The Story of Stuff

Although it's not directly related to the United Nations, The Story of Stuff, a 20-minute video available online and as a DVD, gives an important global message. The narrator and researcher, Annie Leonard, shows a cartoon-approach to the proliferation of "stuff" and its history. Extraction, production, distribution, consumption and disposal are shown in clear ways, with limited graphics and symbols. The main message is how to aim for sustainability and equity and the role of people in making such decisions. This is worthwhile for anyone from elementary school on up. It relates to finding ways to consume less (raw materials, energy) and thus to help reduce global warming and to leave a more sustainable earth for our children.

The Story of Stuff is available in eleven languages at www.storyofstuff.com/international (Arabic, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Taiwanese Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Thai. Teasers are available on YouTube. Here's a sample of a teaser about externalizing costs of goods: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz3tPxUFGbY