Media Edge

"The Laura Flanders Show" (25.5 minutes)

[NOTE: In tonight's Media Edge, we feature our first episode of "The Laura Flanders Show," which leads the field in new economy media, reporting on the social critics, artists, activists, and entrepreneurs who are building tomorrow’s world today.]

It may seem at times like there’s a thousand movements to be a part of, a thousand and one tragedies in the news. How do we keep ourselves accountable to the communities we truly care about? Is "diversity" enough? And how do we stop ourselves from panicking? Our guest this week, celebrated journalist and author Jeff Chang takes on some of these questions. According to Chang, hope isn’t yet lost and really, we’re going to be alright -- if we work together.  Connecting the dots between modern American resegregation, the 2016 elections, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the “hip-hop generation,” Chang paints a picture of distress. Yet, there’s power in this, says Chang. Collaboration, the likes of which we see in successful movements everywhere (Movement for Black Lives, #NoDAPL), can ebb the flow of oppression. Jeff Chang is the co-founder of CultureStr/ke and Colorlines. He currently serves as the executive director for Stanford University's Institute for Diversity in the Arts.

Also in this episode, we see a movement in practice at Standing Rock in Očhéthi Šakówiŋ territory. Indigenous activists and nations across the country are joining together in a historic effort to protect the water and defend the land against corporate energy. These indigenous leaders can teach us a lesson about doing radical work, even when facing improbable odds.

"The Story of Cosmetics" (8 minutes)

An examination of the pervasive use of toxic chemicals in our everyday personal care products, from lipstick to baby shampoo. This film by The Story of Stuff Project reveals the implications for consumer and worker health and the environment, and outlines ways we can move the industry away from hazardous chemicals and towards safer alternatives.

"Peak Moment" (27.5 minutes)

The growth economy is historically relatively recent, and is now consuming 1.5 Earths and growing. Compound interest is sucking the lifeblood out of the real economy, from households to countries. Mike Lewis, co-author of The Resilience Imperative, tells the story of the successful JAK cooperative Bank in Sweden, which is based on saving on behalf of others and uses only simple interest. It’s one example from the book which illuminates “alternate pathways to move from a growth imperative to a resilience imperative… It presumes we will transition ourselves back to one Earth and find a different way of dealing with a number of ways we meet our basic needs — whether it’s with food, energy, shelter, land, or finance (an important part of the problem).”

"Immigrants For Sale" (33 minutes)

Immigrants For Sale is a ground-breaking documentary that goes inside the private immigrant detention industry, through the lens of those most impacted, the players behind the trade and the multi-billion dollar profits that fuel it all.

"My Country will be Underwater Soon -- Unless We Work Together" (21 minutes)

For the people of Kiribati, climate change isn't something to be debated, denied or legislated against — it's an everyday reality. The low-lying Pacific island nation may soon be underwater, thanks to rising sea levels.

In a personal conversation with TED Talks Curator Chris Anderson, Kiribati President Anote Tong discusses his country's present climate catastrophe and its imperiled future. "In order to deal with climate change, there's got to be sacrifice. There's got to be commitment," he says. "We've got to tell people that the world has changed."