What’s Next for NAFTA?

8232Will he or won’t he? After months of threatening to scrap the North American Free Trade Agreement, whispers from the White House now suggest that President Trump may be backing off this prominent campaign pledge. But we’re still hearing about GOP support for a Border Adjustment Tax and other proposals that would fundamentally alter the
trade, security and diplomatic relationships among the three partners, Mexico, Canada and the United States.

To get a sense of what’s at stake, the Center for US-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego convened an A-list group of experts, including the New York Times’ Elisabeth Malkin, the Wall Street Journal’s Dudley Althaus, former Homeland Security Asst. Secretary Alan Bersin, former US Ambassador to Mexico Jeffrey Davidow and other academic, government and business leaders for robust and informative discussions on the issues that shape, and challenge, this landmark trade agreement.

Watch What’s Ahead for NAFTA

Truth as a Common Good

8232The usually humorous Robert Reich gets serious in this talk about how the fog of “alternative facts” and other falsehoods coming from the White House are threatening the democratic institutions that make America great, a view he shares with other Democrats and prominent Republicans alike. The former Labor Secretary gives a fascinating overview of the economic forces that led to the election of Donald Trump and offers a path forward for those inspired to engage in public life.

Check him out on the UC Public Policy Channel.

Berkeley Lab’s First Cleantech Pitchfest

8232Hear from six Berkeley Lab scientists with big new ideas designed to help transform our carbon-drenched, overheating world. Each has tremendous promise and social value.

  • Energy-Efficient Desalination: Making fresh water from salty sources on the cheap
    Current desalination techniques require huge amounts of energy and generate large amounts of environmental waste. Berkeley Lab’s Chinmayee Subban, a Cornell PhD, leads a desalination research project that reduces environmental waste and energy use by incorporating an innovative mix of low-cost materials. The technique could help relieve the stress on global water supplies by reclaiming brackish water both in the US and other countries—including in the developing world.
  • DIY Efficient Windows: Applying paint-on coatings for energy-efficient windows
    Replacing millions of porous windows with energy-efficient versions in older buildings and homes can be prohibitively expensive. Berkeley Lab’s Raymond Weitekamp, a Caltech PhD, has a new approach: an inexpensive, paint-on, energy-efficient coating that can be applied simply and evenly without the help of a professional—while the windows are still in place. The paintable, clear material contains photonic crystals, developed by his startup company PolySpectra.
  • CalWave: Harnessing energy from ocean waves
    At CalWave, Marcus Lehmann is developing the WaveCarpet which harnesses the power of ocean waves to produce electricity and freshwater. Avoiding the pitfalls of other wave-energy projects, the WaveCarpet operates submerged, allowing it to survive stormy seas while causing no visual pollution or posing any collision danger. Recently CalWave was selected as one of nine ¬finalists to compete for the Department of Energy’s Wave Energy Prize—a 20-month design-build-test competition. Earlier this year, the German-born Marcus was named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Energy Sector.
  • Nanoscale Sponges: Capturing carbon with metal-organic frameworks
    Removing excess carbon from an overheating atmosphere is an urgent and complicated problem. The answer, according to Berkeley Lab’s Jeff Urban, could lie at the nanoscale, where specially designed cage-like structures called metal organic frameworks, or MOFs, can trap large amounts of carbon in microscopically tiny structures. A Harvard PhD with expertise in thermoelectrics, gas separation and hydrogen storage, Urban directs teams at the Molecular Foundry’s Inorganic Materials Facility.
  • Recycling CO2: Fueling your car on recycled CO2
    Kendra Kuhl co-founded Opus 12 to find out if an electrochemical process, operating inside a desk-sized reactor, can do on an industrial scale what is often hailed as the Holy Grail of carbon-recycling research—convert CO2 captured from smokestacks into ethanol and other valuable products. A self-proclaimed chemistry geek in high school, the Berkeley Lab scientist honed her big idea while completing her PhD at Stanford.
  • MyGreenCar: Test driving “virtually” to compare real fuel economy and EV range
    A Berkeley Lab scientist specializing in all things vehicular—from powertrain technologies, vehicle electrification and vehicle-grid integration to advanced engine technologies, personalized fuel economy and EV range prediction—Samveg (Sam) Saxena is leading the development of a new app called MyGreenCar. MyGreen Car predicts personalized fuel economy and eliminates EV range anxiety as a barrier for prospective car buyers. He also leads the development of V2G-Sim, a research platform for understanding how vehicles will interface with the grid.
  • extra    space

    If you prefer to watch them all together, the entire program is here. See more programs from the series here.

    The Filmmaking Process

    8232New programs from the Carsey-Wolf Center at UC Santa Barbara go behind the scenes with filmmakers, directors, screenwriters and others involved in the film industry. From blockbuster, oscar-nominated films to independent foreign gems, enjoy fascinating stories and insights into the filmmaking process.

    82327 Islands & a Metro with Director Madhusree Dutta
    Director Madhusree Dutta and UCSB Department of Film and Media Studies Professor Bhaskar Sarkar discuss the film 7 Islands and a Metro, a fascinating documentary on Bom Bahia / Bombay / Mumbai.

    8232Arrival with Screenwriter Eric Heisserer
    Arrival screenwriter and executive producer Eric Heisserer talks about adapting the the award-winning short story by Ted Chiang to the big screen.

    8232Hidden Figures with Theodore Melfi and Kevin Costner
    Writer/producer/director Theodore Melfi, actor Kevin Costner and president of Fox 2000 Pictures, Elizabeth Gabler discuss the Oscar-nominated film based on the true story about three brilliant African-American women working on John Glenn’s launch into orbit at NASA.

    8232The Last Aristocrats with Kenneth Pai and Michael Berry
    The Last Aristocrats is a film based on a short story by Kenneth Pai, UCSB Professor Emeritus. It follows four young Chinese women from elite Shanghai families who become stranded in the US when the communists take over Shanghai in 1948.

    Browse more Carsey-Wolf programs

    Are You Serious About Movies?

    8232If you are someone that enjoys going behind the scenes with filmmakers, directors, screenwriters and others involved in the film industry, check out the amazing line-up from the Carsey-Wolf Center at UC Santa Barbara.

    From the blockbuster to the independent film, you will be treated to fascinating stories and insights into the process of making films from those actually doing it.

    Carl Gottlieb – Jaws
    Don Hertzfeldt – Two time Oscar-nominated independent filmmaker
    Sherief Elkatsha – Cairo Drive
    Michael Miner – Robocop
    Josh Singer – Spotlight
    Iva Radivojevic – Evaporating Borders

    and coming soon:

    David Gerrold – Star Trek: The Trouble with Tribbles

    Browse Carsey-Wolf Center’s Script to Screen to find the writers of your favorite movies.