MNN - Mother Nature Network

 

Annie Leonard has won critical acclaim (and plenty of corporate criticism) for her innovative Web movie "The Story of Stuff" which has now been viewed more than 15 million times and is used in classrooms to educate kids about the negative (environmental, social and psychological) consequences of unbridled consumerism. The breakout success of that film led to others, including "The Story of Bottled Water," "The Story of Cosmetics" and "The Story of Electronics." The project’s movies are produced by Free Range Studios.

 

Her newest video, which debuts the second season of the series, is "The Story of Broke: Why There's Still Plenty of Money to Build a Better Future," and it's all about how our current financial difficulties may not be as complicated as they may seem.

 

Leonard co-wrote and narrates this new short (as she has done with the previous films) and in it she calls into question the commonly stated "fact" that our federal government is broke. Leonard contends that it's not, and she wants to see more money spent on green energy, education, and jobs, and less on foreign wars, the petroleum economy, and big agriculture. “With unemployment at crisis levels and climate change and other environmental threats looming, it’s time to reassess our priorities and shift government spending toward investments in clean, green solutions that deliver jobs and a healthier environment,” said Leonard. “It’s time to rebuild the American Dream; but this time, let’s build it better.”