A World of Possibilities MiniCast

Riding the Tiger: Asia Ascending Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:00 PST

China, India, Southeast Asia: Asia's high-octane economies, though impacted by the global recession, are on a long-term trajectory to expand their influence. Their energy and determination are challenging the economic supremacy of the United States not only in the region but wherever key natural resources are in play. China alone holds the commanding share of U.S. debt in a complex relationship that yokes the two economic titans together in a tense, unpredictable partnership. President Obama says the U.S.-Chinese dynamic is "as important as any bilateral relationship in the world." Is it a zero sum game where either they or "we" prevail or can it be reframed as a quest for shared prosperity? Protectionism and xenophobia threaten to derail the relationship to the detriment of both. How can American foreign and economic policies avoid such mutually destructive outcomes and instead encourage a healthier mix of competition and cooperation?

Tightrope in Teheran: Negotiating Iran's Nuclear Option Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:00:00 PST

A disputed election, street demonstrations, open dissent from founding fathers of the Islamic Republic, brutal repression, revelations of a nuclear enrichment plant. Events that would have seemed unthinkable just months ago are now daily news. When candidate Barack Obama pledged to open unconditional negotiations with Iran, he could hardly have imagined they would take place in such a minefield. Located in one of the world's most volatile regions, Iran is bordered by Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. It's also an oil superpower and a key player in regional and now global politics. Nuclear negotiations with Iran must take into account relations with Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Israel and the European Union. No one said this would be easy. But is it even possible? With hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad re-installed as president of the Islamic Republic, what options, if any, remain for the U.S. to move forward with Iran? We'll hear from both Iranian and American analysts about the possibilities and perils of nuclear negotiations.

Starting Out Right: Upgrading Early Childhood Education Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 PST

We're just now finding out that the first few years of life do much to determine how the rest of it unfolds. That's a scary thought. For those who enjoy the good fortune of being born into affluence, no effort is spared to provide them with the advantages of high-priced childcare, private tutors, and diverse opportunities. But for a great many less advantaged kids and their struggling parents, the options are far more limited. They face a gauntlet of hurdles with few resources to overcome them. Failing early, they come to believe success is not even possible. They, and we, all suffer the consequences. Today on A World of Possibilities, "Starting Out Right: Upgrading Early Childhood Education." We'll hear from program directors and parents about innovative initiatives that extend early support to children who, through no fault of their own, might otherwise fail to adapt to the challenges of school. And in so doing, they help ensure their prospects for success; not just in education but in life itself.

Detox Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:00:00 PST

It's not a very comfortable thought: We live, eat, and breathe in a complex brew of industrial chemicals, some eighty thousand of them. And all but a handful have never been tested to find out it they're safe. At the same time, all kinds of diseases and disabilities, ranging from autism to asthma, are on the rise. What, if any, connection might there be between chemical exposure and eventual disease or disability? We really don't know. The laws that regulate the use of chemicals in consumer products and the environment were passed thirty years ago and remain unchanged. They're nicknamed ToSCA, short for the Toxic Substances Control Act. Passed in 1976, even at the time the legislation was viewed by many as inadequate to regulate a rapidly evolving industry. Today on A World of Possibilities, we'll look into that cauldron to find out more about the chemicals we're ingesting and what we know, and don't yet know, about what they're doing to us.

Bombs Away Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:00:00 PST

What part do we consumers play in driving the priorities of an industrial meat production system that puts cheap meat on our plates, but at rising costs to human health, animal welfare, and environmental integrity? Farmers have turned to feeding antibiotics to their animals to prevent outbreaks, but are they unwittingly selecting for the most virulent superbugs, while putting humans at risk?

Bad Medicine: Overusing Antibiotics in Meat Production Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PST

Wasting Away Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PST

On both land and sea, human activities are inflicting damage on a scale that may well be irreversible. Our future is imperiled by the heedless pursuit of energy and development to feed a civilization that has still to learn to conserve as well as consume. Two winners of the prestigious TED Prize examine our impacts and urge us to embrace a conservation ethic to return vitality and diversity.

Game-Changing Innovation Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:00:00 PST

The U.S. designs nifty iPhones and deadly weapons, but in measures that really matter, like education and green tech, we're being upstaged by other nations. In recent years, we have been systematically dis-investing in our collective capacity for innovation. Why is the engine of American ingenuity running off the rails, and what needs to be done to get us back on track?

Of Pigs and People Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PST

The indiscriminate use of antimicrobials in large-scale industrial meat production is building bacterial resistance to the most effective antibiotics on which our national and global health systems depend. Recorded largely on location on Midwestern hog and poultry farms, this program features interviews with farmers and others who are raising hogs by healthier and more humane ways.

