[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.04,0:00:11.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In Season One of The Story of Stuff,\Nwe looked at a system that creates way
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.03,0:00:15.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,too much stuff, and way too little of \Nwhat we really want. Now we're going to
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.81,0:00:18.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,start looking at the stories\Nbehind the Story of Stuff.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.03,0:00:21.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's where we'll find ways to turn\Nthis situation around.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.06,0:00:34.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welcome to Season Two!
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.08,0:00:38.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These last few years, I've had to get\Na lot more careful about how I spend
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.00,0:00:39.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,my paycheck. Everyone has.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:39.08,0:00:41.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like I'm eating out less often,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:41.03,0:00:45.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,holding back on expenses I don't really\Nneed, saving for my kid's college.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.00,0:00:49.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm getting more responsible,\Ntaking control of how I spend.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.02,0:00:52.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But one thing I can't control is that\Nevery month a big chunk of my paycheck
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.00,0:00:54.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,goes off to the government.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:54.02,0:00:58.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's not the most fun part of my budget,\Nbut I believe in paying taxes.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.01,0:01:00.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Not just because it's the law
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.09,0:01:03.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but because that's how I invest in a\Nbetter future that I can't afford
Dialogue: 0,0:01:03.36,0:01:04.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to build on my own.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:04.06,0:01:08.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know that future we all want and\Nnearly every candidate promises us —
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.06,0:01:09.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,great schools,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.07,0:01:10.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a healthy environment,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.100,0:01:15.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,clean energy, good jobs. But a funny\Nthing happens to our money on its way
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.47,0:01:16.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to that better future.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:16.30,0:01:18.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It seems to disappear.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:18.04,0:01:21.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And by the time we get around to\Ninvesting in it, all we hear is,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:21.08,0:01:24.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"sorry, not this year, we're broke."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.08,0:01:27.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, we're so broke, they say,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:27.00,0:01:29.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we have no choice but to slide\Nbackwards,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:29.07,0:01:34.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cutting things that made this country\Ngreat — like schools and the EPA,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:34.00,0:01:37.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,maybe even Social Security and Medicare.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.05,0:01:39.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Wait a minute. Broke?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:39.01,0:01:42.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'm sending in my share of\Nhard-earned cash every month and so are
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.04,0:01:43.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you!
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.01,0:01:46.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If everyone did, we'd have\Nplenty of money.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.05,0:01:50.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, what we've got to work with shrinks\Na lot thanks to corporate tax loopholes
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.23,0:01:53.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and unprecedented tax breaks for the\Nrichest 1%.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.07,0:01:54.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But even after those, we've
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.10,0:01:57.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,still got over a trillion dollars.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.06,0:01:58.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if we're broke,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.08,0:02:00.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what's happening to all that money?
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.09,0:02:04.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I decided to look into it and it turns\Nout this whole "broke" story hides
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.08,0:02:06.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a much bigger story
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.02,0:02:09.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,— a story of some really dumb choices\Nbeing made for us —
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.50,0:02:12.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but that actually work against us.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:12.24,0:02:14.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The good news is that these are choices,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.22,0:02:16.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we can make different ones.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.38,0:02:20.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, where is all that money going?\NWell first the military takes a big
Dialogue: 0,0:02:20.04,0:02:21.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,chunk --
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.36,0:02:25.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,$726 billion in 2011.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:25.30,0:02:28.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Wow! We could build a lot of better\Nfuture with that kind of money.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.95,0:02:32.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Spending billions on fighter planes\Nwe don't need or wars with no end, and
Dialogue: 0,0:02:32.83,0:02:35.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then saying we're broke,\Njust isn't honest.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.83,0:02:39.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's like calling your kid from your\Nbillion-dollar yacht to say you can't
Dialogue: 0,0:02:39.22,0:02:41.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,afford her lunch money.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.93,0:02:45.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then hundreds of billions more go to\Npropping up the dinosaur economy.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:45.81,0:02:49.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, the obsolete system we talked\Nabout in The Story of Stuff —
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.50,0:02:53.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the one that produces more pollution,\Ngreenhouse gasses and garbage than any
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.06,0:02:56.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,other on Earth —\Nand doesn't even make us happy.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.20,0:02:59.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In so many ways, it's just not working,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.35,0:03:03.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but we're keeping it in on life support\Ninstead of building something better.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:03.09,0:03:06.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A lot of that life support comes in the\Nform of subsidies.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.84,0:03:10.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A subsidy is a giveaway that gives some\Ncompanies a lift over others.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:10.98,0:03:14.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's not necessarily a bad thing —\Nwe should help companies that are
