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Summary: With one billion people already going hungry and the world's population rising, global food production must urgently be increased. The countries that managed such surges in the past -- Brazil, China, India, the United States -- cannot do so again. But Africa can -- if it finally uses the seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation methods common everywhere else.

* Running time: 20 minutes * From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. It exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever. Description directly from http://www.storyofstuff.com/ web site, from which the animation can be played directly * Rating: Excellent; used in class as an example of a systems perspective; related to "resource management" and "economic integration"

* Originally released November 2006 * Running time: 96 minutes * Description: Former Vice President Al Gore presents a compelling look at the state of global warming in the fascinating and startling documentary. Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Al Gore's personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change in the most talked-about documentary of the year. An audience and critical favorite, An Inconvenient Truth makes the compelling case that global warming is real, man-made, and its effects will be cataclysmic if we don't act now. Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way: often humorous, frequently emotional, always fascinating. In the end, An Inconvenient Truth accomplishes what all great films should: it leaves the viewer shaken, involved and inspired. Description from http://www.climatecrisis.net/aboutthedvd/ and from amazon.com, where it is available for $16 * Rating: excellent; used inside and outside class; directly related to climate change topic within "resource management" revolution

As you look at the world, how do you see water as a function of development? How do droughts and floods play a role?

How much more water will we need?

Summary: Clean-energy technology is expensive and the United States is spending far too little on developing it. The U.S. government must do more to promote cross-border innovation and protect intellectual property rights.

From the Middle East to Madagascar, high prices are spawning land grabs and ousting dictators. Welcome to the 21st-century food wars.

What were the most intriguing books featured on The Globalist Bookshelf in 2011?

VIETNAM and China share a long history of enmity-and of managing to patch things up when they go wrong. But their latest dispute is not running true to form. Vietnam was taken aback in early May when China parked an oil rig on its doorstep.

Are there technologies that may help us deal with water scarcity in the future?