Probably not a video you want to watch on your lunch hour, but check out this short film on about issues of hunger in America. With rising commodity prices around the world this spring, many of us heard about hunger riots in Cameroon and food shortage protests in Haiti. Of course we know that hunger is a problem here in the US, but there is rarely a flashpoint to call our attention to it. This video offers some stats and an interesting story about the DC Central Kitchen.
America's Shocking Hunger Problem
Then take a different look at food with Mark Bittman, food writer and chef who had hosted a PBS cooking series at one point in his past. He talks about what's wrong with what people (who have food) are eating.
3rd party Presidential hopeful Ralph Nader paid a visit to Albuquerque and Santa Fe on Tuesday, August 26th, on his way to a rally at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. KNME was there and streamed both his press conference and rally live. Here is video from that rally. There are a few technical glitches along the way, so bear with it. Mr. Nader talked longer than we expected so our microphone ran out of battery power at one point, and our disk that we were recording on also ran out at one point, creating some beeping in the background. Still, it was a worthwhile event, and we are committed to covering as many of these presidential visits as possible.
New on KNME.org this week, indie filmmaker Lillian Kelly explores what happens when it rains here in ABQ. How does a city in a rift valley manage water that has only one place to go once it hits the ground?
Last week I posted the PBS series Guns, Germs and Steel, based on the book by Jared Diamond. Diamond's follow-up to that book is entitled Collapse! He gave a lecture at UC Santa Barbara about the themes of his book and you can watch that lecture here.
Jared Diamond at UC Santa Barbara
He also spoke at CalTech about the book...a slightly more personal presentation divided into three parts. Compare and contrast!
Web Worth Watching: War, Peace, Guns, Germs, Steel
Ran across this lecture from Thomas Barnett. The dude should be a comedian. No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, I think he has something intriguing to say about American foreign policy.
Thomas Barnett: The Pentagon's New Map for War and Peace
Some of Barnett's themes regarding technological superiority are universal. For similarly big thought I found the Jared Diamond's PBS series Guns, Germs and Steel on YouTube...conveniently divided into 18 parts. It's embedded as a playlist below...
New on KNME.org (August 11): Love in the Land of Enchantment
New this week on KNME.org is a sweet little piece done by KNME filmmaker Josh Keenan. It's the first in an occasional series profiling love stories here in New Mexico. Enjoy!
Love in the Land of Enchantment (Dorothy and Larry)
Water...if you live in the Southwest United States its hard not to at least think about it (even if it's to absently push its import out of your mind). A couple months back, Wired did a story on the emerging concept of peak water. But the also covered it in the short lived series Wired Science. Interesting stuff...
Wired Science: Peak Water segment
Lack of natural resources has always been a prime mover of civil unrest within and between societies. In the west, the history of water rights is pock-marked with violence so to hear that "the wars of the future" might be over water isn't so surprising. Here are a couple of video from the (admittedly left-leaning series) Democracy Now that address that topic.
Democracy Now: Water Wars (Part 1)
Democracy Now: Water Wars (Part 2)
Slightly more centrist CNN also covered the issue earlier this year as a part of their "Planet in Peril" special. Check out the clip featuring an interview with Dr. Peter Gleick (President of the Pacific Institute).
New this week on KNME.org...indie filmmaker Deborah Wakshull visits the Very Large Array ("The VLA"), the giant radio telescope located in rural central New Mexico.