trump a smaller, but more dedicated group who is happy to make political waves. Until the public demands action little is going to change.
But given that only 6 out of 10 people in the world are aware of the concept of climate change and probably around 1 out of 10 understand it enough to be truly alarmed there is an awfully long way to go on the communication front. I see this as the principle hurdle that needs to be cleared if we are ever to get enough political momentum to make the huge changes to our economic system we desperately need and this is why i am doing what I am doing. I hope more of you will take up this mission of getting organised and communicating the message. For those of you who are “alarmed” this is mandatory viewing.
Anthony, I’m a big fan.
Armstrong & Miller – Climate vs Weather
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Climate Destabilisation, Climate Level 1, Communication+, Just for Fun, Level 1
Broadcast 12/12/2010 from The Armstrong & Miller show Series 2 Episode 6.
Climate Change, Climate Destabilisation, Climate Science, Hahaha - that's funny, VideoBill Hicks – Just a Ride
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Communication+, Just for Fun
I had to post this up. Partly cos I love Bill Hicks and most of what spews out of his mouth and also because the kinetic typography in the clip is amazing. 1:44 mins well spent.
We Must
Posted by Matt Beer -
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Climate Destabilisation, Communication+, Economics
A 30 sec argument for capping carbon emissions. I like it.