What is the relationship between a country’s natural assets and its economic power? Does wealth in raw materials alone lead to monetary wealth? What are the dangers of relying on finite supplies? This program explores economic questions surrounding the management of—and international competition for—natural resources. Describing the process by which nations translate the products of their forests, fields, mines, and waters into economic and political power, the video provides insight into the drive to control natural resources, the role they play in the economic development of poor countries, the precarious concept of the “global commons,” and the connection between resource mismanagement and environmental damage. Recent events in the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America highlight historical patterns of international resource exchange and exploitation. A Films for the Humanities & Sciences Production. (39 minutes)