Common Assignment & Research Questions

Former Vice President Al Gore explains the facts of global warming, presents arguments that the dangers of global warning have reached the level of crisis, and addresses the efforts of certain interests to discredit the anti-global warming cause. Between lecture segments, Gore discusses his personal commitment to the environment, sharing anecdotes from his experiences.

Interviews with Rie Oldenburg, Ingibjörg Gisladottir, Dr. Willie Soon, and Dr. David R. Legates.

Fueled by curiosity and a dash of naiveté, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis return to their ancestral home of Greene, Iowa, to find out how the modest corn kernel conquered America. With the help of real farmers, powerful fertilizer, government aid, and genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hidden truths about America's modern food system.

Documents the trend of unlabeled genetically-modified foods which have become increasingly prevalent in grocery stores. Unravels the complex web of market and political forces that are changing the nature of what we eat. Explores organic and sustainable agriculture as alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture.

Documentary about the work of Cuban farmers and scientists to reinvent a sustainable agriculture since the socialist bloc collapsed in 1990, cutting off imports of pesticides, fertilizer, and petroleum, the mainstays of highly industrialized agriculture. Cuba has converted to organic farming to grow food for 11 million in the face of the continuing U.S. embargo. With commentary by campesinos, researchers, and organic gardeners who are leading the organic agriculture movement.