Does Domestic Spying Keep The U.S. Safe?

Smile, you're on NSA's camera! It starts when you're are afraid. Big brother is here to calm your fears and protect you from the big bad boogie men!

The recent leaks about National Security Agency surveillance programs have renewed the debate over the balance between national security and civil liberties. Four people debated the motion "Spy On Me, I'd Rather Be Safe."

For The Motion: Stewart Baker, Richard Falkenrath, Against The Motion: David Cole, Michael German

Before the debate, the audience in Washington, D.C., voted 26 percent in favor of the motion and 41 percent against, with 33 percent undecided. After the debate, 29 percent agreed with the motion "Spy On Me, I'd Rather Be Safe," and 62 percent disagreed — making the side arguing against the motion the winners.
Source: intelligence2 Debates: Does Spying Keep Us Safe?

The Last Hours

"Last Hours" is a short film that explores the perils of climate change and the solutions to avert climate disaster. "Last Hours" is presented and narrated by Thom Hartmann and directed by Leila Conners. Executive Producers are George DiCaprio and Earl Katz. Last Hours is produced by Mathew Schmid of Tree Media Foundation, and was written by Thom Hartmann, Sam Sacks, and Leila Conners. Music is composed and performed by Francesco Lupica.
Source: YouTube: Last Hours

Download or Play Domestic Spying Part 1
Download or Play Domestic Spying Part 2
Download or Play Domestic Spying Part 3
Download or Play Last Hours

Music includes Billy Joel - Allentown, roymond - Just Blue, Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction, Capitol Steps - If I Only Had a Plan, Brendan Quinn - Protest Song, Jan Seides - To Give Us Peace, Phil Ochs - There But for Fortune, Dave Lippman - Food Clothing & Glaciers, Capitol Steps - You Fill Our Your Census, Zager & Evans - In The Year 2525, Terry Gangstad - Schizophrenia, Flogging Molly - What's Left of the Flag, Johnny Cash - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Monty Python - The Spam Song, Jeff Foxworthy - Stupid People, James Taylor - America the Beautiful, Quincy Jones - A Man Called Ironside

Should The U.S. Break Up The Big Banks?

Douglas Elliott (left) and Paul Saltzman argue against the motion
"Break Up The Big Banks" Samuel LaHoz/Intelligence Squared U.S.

In 2008, the U.S. Treasury committed 245 billion in taxpayer dollars to stabilize America’s banking institutions. Banks that were once “too big to fail” have only grown bigger. Was size and complexity at the root of the financial crisis, or do calls to break up the big banks ignore real benefits that only economies of scale can pass on to customers and investors? The debaters are Richard Fisher, Simon Johnson, Douglas Elliott, and Paul Saltzman.

Richard Fisher (left) and Simon Johnson argue in favor of breaking up big banks,
as moderator John Donvan looks on. Samuel LaHoz/Intelligence Squared U.S.

Before the debate, the audience at New York City's Kaufman Center voted 37 percent in favor of the motion and 19 percent against. Forty-four percent were undecided. After the debate, 49 percent supported breaking up big banks which is an increase of 12 percentage points and 39 percent opposed which is an increase of 20 points. That made the side arguing against breaking up the banks the winners of the debate.
Source: intelligence2 Debates: Should The U.S. Break Up Big Banks?

Obama’s Climate Plan

President Obama has a plan to reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and to expand the use of renewables and natural gas. Steve Curwood gets reactions from David Hawkins Director of Climate Programs at NRDC, Sierra Club’s executive director Michael Brune, and student activist Jess Grady-Benson.
Source: living on earth: Obama’s Grand Climate Plan

Download or Play Break Up The Big Banks Part 1
Download or Play Break Up The Big Banks Part 2
Download or Play Break Up The Big Banks Part 3
Download or Play Obama's Climate Plan


Music includes David Rovics - Used To Be A City, Steven Taylor - Go Down Congress, Capitol Steps - Korea, Martin Luther King 3-8-1965, Edwin Starr - War What Is It Good For, James W. Gerard 11-25-1917, Firesign Theatre - Army Training Film, Capitol Steps - The Impossible Dean, David Rovics - Song For Cindy Sheehan, SUV, Winston Churchill - Threat of Nazi, The Producers Soundtrack - Springtime for Hitler, Harmonious Combustion - A Song Of Peace, Doors - Strange Days, Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better, Herb Alpert - Rotation, Herb Alpert - Bullish, Charles Mingus - Original Faubus Fables

