From this last decade there are three documentaries that are not to be missed, as they are not only produced in a mildly entertaining fashion, but they convey extremely important American problems and potential solutions that are still extremely important to address for this current decade. For each documentary I also include related current events of 2010 that are not included in the documentaries themselves.
First Documentary
This movie does a wonderful job at presenting the lack of ethics of the current food industry, and the monopolies that are currently unfairly, and potentially unlawfully existing. Monsanto’s story on how they can patent life is also told. (Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas used to be a lawyer for Monsanto, who just happened to pass this EXTREMELY controversial case) I personally believe that all genetically modified food should have to have warning labels. And while any intelectual has known that there has not been nearly enough testing on genetically modified food to allow it for mass consumption, which it is, there is new evidence showing that GMF is unhealthy. Thanks to my friend for sending me the link to this article:
Quoted from: http://www.biolsci.org/v05p0706.htm
We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified (GM) maize (NK 603, MON 810, MON 863), which are present in food and feed in the world. NK 603 has been modified to be tolerant to the broad spectrum herbicide Roundup and thus contains residues of this formulation. MON 810 and MON 863 are engineered to synthesize two different Bt toxins used as insecticides. Approximately 60 different biochemical parameters were classified per organ and measured in serum and urine after 5 and 14 weeks of feeding. GM maize-fed rats were compared first to their respective isogenic or parental non-GM equivalent control groups. This was followed by comparison to six reference groups, which had consumed various other non-GM maize varieties. We applied nonparametric methods, including multiple pairwise comparisons with a False Discovery Rate approach. Principal Component Analysis allowed the investigation of scattering of different factors (sex, weeks of feeding, diet, dose and group). Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.
Second Documentary
Most academics agree that electric cars are the most efficient, to my understanding. More efficient than gasoline (which is shipped to us by the other side of the planet), more efficient than Hydrogen (which besides being less efficient, you also have to build a completely new infrastructures for distributing the hydrogen), and it’s also more efficient than ethanol (which takes more energy to make than it emites in your engine.) While it’s true that most of our electricity comes from coal, this is still better than having to rely on gasoline, and is overall more cost and environmentally friendly. So if electric cars are so great, why do we not have many on the market today? Watch the movie to find out.
New since the Movie
There is a company called Tesla whom currently makes an electric sports car that goes 0-60 in just 3.9 seconds, that’s faster than most Ferraris! But what is even more exciting is that Tesla is currently developing the “Model S”, which is a family sedan electric car with the range of 300 miles per charge, and a 0-60 speed of under 6 seconds (Still fast!) Check out more about Tesla at their website: http://www.teslamotors.com/ To bad GMC got bailed out, all the money they our government is putting into an already failed company could have been going into getting the “Model S” into mass production! Also, the “Model S” is expected to just cost around $50,000, and I expect even more affordable models to come out after the success of the “Model S”
Third Documentary
A must see documentary about how America and debt are related to each other. The movie starts by giving a good history of our debt, and how it relates to us today. Bill Clinton was the last president whom actually put an effort to decreasing American debt. Bush and Obama administrations have let it grown almost exponentially due to extremely poor economic policies. I hope the next administration can be as mindful as Clinton was to the deficit. Peter Schiff is a great economist whom is trying to make the jump to senator. He actually predicted the current economic recession years before it happened, due to the poor economic policies that were in place. Check out Schiff’s website here.