Dialogue: 0,0:03:14.72,0:03:15.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,building a better future.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.89,0:03:19.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem is the government keeps\Nlifting up companies that are actually
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.21,0:03:21.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,dragging us down.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.98,0:03:26.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Everywhere you look along the dinosaur\Neconomy, you'll find these subsidies.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:26.38,0:03:30.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's spending subsidies: where the\Ngovernment just gives our money away —
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.04,0:03:33.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like payments that benefit big\Nagribusiness, while helping drive family
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.32,0:03:35.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,farms off a cliff.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.02,0:03:38.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or the less obvious version where the\Ngovernment foots the bill for things
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.69,0:03:39.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,corporations should pay for themselves
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.09,0:03:43.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like cleaning up toxic chemical spills\Nor giant livestock manure ponds.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.100,0:03:47.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or building roads that go to only\None place — a new Walmart.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.99,0:03:50.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or paying for polluting and wasteful\Ngarbage incinerators that would never
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.85,0:03:54.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,make financial sense to build on their\Nown.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.37,0:03:56.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then there's tax subsidies:
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.07,0:03:59.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which excuse big corporations from\Ncontributing their fair share —
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.72,0:04:03.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like the enormous tax breaks granted\Nto oil and gas companies
Dialogue: 0,0:04:03.40,0:04:06.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,even in times of record profits.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.07,0:04:08.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These subsidies amount to billions of\Ndollars we should be collecting
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.94,0:04:11.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and putting to good use.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:11.38,0:04:14.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there's risk transfer subsidies:\Nwhere the government acts as an
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.09,0:04:19.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,investment bank and even an insurance\Ncompany for corporations doing risky
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.06,0:04:21.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,things, like building nuclear reactors.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.88,0:04:25.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If anything goes wrong,\Nwe have to cover for them.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:25.05,0:04:27.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There's freebie subsidies:
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.26,0:04:31.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where the government gives stuff that\Nbelongs to all of us to corporations
Dialogue: 0,0:04:31.20,0:04:32.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for cheap or even free.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:32.06,0:04:36.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's billions more we should be\Ncollecting but never see!
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.02,0:04:39.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like permits to mine public lands,\Ngranted at prices set in the Mining
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.06,0:04:41.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Law of 1872.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:41.95,0:04:44.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Really. 1872.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:44.49,0:04:47.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,President Grant signed this law to\Nencourage settlement of the West.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.61,0:04:48.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,News flash:
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.06,0:04:50.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's settled.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:50.05,0:04:53.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And all this doesn't even count\Nexternalized costs. They
Dialogue: 0,0:04:53.64,0:04:56.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,don't show up on any spreadsheet and\Ncould amount to trillions of dollars —
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.85,0:04:59.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they include the damage to the\Nenvironment,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.03,0:05:03.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,public health and the climate that this\Ndinosaur economy causes.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.28,0:05:07.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Without laws that make the polluters\Npay, we all pay with the loss of clean
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.59,0:05:08.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,water and air,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.03,0:05:10.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or increased asthma and cancer.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.09,0:05:14.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By the time we've handed out all these\Nsubsidies, there isn't even enough money
Dialogue: 0,0:05:14.45,0:05:15.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to pay our bills —
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.78,0:05:18.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,forget about building the better future.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.03,0:05:22.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So why is there always enough money for\Nthe dinosaur economy, from big oil to
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.60,0:05:24.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,bailouts for big banks, but when it
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.04,0:05:28.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,comes to building a better future we're\Nsupposedly broke? Maybe it's because
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.07,0:05:30.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these guys know how to ask for it.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:30.10,0:05:34.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Their lobbyists and giant campaign\Ncontributions let the government know
Dialogue: 0,0:05:34.45,0:05:35.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what they want,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.42,0:05:38.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what they'll do if they don't get it.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.00,0:05:39.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it works.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.06,0:05:42.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,US Senators who voted to keep big oil\Nsubsidies in 2011 had
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.08,0:05:46.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,received 5 times more in Big Oil\Ncampaign cash than those who voted to
Dialogue: 0,0:05:46.08,0:05:47.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,end them. So, while subsidies should \Nbe a tool for government to help
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.07,0:05:51.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,companies that are helping all of us,\Ninstead, they've become a prize for
Dialogue: 0,0:05:51.06,0:05:55.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those with the most power\Nto get on the handout list.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:55.67,0:05:57.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But you know who has the real power?
