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In the past three decades, one-third of the planet's natural resources base have been consumed.

In the United States, we have less than 4% of our original forests left.

Forty percent of waterways in the US have become undrinkable.

The U.S. has 5% of the world's population but consumes 30% of the world's resources and creates 30% of the world's waste.

If everybody consumed at U.S. rates, we would need 3 to 5 planets.

There are over 100,000 synthetic chemicals in commerce today.

Only a handful of synthetic chemicals have even been tested for human health impacts and NONE have been tested for synergistic health impacts.

In the U.S., industry admits to releasing over 4 billion pounds of toxic chemicals a year.

The average U.S. person now consumes twice as much as they did 50 years ago.

We each see more advertisements in one year than a people 50 years ago saw in a lifetime.

In the U.S. our national happiness peaked sometime in the 1950s.

In the U.S., we spend 3-4 times as many hours shopping as our counterparts in Europe do.

Average U.S. house size has doubled since the 1970s.

Each person in the United States makes 4 1/2 pounds of garbage a day. That is twice what we each made thirty years ago.

For every one garbage can of waste you put out on the curb, 70 garbage cans of waste were made upstream to make the junk in that one garbage can you put out on the curb.

(Orignially posted 3/16/09)

Here is a listing of the remaining films playing during the DC Environmental Film Festival continuing this week and ending on March 22. Posted here are all the films that have to do with sustainability. Happy watching!

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

7:00 p.m.

American University, Center for Environmental Filmmaking

An Evening with Chris Palmer, Director, Center for Environmental Filmmaking,

LAUGHTER, COMEDY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM (Film Clip-

Illustrated Lecture)

Environmentalists have failed to take advantage of one of the mostpowerful tools available: humor. As advertisers have long known, humorous messages havethe power to grab viewers' attention and engage their imagination. Humor can communicatea serious message in a compelling and upbeat way that can motivate people to change theirbehavior. In this entertaining presentation, Chris Palmer, American University professor,stand-up comic and award-winning film producer, uses funny film clips to show how we canmost effectively use humor to promote conservation. Chris is President of MacGillivrayFreeman Films Educational Foundation and CEO of VideoTakes, Inc., an award-winningfilm company.

FREE

American University, Wechsler Theatre, Mary Graydon Center,

4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW (METRO: Tenleytown–AU. Shuttle bus service to AU)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

6:30 p.m.

Carnegie Institution for Science

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO (France, 2008, 109 min.)

Washington D.C. Premiere The world leader in genetically modified organisms (GMOs),

Monsanto is one of the most controversial corporations in industrial history. This centuryold

empire has created some of the most toxic products ever sold, including polychlorinated

biphenyls (PCBs) and the herbicide Agent Orange. The leader in genetically modified seeds,

engineered to resist its herbicide, Roundup, Monsanto claims it wants to solve world hunger

while protecting the environment. In the light of its troubling past, can we really believe these noble intentions? Misleading reports, collusion, pressure tactics and attempts at

corruption: the history of Monsanto is filled with disturbing episodes. Behind its clean,

green image, Monsanto is tightening its grasp on the world seed market, striving for market

supremacy to the detriment of food security and the global environment. Based on an investigative

report by French journalist Marie-Monique Robin, The World According to Monsanto

puts together the pieces of the company's history, calling on hitherto unpublished documents

and numerous first-hand accounts. Directed by Marie-Monique Robin. Produced by ARTE

France and the National Film Board of Canada.

Panel discussion with Andrew Kimbrell, Executive Director, Center for Food Safety;

Michael Hanson, Senior Staff Scientist, Consumers Union and Ken Cook, Environmental

Working Group, follows screening.

FREE

Carnegie Institution for Science, Elihu Root Auditorium,

1530 P St., NW (METRO: Dupont Circle, Q St. exit)

6:30 p.m.

National Building Museum

THE GREENING OF SOUTHIE (USA, 2007, 81 min.) What happens when you’re

asked to build the city of tomorrow… today? Set on the rugged streets of South Boston,

The Greening of Southie is the story of a revolutionary Green Building and the men and

women who bring it to life. From wheat-board cabinetry to recycled steel, bamboo flooring

to dual-flush toilets, The Macallen Building is something different––a leader in the emerging

field of environmentally friendly design. But Boston’s steel-toed construction workers aren’t

sure they like it. And when things on the building start to go wrong, the young development

team has to keep the project from unraveling. Funny and poignant, this is a story of bold

ideas and unlikely environmentalists, and points to the future of how we live. Directed by

Ian Cheney. Produced by Curt Ellis.

Introduced by Elizabeth L. Wilkie, Associate Public Programs Coordinator, National

Building Museum. Discussion with director Ian Cheney follows screening.

Tickets: National Building Museum (NBM) Member Series Tickets (online only):

$10 for all 3 EFF films shown at the NBM. (See Recycled Life, page 48, and Designing a

Great Neighborhood, page 11.) NBM Member tickets for single films may be purchased

at the door for $5 using cash, check, or a credit card. Please note there is a $10 minimum

for credit card transactions. General Public Tickets (online or at the door): $10 per film.

Registration available online at www.nbm.org or by calling 202-272-2448.

National Building Museum, 401 F St., NW (METRO: Judiciary Square)

7:00 p.m.

American University, Center for Environmental

Filmmaking & REI

Student Short Environmental Film Festival

Outstanding student films include a new film from American University’s Center for

Environmental Filmmaking, 2008 winners from National Geographic Channel’s “Preserve

Our Planet” College Film and PSA Contest and 2008 winners from the National Council

for Science and the Environment Youth Video Contest.

