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Sylvia Earle stresses the importance of doing everything we can to protect the ocean and restore health to the system that takes care of us. Reply with your thoughts.

It is the cold and flu season, and many kids have been sick lately. This clip is from CBS' show "60 Minutes," and details a real story about the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu. Reply with your comments.

This report from the BBC out of England is a little history lesson on Afghanistan. President Barack Obama is considering sending tens of thousands of extra troops to Afghanistan. It was eight years on October 7th since the US-led war against the Taliban began and the US commander there has requested the reinforcements of up to 40,000 troops.

While Mr Obama says his new strategy will not please everyone, a new BBC commissioned opinion poll in the UK suggests that 56% of people oppose the British military pr

This guy spent a year making no environmental impact in the hope of finding a way to live that's better for the planet.

Jason Motlagh has been reporting from Afghanistan for several months, first embedding with U.S. troops and more recently looking at the other side of the conflict -- the growing numbers of civilian casualties. Over webcam from Kabul, Motlagh tells iWitness what happened when a recent U.S. airstrike hit a village in Farah province, killing scores of civilians. Sharing dramatic footage and images in the wake of the bombings and interviewing victims and U.S. military, Motlagh reports conflicting accounts of wh

Mitchell Joachim imagines soft cars and blimp bumper buses for cities in the future. He wants to try and create carbon neutral cities to help combat global warming. Watch his interview on The Colbert Report, and respond with your thoughts.

In the next installment of the State of the Earth, we look at the usage of land resources. Watch and learn, and comment on your findings.

Ethan Nadelmann wants marijuana to be taxed and regulated instead of in the criminal justice system. I think Steven does a good job of playing devil's advocate. Respond with your thoughts.

Sharmeed Obaid-Chinoy reported on the children who are growing up in Pakistan with the influence of the struggle against the Taliban. This video is an interview with her on her journey through Pakistan to capture that documentary footage. You can read about it here. Respond with your comments.

Last year, Cyclone Nargis ripped through Burma, killing 100,000 and leaving millions more homeless. The military generals who run the government would not allow international aid, over fear that they would lose control over the country. This report is a look into Burma as it tries to recover. Respond with your thoughts.

In Sri Lanka, off the coast of India, they have been fighting a brutal civil war against the well-armed Tamil Tiger rebels, who are a separatist group. This BBC report shows you the common side effects that wars can have. Watch and comment.

I saw an article about this story in National Geographic a week or two ago. Now, it has made it to 60 Minutes. The African lion is in danger of becoming extinct, with a population that's diminished by as much as 85 percent over the past 20 years. Cattle ranchers are poisoning them with a cheap American pesticide to protect their herds. Watch, and reply with your thoughts.

In an effort to find more "fun" topics, I chose this music video by the band Against Me!, and their song, "White People For Peace." I happen to like this band a lot, and don't really care if you've heard of them or not. I don't want you to just comment on the song, but read the lyrics and discuss the topic of war in general. Think out of the box when watching the video. What are the people in it representing, such the cheerleaders wanting blood?

As we continue investigating the problems we face in the future, lets look at one that we control: population. What effect do we have on the planet? Watch this video, and reply with your comments.

I will be posting videos from National Geographic called "State of the Earth." This week, the focus is on the world's oceans. In 2006, higher levels of carbon dioxide in the air had a negative impact on oceans, hitting marine life hard. These videos are designed to promote awareness about the challenges the environment faces. Reply with your comments.

Juan Cole, from my favorite institution, the University of Michigan, wrote a book called "Engaging The Muslim World." He doesn't advocate a soft approach, but he wants to take the Muslim world's views into account. REMINDER: Stephen Colbert plays a satirical TV talking head. His character is meant to make fun of other so-called "experts" that appear on American news networks. Don't take everything he says seriously. He is in character. Reply with your thoughts.

John McCardell says the current drinking age drives the consumption of alcohol out of public view, putting young people at greater risk. Stephen Colbert says no so fast. Reply intelligently with your thoughts.

In our next installment of National Geographic alternative energy videos, we look at fuel cell technology. A battery that runs on water may be in our cars and homes in the very near future.