Two Grains of Sand Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PST

Nature and Humanity are running off the rails and governments stand seemingly helpless before the juggernaut. Into the breach are stepping new players, inventing strategies to transform the way we do things, and they are forging surprising alliances in the process. Two initiatives are seeking to move the needle on urgent issues: one on climate change, the other on the global tea industry.

Crowd-Sourcing Innovation Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PST

There have always been brilliant innovators working outside established institutions. With the emergence of open systems of innovation made possible by the Internet, now a far wider range of individuals, teams and institutions can participate in the problem-solving process. Not only for technical challenges, but for those thorny social problems which have eluded the best minds of our time.

The Miner's Canary: First Peoples on Climate Change Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:00:00 PST

Indigenous peoples, living closest to nature, feel the threat of climate change first. They have a potent message to deliver to the climate treaty negotiators meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009. The climate is changing the way they've lived forever, so they're adapting in order to endure. Do the rest of us have the wisdom and ingenuity to change along with the changing climate?

Sick and Tired: The Movement for Paid Sick Days Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:00:00 PST

The first advice given in response to any health emergency such as SARS, swine flu, etc., is to stay home if you feel yourself getting sick. But half of all working Americans can't afford to miss work. Most work in low wage jobs where close interaction with others is constant and unavoidable. 127 countries provide at least a week of paid sick days a year - but not the United States.

Open Source Science Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 05 May 2009 08:00:00 PST

The outbreak of potential pandemics has driven home the urgent need for more rapid responses to public health threats. In order to respond more effectively, we need to create a more open system for the exchange of vital health information. Medical and scientific research pioneers are laying the foundation for a global health commons to accelerate the pace and effectiveness of crucial discoveries.

Peace, Justice - or Both Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PST

Peace or Justice? That question takes on an anguished poignancy these days in war ravaged societies from Bosnia to Sierra Leone. Peace negotiators and human rights advocates struggle to end the bloodshed and obtain justice for the victims. How does this work in societies whose weak and often corrupt legal structures have been decimated by war?

Building an Innovation Ecosystem Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 08:00:00 PST

Everywhere we look our systems are collapsing in terminal dysfunction. It's forcing us to reinvent the way we do just about everything. But the infrastructure in place to catalyze the kinds of breakthrough innovation we need is still haphazard and inefficient. What kinds of institutions and incentives need to be put in place to spur the innovations we most need to be more efficient and effective?

Reviving the Forgotten Continent Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PST

To many Americans, Africa is a continent of universal, unmitigated suffering, plagued by disease, famine, misgovernance, poverty, and war. While there are more than enough such tragedies on the continent, those who know it well say there's an energy and resilience among Africans that enables them to make much of what little good fortune comes their way. Africa sits on some of the world's most precious mineral wealth. But foreign nations have historically plundered for their own benefit and that of corporations, leaving regions like the oil-rich Niger Delta, Sudan and Chad poorer and less self-sufficient than before their wealth was first discovered. As the U.S., China, India and other industrial powers scour the continent for mineral treasure, we examine how and whether African nations, spurred by a younger generation demanding a different destiny, can negotiate a better deal for their people that benefits the impoverished majority, and not just the few in positions of power who have consistently stolen the proceeds.

Who's This Economy For? Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 08:00:00 PST

For more than 40 years, Colombia has been caught in the cross fire of "La Violencia": thousands dead, millions more driven from their homes. Impunity remains the law of the land. Now a series of tribunals and truth commissions are seeking to discover what really happened; to give victims a chance to express their anger and sorrow and perpetrators a chance to confess and serve time or be amnestied.

Impunity in Colombia Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 08:00:00 PST

As our savings plummet and our debts soar, many of us are starting to wonder not only when we'll get back on track, but whether the track we've been on all these years is the right one to follow. Author, economist and former labor secretary Robert Reich asserts that rather than resuscitate an unjust and unsustainable economy, we should reinvent it to meet a wider range of needs and possibilities.

Pan America's Promise Minicast

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:00:00 PST

Over the decades, U.S. policies towards Latin America have lurched between intervention and apparent indifference, demonstrating its dominance while leaving a residue of resentment. Now, on both sides of the border, new hope emerges for an era of warmer relations. What have been the impacts of U.S. policy, and how are they likely to change in an era of renewed hope but severe economic distress?

Growing the Green Collar Economy

info@mainstream-media.net (A World of Possibilities) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:00:00 PST

In hard times most of us are grateful for any job, but as we face increasing unemployment, poverty, and climate change, the Obama administration proposes to put thousands of Americans to work insulating homes and public buildings, installing solar panels, and reclaiming industrial wastelands. Majora Carter and Van Jones have helped place green collar jobs near the top of the national agenda.