ECOVIEWS: RECLAIMING THE BAY (28 min.) Sneak Preview This stunning

and informative documentary focuses on efforts to save the Chesapeake Bay. The program

was conceived, produced, scripted, shot and edited by graduate students enrolled in

Environmental and Wildlife Production at American University. Students from two motion

graphics classes created the animated interstitials. The program is scheduled to air on

Maryland Public Television in April during Chesapeake Bay Week.

THE EXPERIMENTAL GENERATION (5 min.) A series of college students

reminisce about their first time: how they learnt about ‘it’ (both in school and outside), how

families reacted to ‘it’, how and why they do ‘it’, and why ‘it’ is so important. Directed by

Alex Jeffries, University of Los Angeles. First Place Winner of National Geographic Channel’s

“Preserve Our Planet” College Film and PSA Contest.

STOP! THINK GREEN AND SAVE (5 min.) Witness this stop-motion based creative

journey into the everyday life of a college student made entirely from still images. Directed by

Tyler Depke, Hope College. Second Place Winner of National Geographic Channel’s “Preserve

Our Planet” College Film and PSA Contest.

STUDENTS OF CONSEQUENCE (5 min.) Presents the African Bush-meat Project,

where High Tech High students from San Diego, California go to Tanzania and offer their

help against illegal commercial Bush-meat trade through DNA Bar-coding. Directed by

Megan Morikawa and Zachary Sheffer. Overall Winner, the National Council for Science and the

Environment’s video contest, “Voices and Visions from the Next Generation of Conservationists.”

TORTOISE TRACKS – THE MOVIE (5 min.) Follow students from Lancaster

High School in California as they seek to raise awareness and youth involvement in the

preservation of the California State Reptile: the Desert Tortoise. Filmmakers are Corrine

Cowan, Katelyn Louton, Cris Molina, Alex Munney and Eena Singh. Winner for the age group

15-18, the National Council for Science and the Environment’s video contest, “Voices and

Visions from the Next Generation of Conservationists.”

OUR WORLD, OUR FATE: A LOOK AT THE IMPORTANCE OF

BIODIVERSITY (5 min.) Explores the impact a healthy ecosystem has on our

environment through the local example of the Anacostia Watershed. Filmmakers are

David Bonanno, Cameron Etienne, Aaron Harrington, Dylan ReBois and Emilie Wolfson

of the University of Maryland. Winner for the age group 19-22, the National Council for

Science and the Environment’s video contest, “Voices and Visions from the Next Generation of

Conservationists.”

Hosted by EFF and American University Professors Chris Palmer and Sandy Cannon-

Brown. Panel discussion follows the screenings. Each of the panelists will share how he

or she turned a passion for the environment into a filmmaking career. Panelists: Chuck

Dunkerly, producer/director, National Park Service; Danny Ledonne, a graduate student

at American University and an independent filmmaker and Jennifer Shoemaker,

Coordinating Producer, National Geographic’s “Wild Chronicles.”

FREE

American University, Wechsler Theatre, Mary Graydon Center,

4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW (METRO: Tenleytown–AU. Shuttle bus service to AU.)

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

10:00 a.m.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library

LIQUID ASSETS (USA, 2008, 86 min.) Washington, D.C. Premiere Listen to the story

of essential infrastructure systems: water, wastewater, and stormwater. These systems — some

in the ground for more than 100 years — provide a critical public health function and are

essential for economic development and growth. Largely out of sight and out of mind, these

aging systems have not been maintained, and some estimates suggest this is the single largest

public works endeavor in our nation’s history. Exploring the history, engineering challenges,

and political and economic realities in urban and rural locations, we gain an understanding

of the hidden assets that support our way of life. Locations featured in the documentary

include Washington, D.C. Directed by Stephanie Ayanian and Mark Cooper. Produced by

WPSU-TV.

Introduced by Eric White, Manager, Multimedia Services, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Memorial Library. Discussion with filmmaker Stephanie Ayanian and a representative

of D.C. Water and Sewage Authority follows screening.

FREE

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, A-5 Auditorium,

901 G St., NW (METRO: Gallery Place–Chinatown or Metro Center)

5:30 p.m.

Dumbarton Oaks Landscape Arts Program of Harvard

University & Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

GARDEN CYCLES BIKE TOUR (USA, 2008, 39 min.) Chronicling a two

thousand-mile, three-month-long bicycle trip made by three Washington-based, twentysomething

friends, this documentary explores the budding environmental agriculture and

local food movement. Traveling from the mid-Atlantic up into New England and Canada,

they discover people and communities, finding solutions to the environmental excesses of

industrialized agriculture. In July of 2007 they headed out from D.C. and visited sites in

Baltimore, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York City. August saw them travel to sites

throughout New York State and up to Montreal, Canada, where they turned around and

headed south to Vermont. September finds them visiting sites in Massachusetts and

Providence, Rhode Island and trekking back to our capital city. From inner-city gardens,

rooftop vegetable plots and suburban farms, they uncover the reality, and challenges, of the

new American farmer. Directed by Lara Sheets, Liz Tylander and Kat Shiffler. Produced by

Victor Barcelona.

Introduced by Barbara Gordon, Associate Curator, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture

Garden and John Beardsley, Director of Garden and Landscape Studies, Dumbarton Oaks.

FREE

Dumbarton Oaks, Main House, Music Room, 1703 32nd St., NW

(Metrobuses: 32, 36, D6)

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

12:00 noon

Solar Household Energy, Inc. & Solar Cookers International

MANDA

I think all of you would appreciate the message put forth by this animation. It has definitely changed my way of thinking of my carbon footprint and the impact we all make on the earth.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/