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.06,0:06:02.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We do! What if we got as protective of\Nour tax dollars as we are with
Dialogue: 0,0:06:02.01,0:06:03.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the rest of our money?
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.04,0:06:06.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What if we told the government\Nwhat we want and what we'll do if we
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.04,0:06:08.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,don't get it -- starting with\Nvoting them out!
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.94,0:06:11.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We could re-direct these dinosaur\Nsubsidies,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.03,0:06:15.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,freeing up hundreds of billions of\Ndollars. Forget broke, we could
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.10,0:06:18.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,build a better future right now!
Dialogue: 0,0:06:18.04,0:06:21.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We could start by reinvesting the\N$10 billion in oil and
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.08,0:06:26.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,gas subsidies to renewable energy and\Nenergy efficiency projects.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:26.05,0:06:29.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With just half of that amount, we could\Nput solar systems on over two
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.09,0:06:33.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,million rooftops. Then use the\Nrest to retrofit half a million homes,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.81,0:06:37.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,creating jobs and saving energy\Nyear after year.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:37.06,0:06:40.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The average cost of cleaning up a\Ntoxic site on the Superfund list is
Dialogue: 0,0:06:40.06,0:06:41.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,$140 million.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.01,0:06:45.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let's make the polluters pay and instead\Ninvest our money in developing safer
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.02,0:06:49.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,materials so we don't have to worry\Nabout them spilling in the first place.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.20,0:06:53.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Most chemicals today are made from oil —\Nthat's why they are called
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.25,0:06:56.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,petro-chemicals.\NSwitching just 20% of them
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.06,0:06:59.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to bio- based materials would create\Nover 100,000 new jobs.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.95,0:07:03.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Instead of subsidizing garbage\Nincinerators, let's subsidize
Dialogue: 0,0:07:03.10,0:07:05.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,real solutions, like zero waste.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:05.44,0:07:08.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Raising the US recycling rate to 75%\Nwould create one and a half million
Dialogue: 0,0:07:08.03,0:07:13.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,new jobs — with less pollution,\Nless waste,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:13.01,0:07:17.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,less pressure to harvest and mine new\Nstuff. What's not to like?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:17.20,0:07:20.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That would still leave hundreds of\Nbillions of dollars
Dialogue: 0,0:07:20.03,0:07:22.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for improving education — the best\Ninvestment for a healthy economy.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:22.01,0:07:26.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,With $100 billion, we could increase\Nthe number of elementary school
Dialogue: 0,0:07:26.01,0:07:28.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,teachers by over 40%
Dialogue: 0,0:07:28.00,0:07:31.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and give college scholarships\Nto over 6 million students.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:31.01,0:07:34.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,See, we can rebuild the American Dream;\Nwe can afford to
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.28,0:07:39.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have a healthy environment, good jobs,\Nand top-notch public education.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:39.82,0:07:43.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But not if we continue subsidizing the\Ndinosaur economy.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:43.04,0:07:46.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So next time you have an idea for a\Nbetter future and someone tells you,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.76,0:07:48.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"that's nice, but there's no money for\Nthat,"
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.09,0:07:50.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you tell them we're not broke.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:50.07,9:59:59.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is money, it's ours,\Nand it's time to invest it right.