Climate Change and Excessive Government Power

John Gray

Facing Reality

John Gray reflects on what we know but prefer not to think about, whether it's the truth about the invasion of Iraq or the failures of the financial system that led to the banking crisis. "We humans are sturdy and resilient animals with enormous capacities of creativity and adaptability; but consistently realistic thinking seems to be beyond our powers."
Source: BBC: PoV: John Gray: Unknown Knowns: 10 Jan 14

Excessive Government Power

Rachel Levinson-Waldman, Counsel to the Brennan Center’s Liberty and National Security Program, discusses what the government does with Americans’ data and how the “fusion centers” have quickly expanded their focus from terrorism to all manner of criminal activity. Rachel asks whether public backlash can dial back the government’s excessive power. She is interviewed by Scott Horton.
Source: the Scott Horton show: 10/14/13 Rachel Levinson-Waldman

Oil rigs in Los Angeles in 1896. The study looked at emissions all the 
way back to the 19th century (photo: unknown, public domain)

Just 90 Firms Have Produced Climate Change

A recent study found that the number of state and investor-owned organizations responsible for the human impact on climate change is only 90. Rick Heede of the Climate Accountability Institute in Colorado talks to Steve Curwood about these findings.
Source: living on earth: Just 90 Firms Have Tipped the Climate

Pacific Coast leaders sign action plan on climate and energy.
From left to right: British Columbia Environment Minister Mary Polak,
Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and
California Governor Jerry Brown. (Photo: Office of Governor Brown)

West Coast Action on Climate Change

California, Oregon, Washington and the Canadian province of British Columbia have signed a pact to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by putting a price on carbon. British Columbia's Environment Minister Mary Polak discusses the agreement and how a carbon tax is working in that Canadian province with Steve Curwood.
Source: living on earth: West Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy

The Price Of Climate Action

The 2104 climate report from the IPCC says the price of climate action today is cheap compared to what it will cost. Physicist Joseph Romm, of the blog Climate Progress, and Steve Curwood discuss the cost-benefit analysis of immediate and delayed climate action.
Source: living on earth: Bargain Time For Climate Protection



Download or Play Facing Reality & Government Power Part 1
Download or Play Government Power Part 2
Download or Play Government Power Part 3 & Firms Climate Change
Download or Play West Coast Climate Change & Price Of Climate Change



Music includes Roy Zimmerman - Hello NSA, David Rovics - Song For Bradley Manning, Flobots - Handlebars, James - Hey Ma, David Rovics - The Village Where Nothing Happend, Capitol Steps - Barack Obama P.S.A., Supaclean - One Big Texas, Dar Williams - Empire, Capitol Steps - Cameroon, David Rovics - After The Revolution, The Onion - Modified Broccoli, Roy Zimmerman - Vote Republican 50.0, Gil Scott-Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, Randy Newman - A Few Words in Defense of Our Country, Unreasonable Women, Propellerheads - Spybreak!

The Next Great Extinction

Elizabeth Kolbert explains how humanity is driving a great wave of extinctions around the planet. She talks with Tom Ashbrook.

Elizabeth Kolbert, staff writer for the New Yorker. Author of “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History.” Also author of “Field Notes From a Catastrophe: Man, Nature, and Climate Change.” (@ElizKolbert)
Source: On Point: The Next Great Extinction: It’s Now

What is Progress?

Author Ronald Wright says understanding humanity's patterns of progress and disaster could help us avoid the collapse of civilization. Ronald is interviewed by Piya Chattopadhyay.
Source: YouTube: Ronald Wright: What is Progress?

Tom Hanks' Vassar Commencement Speech 2005

Tom Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks is known for his roles in Apollo 13, Big, That Thing You Do!, The Green Mile, You've Got Mail, Sleepless in Seattle, Charlie Wilson's War, Catch Me If You Can, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, A League of Their Own, The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, as well as animated films like the Toy Story film series, The Polar Express, and The Simpsons Movie.
Source: YouTube: Tom Hanks: College Commencement Address (2005 Speech to Students)

Download or Play Great Extinction Part 1
Download or Play Great Extinction Part 2 & Progress Part 1
Download or Play Progress Part 2
Download or Play Progress Part 3 & Tom Hanks


Music includes Hungry Beast - I'm A Climate Scientist, Bob Dylan - The Times They Are A-Changin', Bob Marley & The Wailers - WAR / No more trouble, Dan Rheault - Antiwar, Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall, Robert Kennedy 4-4-1968, John Lennon - Imagine, Bill Cosby, Capitol Steps - Arreste Nudilis, The Kingston Trio - M.T.A, Judy Collins - Amazing Grace, Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World, George Harrison - Peace, Bernie Leadon - The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy