Showing posts with label Environment Related. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment Related. Show all posts

9 September 2020

'Apocalypse Love Story' is a Film the World Needs Today [Trailer Included]

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'Apocalypse Love Story' is a Film the World Needs Today
"Apocalypse Love Story" trailer released by award-winning director Justin Wilder Neese
Award-winning director and producer Justin Wilder Neese has released the trailer for his upcoming independent feature film "Apocalypse Love Story."
The story revolves around two 8-year-old children – a Caucasian girl and African American boy, who are the sole survivors of an ecological worldwide apocalypse. Their struggle to survive and dependence on each other sets them on a journey of self-discovery, friendship and love.
Sam was the daughter of a survivalist father, possessing the knowledge and skills to survive on her own. James is the survivor of domestic abuse. Despite his kind, brave heart, he lacks any survival skills. Each character battles the overwhelming loneliness of this desolate world – until one fateful day they meet.

Sam is played by 11-year-old actress Kayden Tokarski with 10-year-old actor Byron McCray in the role of James. The movie also features cameos by actress and model Jena Sims, celebrity trainer Corey Calliet, and actress Sage Kirkpatrick. 


'Apocalypse Love Story' is a Film the World Needs Today [Trailer Included]
'Apocalypse Love Story' - Two kids are the sole survivors of an ecological worldwide apocalypse
"Our protagonists are children whose journey is essentially an uplifting and inspiring tale: One where there is no prejudice or hate – only the harsh environment around them and a growing reliance on each other," said Director Justin Wilder Neese. "Their minds are uncynical and unbiased … children see each other like we should see each other – as equals. This film tells a story that is full of hope, something today's society is clearly desperate for, and it's message is one the world needs right now."
  • Los Angeles-based Neese is the award-winning director of "Hummingbird" and "Glass of Scotch."

The Trailer:

  • "Apocalypse Love Story" is set to be released by early January 2021.

Bonus Video:


  • For more information follow Apocalypse Love Story on Instagram at @apocalypselovestory and Twitter at @apocalypseloves.
SOURCE: Justin Wilder Neese

21 August 2020

Rebecca & Josh Tickell's 'Kiss the Ground' Available On Netflix September 22 [Trailer Included]

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Rebecca & Josh Tickell's 'Kiss the Ground' Available On Netflix September 22 [Trailer Included]
Kiss the Ground - Poster (Courtesy of Big Picture Ranch)
'Kiss the Ground', a powerful documentary exploring soil regeneration and its place as a compelling and effective solution to our planet's climate crisis, will be available on Netflix September 22, 2020. 

Directed by Rebecca Tickell and Josh Tickell (FUEL, PUMP, THE BIG FIX), the film is narrated by Woody Harrelson and features Ian Somerhalder, Gisele Bündchen, Jason Mraz, and David Arquette. The film is produced by Big Picture Ranch.

'Kiss the Ground' is an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis. 'Kiss the Ground' reveals that, by regenerating the world's soils we can rapidly stabilize the Earth's climate, restore local ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle. The movie is positioned to catalyze a movement to accomplish the impossible - to solve humanity's greatest challenge, to balance the climate and secure our species' future.

Initial footage for the film was shot 9 years ago in Africa by Executive Producer Ian Somerhalder, (who grew up in the same town and went to the same high school in Louisiana as director, Josh Tickell). Somerhalder and the Tickells joined forces with the KISS THE GROUND nonprofit organization with the mission to make a movie that showed how to turn deserts back into lush ecosystems while reversing climate change. The result has been an almost decade-long journey to produce a film which includes never before seen footage from around the world showing the reversal of ecological damage and giving a playbook for the restoration of Planet Earth.

"This film represents the culmination of tens of thousands of hours of research by scientists around the world who have finally cracked the code on managing climate change - before it's too late," says Josh Tickell. "Never before has there been a more important message, and the good news is it's hopeful, it's actionable and the film shows us steps we can take right now," says Rebecca Tickell.
The film was a selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Producers include Rebecca Tickell, Josh Tickell, Bill Benenson, Ryland Engelhart and Darius Fisher and Executive Producers are Laurie Benenson, Gisele Bündchen, Bill Cameron, John Paul DeJoria, Pedro Diniz, Anna Getty, George Hagerman, RJ Jain, Jena King, Julian Lennon, Michelle LeRach, Melony & Adam Lewis, Craig McCaw, Angus Mitchell, Elizabeth Moore, Stephen Nemeth, Larry O'Conner, John Roulac, Regina K. Scully, Nicole Shanahan, Jon & Susan Sheinberg, Mark Sims, Iris Smith, Ian Somerhalder, and Tara & Brian Swibel.

The Trailer:


  • 'Kiss the Ground' is part of a new crop of true 4k resolution documentaries. Technology to make the film including computers, servers, hard drives and speciality film equipment was provided by Other World Computing, Price.com and Black Magic Design.

About Big Picture Ranch

Nested in the Los Padres National Forest in Ojai, California sits Big Picture Ranch - an organic avocado farm which also operates 24/7 as a soup-to-nuts film studio. Founders Josh and Rebecca Tickell are Sundance Award-Winning documentarians. Big Picture Ranch creates content that changes the global narrative around important environmental issues. Filmmakers Josh & Rebecca Tickell won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival with their first film FUEL, premiered their oil spill documentary THE BIG FIX as an official selection at Cannes, and are launching their first scripted feature film, HEARTLAND soon.

About Josh Tickell

The author of four books, Josh Tickell has worked on environmental issues for over twenty years. His career spans a unique mixture of science, journalism and filmmaking. His directorial debut film, FUEL, is the 2008 Sundance Audience Award winning documentary that investigates the possible replacement of fossil fuels with renewable energy. His 2017 Simon and Schuster book, Kiss the Ground, How the Food You Eat Can Reverse Climate Change, Heal Your Body and Ultimately Save Our World, was an Amazon Bestseller in multiple categories. Tickell holds an MFA in film from Florida State University's Film School. He is a regular guest on talk shows and gives keynote presentations internationally on sustainability, regeneration and filmmaking.

About Rebecca Tickell

Rebecca Tickell is a director, producer and environmental author & activist. She produced the Sundance Audience Award Winning, environmentally-themed movie, FUEL, and co-directed/produced 'The Big Fix', an 'Official Selection' of the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. She spent several years documenting the impacts and root cause of the BP oil spill. While investigating the spill she became ill and was left with permanent damage from exposure to the oil and dispersant in the atmosphere. Her directorial debut (with husband Josh) was the critically acclaimed documentary PUMP, narrated by Jason Bateman. She directed and produced the John Paul DeJoria story, GOOD FORTUNE, the YouTube sensation, THE EARTHING MOVIE as well as the forthcoming documentary THE REVOLUTION GENERATION and the forthcoming feature scripted film, HEARTLAND. As a child, she starred in the Orion (now MGM)'s Christmas Classic movie, Prancer.

About KISS THE GROUND 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Film Partner

KISS THE GROUND is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission of creating awareness around the extraordinary potential of healthy soil. KISS THE GROUND has educated and activated millions through their Media Program, Farmland Program, and Stewardship Program. Their Farmland Program supports transitioning farmers and ranchers with training, mentorship, and soil testing and has a robust scholarship program for farmers who need financial assistance to take part. The Stewardship Program is an education platform, community, and resource hub that was created to educate, inspire and empower individuals to become powerful and impactful advocates for the regenerative movement. KISS THE GROUND has become a premier online educational hub for regenerative agriculture, offering an online "pathway" for anyone to find resources and their unique way forward in contributing to this expanding global movement.

SOURCE: Big Picture Ranch

10 August 2020

#WindBuildsTheFuture: The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Is Celebrating American Wind Week 2020 [Videos Included]

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#WindBuildsTheFuture: The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Is Celebrating American Wind Week 2020
This American Wind Week, AWEA thanks the 120,000+ wind workforce for keeping the lights on for millions of families and businesses as the country continues to navigate challenging times.
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) is kicking off American Wind Week 2020, the fourth annual national celebration of U.S. wind energy leadership. 

  • During American Wind Week, AWEA, its 1000+ members, and the thousands of diverse U.S. wind supporters highlight the many ways wind is helping build the future.
"After a decade of significant growth, wind power last year became America's number one source of renewable energy. During this year's American Wind Week, we celebrate the more than 120,000 Americans working in the wind industry, as well as all the wind champions across the country that helped make this achievement possible. This year has been one of immense challenge for our country as we strive to overcome the public health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. wind industry stands ready, now more than ever, to keep pushing forward and to help our country build a stronger economy and a cleaner future." – Tom Kiernan, AWEA CEO.
"2020 should be remembered as the year wind worked for America. At the height of stay-at-home orders, wind farms produced enough electricity to power 32 million homes in both April and May. Those turbines were kept spinning by the tens of thousands of essential wind workers, including nearly 7,000 Vestas essential employees. We have proven wind is essential today and wind will be essential tomorrow." – Chris Brown, AWEA Board Chair and Vestas North America President.
Wind power is proud to be red, white, and blue, with operating wind projects or manufacturing facilities in 70 percent of U.S. Congressional districts and jobs in all 50 states. That is why we are honored that so much of the country has joined us in proclaiming this week American Wind Week.
#WindBuildsTheFuture: The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Is Celebrating American Wind Week 2020
Laramie County Community College Instructor, Steve Hrkach, on training future Wind Energy Technicians.
Eighty-six percent of Americans think the U.S. should put more emphasis on using clean, renewable wind energy, according to a July 2020 online consumer survey conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of AWEA and released today. 
These results build on a June 2020 Pew poll, which reported eighty-three percent of Americans support building more wind farms. During Wind Week, we celebrate this widespread and bipartisan support.
You can follow Wind Week at americanwindweek.org, or through social media using #AmericanWindWeek and #WindBuildsTheFuture.

  • Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitations placed on in-person events, American Wind Week will look different than in past years, with most of the events taking place virtually. 

However, while it might look different, we are celebrating with just as much fanfare, with special events running every day following distinct themes:


Monday, August 10: Essential Workforce: Wind workers are on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19, helping to keep the lights on every day for millions of Americans. Electricity is the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, and wind workers are there to keep the electrons flowing. Electricity is a necessity, not a luxury, and our workers are ensuring we have access to that necessity.

Tuesday, August 11: Economic Recovery: Wind is set to play a key role as our nation's economy strives to bounce back from the damage of the current pandemic. Wind is creating new U.S. manufacturing jobs, wind technician is the country's second-fastest-growing job, and the wind project pipeline is at a near-record high. Offshore wind is posed to play a major role in the recovery, creating 83,000 jobs in a decade and launching a brand-new U.S. supply chain. Through this recovery, we can create a cleaner future filled with opportunity.

Wednesday, August 12: Wind Power Champions: American wind power dedicates a day to honoring its federal and state-level wind champions, who are making it possible for wind to build a stronger economy and cleaner future. This select group of bipartisan Senators, Congressmen, and Governors has embraced a forward-thinking approach to energy policy, allowing wind to become our country's largest renewable energy source while employing over 120,000 Americans across all 50 states.

Thursday, August 13: Community Investment: Thursday highlights wind's nearly unmatched investment in rural America, providing farmers with a drought-proof cash crop and rural communities with revenue to invest in their future. We also give a special focus on the many efforts our 1000+ members are taking to help communities overcome the challenges of COVID-19.

Friday, August 15: Corporate Buyers: Businesses purchased a record amount of U.S. wind power last year and now represent 10 percent of all operating wind capacity in the country. These Fortune 500 companies, like Walmart, General Motors, Budweiser, and McDonalds, are making the move toward wind power as they strive to meet sustainability targets and improve their bottom lines. Companies powering their stores, factories, and data centers with wind energy is no longer just a trend—it is the new normal for doing business.

Related Videos:







  • Visit AWEA's website to learn more about the enormous economic benefits wind power brings to America.

SOURCE: American Wind Energy Association

4 August 2020

Darwin200 Undertakes Circumnavigation of UK to Conduct British Ocean Health Check in Preparation for Global Planetary Conservation Initiative

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Darwin200 Undertakes Circumnavigation of UK to Conduct British Ocean Health Check in Preparation for Global Planetary Conservation Initiative
Darwin200 has chartered the stunning tall ship Pelican of London for its UK voyage. Managed by charity Adventure Under Sail, it offers a unique environment for educating young people; encouraging equality, inclusiveness and passion through adventure and challenge
UK-based Darwin200 Limited announces today that it will utilise the stunning tall ship, Pelican of London, to circumnavigate the UK with specialist environmental scientists onboard to mentor a group of young scientists. These scientists will conduct a programme of observations, experiments, discussions, and problem-solving sessions related to the health of the UK's surrounding waters.

  • The voyage sets sail from Folkestone on 5 August and in a clockwise circum-navigation of the British Isles, will call in at Southampton, Plymouth, Cardiff, Liverpool, Belfast, Glasgow, Hebrides, St Kilda, Orkney, Shetland, Edinburgh and London, where the journey ends with a sail-through Tower Bridge. It will be moored in London for a week where live lectures will be broadcast off the ship.
Stewart McPherson, Darwin200 project leader, says, "In preparation of the Darwin200 global voyage, we're embarking on a UK-wide initiative that brings along ten new scientists to carry out a detailed science programme throughout the 59-day project. We're planning on a host of activities such as live lectures, citizen science project updates, and we'll be publishing findings from the science programme on a daily basis, where we hope to engage tens of thousands of young people across the UK to look at the health of the UK waters and better understand marine conservation."
Darwin200 is delighted to partner with the University of Plymouth to lead the science programme onboard the UK voyage, which has been designed by Drs Charlotte Braungardt and Richard Sandford from the University's School of Geography, Earth and Environment Science. Its aim is to develop a solid understanding of the marine environment through a broad range of activities, observations and experiments that explore the physical structure and chemical composition of the ocean, its ecology and life sustaining functions for the planet. 
Dr Braungardt states, "We're extremely pleased to be involved in this project and mentoring the onboard scientists where we will encourage them to investigate the human impact on this awe-inspiring environment and discuss ways to address it on all levels, from individual behaviour to high-tech and global governance solutions."
The UK launch will test the outreach platform and onboard systems for the global voyage, which will harness the legacy of Charles Darwin by re-tracing his journey onboard HMS Beagle 200 years ago. 

The prime objective of the global project is to find 200 next-generation global conservation leaders and inspire 200 million people by providing a platform of free, interactive resources for all school children, university students, teachers and the general public. 

During a 2-year around the world voyage, currently planned to start in 2021, five global research projects will be conducted and the 'world's most exciting classroom' will visit the same 50 ports where Darwin made landfall. At these ports, the ship will be met by teams of 4 young scientists, called Darwin200 Leaders, who will use the ship as a floating laboratory to conduct the same experiments Darwin did himself, discover changes that have occurred over the last 200 years and put forward solutions to reverse any detrimental impact to the natural ecosystem.
Stewart concludes, "The team's vision is to change the world by creating the next wave of determined young conservation leaders, whose careers spanning several decades, will build a brighter future for our planet."

  • The UK voyage marks the start of this epic vision and the Darwin200 team are calling on anyone who would like to get involved in the global voyage, be that a young scientist, a mentor, sponsor or part of the crew sailing from port-to-port. Let the adventure begin!
SOURCE: Darwin200

12 May 2020

Covid-19: Sign the Letter for a Green Recovery

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These three women have the power to make it happen: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Europe’s top banker Christine Lagarde and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
These three women have the power to make it happen: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Europe’s top banker Christine Lagarde and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. (image via Avaaz)
Dear friends,

In days, Europe could put forward a bold, green Corona recovery plan that would be a beacon of hope for the rest of the world -- but big polluters and coal-loving governments are trying to derail it!

To fight back, Avaaz is joining a massive group of influential politicians, scientists, academics, business leaders and civil society, to back an ambitious green recovery for Europe.

And these three women have the power to make it happen: EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Europe’s top banker Christine Lagarde and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Let’s embolden them with 1 million signatures from all corners of the world, making sure they stay strong, face down the lobbyists and lead us towards the green future we need

Join now with one click -- in days, key parliamentarians will deliver our voices straight to Europe’s leaders and the media!

ADD MY NAME

To Commission President von der Leyen, Chancellor Merkel, Christine Lagarde and all EU leaders:
You’ve got the power to lead Europe and the world out of the dark days of this pandemic towards a brighter, greener future.

You can make the Green Deal our Recovery Deal by investing hundreds of billions a year to create green jobs and make our economies clean and fair. We count on you to put a climate bank and a climate budget at its heart, and ensure that all money is spent in line with the Paris agreement. It is time to move away from dirty fossil fuels, tax large corporate profits, and unleash the clean energy revolution we so desperately need.

Together, we are strong enough to fight back and recover from this virus. We are generous enough to ensure no one is left behind. And we are wise enough to ensure this recovery does not lay the foundations for even worse climate crises in the future.

ADD MY NAME
With hope for the future,

Loup Dargent

23 March 2020

Gather Online to Celebrate Grassroots Climate Action in a FREE Event April 10 - 18, 2020

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Gather Online to Celebrate Grassroots Climate Action in a FREE Event April 10 - 18, 2020
Gather Online to Celebrate Grassroots Climate Action in a FREE Event April 10 - 18, 2020
Green Team Academy is proud to present the 2nd Annual Online Earth Week Summit. The free event features a full week of live online workshops and virtual happy hours open to the public.
"Earth Day is such a special time for coming together to celebrate our love and care for our planet," said Joan Gregerson, Summit Organizer and Founder of Green Team Academy. "This year, it's especially important to be able to collaborate and celebrate together online."
Recent developments with the coronavirus are impacting the plans for celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. Millions of people had planned to gather at hundreds of in-person events around the world. Most of those events are now being canceled due to public health risks.
"We're excited to host an online event that features a diverse array of community leaders and experts making a difference in their communities and the world," said Gregerson.
Gather Online to Celebrate Grassroots Climate Action in a FREE Event April 10 - 18, 2020
Gather Online to Celebrate Grassroots Climate Action in a FREE Event April 10 - 18, 2020

Special features of the event include:

  • Keynote address by forester, educator and musician, Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley of Yale University, presenting on Relationships, History and Hip Hop Forestry;
  • Online workshops featuring grassroots climate action initiatives with community leaders and experts;
  • Virtual happy hours for sharing positivity, questions and ideas;
  • Ability to participate in the UN75 Global Consultation
Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley presents on Relationships, History and Hip Hop Forestry: Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion in the Environment
Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley presents on Relationships, History and Hip Hop Forestry: Thinking About Diversity and Inclusion in the Environment
See complete schedule and register for free at www.EarthWeekSummit.com.
Green Team Academy helps people get together, make a difference and feel better by starting and growing thriving green teams in their communities.
Joan Gregerson, founder of Green Team Academy, is the host of the 2nd Annual Online Earth Week Summit: Grassroots Climate Action Celebration
Joan Gregerson, founder of Green Team Academy, is the host of the 2nd Annual Online Earth Week Summit: Grassroots Climate Action Celebration
Joan Gregerson is the founder of the Green Team Academy and host of the Green Team Academy Podcast. Joan is a coach, course creator, author and inspirational speaker. 

Joan is the author of the upcoming book, Climate Action Breakthrough: How Anyone Can Start a Green Team and Make a Huge Eco-Impact Fast.

Related Stories:

20 March 2020

EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival

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EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival
EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival (PRNewsfoto/EarthX)
EarthxFilm announced today that the fourth EarthxFilm festival will be reimagined to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day online with a selection from its 2020 Film, EarthXR and EDU lineups. EarthxFilm will join EarthX's 50th Earth Day Celebration with conferences and speakers, which will be livestreamed April 22-25.

Plans are in process for extended year-round programming, including a larger film festival in the fall, the EarthxGlobal Gala and the world premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope For Earth, directed by Sibylle Szaggars Redford with a special narration – spoken word by Robert Redford.


EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival
EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival (screengrab)
The decision was shared in light of the rapidly developing news of COVID-19 and EarthxFilm's desire to put public safety first. 
EarthxFilm Co-Founder and President Michael Cain said, "This decision came after careful consideration and consultation with our team, partners, and city officials. We look forward to offering the audiences of Dallas another wonderful EarthxFilm slate of movies, XR experiences, educational opportunities and panels both online in April and in-person throughout the year in Dallas, and across the country and with international partners."
On April 22, the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, EarthxFilm will also announce the films and filmmakers selected by this year's juries who will receive $20,000 in prize money. 
EarthxFilm Artistic Director David Holbrooke added, "We are immensely proud of the outstanding programming we assembled for the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. We think it's important to recognize the incredible work these filmmakers have achieved and will move ahead with our juried prizes to award the cash winnings that help make a difference for the filmmakers, many of whom are still telling their stories at this challenging time."
EarthxFilm Executive Producer, Paul Levatino says, "We are thrilled that the Good Pitch Local Texas, co-produced with Doc Society, will be rescheduled to coincide with our Fall Festival. The EarthxGlobalGala, which honors environmental heroes with the EarthxGlobal Impact Awards and features entertainers Skip Martin of Kool & The Gang, Bastards Of Soul and Compton Kidz Club, will also be rescheduled for fall."
"Leading to our fall festival, EarthXR will continue our commitment to year-round programming through international partnerships, including a green series with Guanajuato International Film Festival, Overview Collective + Garage Stories' series, and curation for the April online ARTS x SDGSs Festival, which brings together UN and non-profit leaders," says Tiffany Kieran, Director of XR Programming and Partnerships.
"We are also excited about our year-round immersive experiential location, opening in Dallas, Texas in 2020. It will feature the US debut of Wild Immersion endorsed by Jane Goodall - the first virtual wildlife reserve in the US to connect, educate, and protect our environment," said Kieran.
EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival
EarthxFilm and EarthXR Reimagine The 2020 EarthxFilm Festival (screengrab)
EarthxFilm Education is extending the #Planet911challenge youth film competition in collaboration with CreativeVisions and Instagram. The new deadline is April 8, and winning films will be screened online April 22 and in a theatre at one of the EarthX Half-Earth Day Events in October. 
Melanie Yonks, Director of Education and Outreach says, "We are working in collaboration with Planet911, Rock Your World, teachers and youth organizations to let them know about our online K-12 STEAM curriculum and to develop additional virtual and interactive opportunities for youth while they are in quarantine."
"Trammell Crow and I started this film festival because we saw how the world was being challenged environmentally. That hasn't changed and we remain committed as ever to this cause," concluded Cain. "We support the storytellers who have the power to change the world."

Related Videos:



About EarthxFilm:

EarthxFilm, co-founded by Trammell S. Crow and Michael Cain was launched in 2017 at the annual EarthX event to showcase the films and emerging media that explore environmental science, conservation, and climate change. In its mission to turn awareness into action through art and interactive media, the nonprofit partners and develops experiences with top environmental, film, and entertainment organizations across the globe. 

EarthxFilm presents year-round programs culminating in a 10-day festival yearly.

About EarthXR:

EarthXR, a subdivision of EarthxFilm, is dedicated to immersive and interactive storytelling designed to engage and inspire environmental awareness and action through emerging technology. 

At the EarthX events, it has hosted the world's largest lineup of eco-interactive programming, presenting scores of virtual, augmented and mixed reality experiences.

About EarthX:

EarthX convenes the world's largest environmental expo, conference and film festival, and is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

Founded in 2011 by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow, the Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promotes environmental awareness and impact through conscious business, nonpartisan collaboration and community-driven sustainable solutions. 

In 2019, the event drew over 177,000 attendees, 2,000 environmental business leaders, 700 exhibitors, 450 speakers, 63 films and 49 Eco-virtual reality experiences.

SOURCE: EarthX

19 March 2020

EarthX to Host Earthx2020 Virtually

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Earthx2020 in Partnership with the National Geographic Society will be held VIRTUALLY from April 22-27 to mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Earthx2020 in Partnership with the National Geographic Society will be held VIRTUALLY from April 22-27 to mark the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. (image via EarthX)
In light of the rapidly developing news of COVID-19, CDC guidelines, and new City of Dallas requirements, EarthX will host its Earthx2020 Conferences and Film Festival virtually and cancel its Expo for the year. 

Most conferences will be presented virtually from April 23-25 and into May. EarthxEnergy's Responsible Energy Acquisition conference and the EarthxLaw conference will be held live in the fall. 

The 50th Earth Day Celebration will be livestreamed on April 22. The virtual experience will be layered with EarthxFilm Festival programming of select 2020 films, which will then present its physical Film Festival in the fall along with the EarthxGlobalGala and the world premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope For Earth, directed by Sibylle Szaggars Redford with a special narration – spoken word by Robert Redford.
"EarthX continues to move our mission forward to connect, collaborate and celebrate. Our mission is relevant, and this global situation is a great example of how interconnected we are to each other and the planet," said Tony Keane, EarthX CEO.
EarthX places the health and safety of attendees, staff, and event participants as its highest priority and has taken these actions in compliance with the guidelines set forth by local, state, and federal government health agencies.
"Collaboration and connectedness are critical as we seek to further the National Geographic Society's mission to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world," said Michael L. Ulica, president and CEO of the National Geographic Society. "We look forward to continuing to partner with EarthX to reach new audiences through the Earthx2020 virtual experience."
"EarthX remains unwavering in its commitment to shed light on the environmental challenges facing our planet, and this recent crisis has been a testament to our strength in collectively spreading awareness and seeking solutions in the face of adversity," said Trammell S. Crow, Founder of EarthX. "We are all in this together."

About EarthX:

EarthX convenes the world's largest environmental expo, conference and film festival, and is a member of IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature. Founded in 2011 by environmentalist and businessman Trammell S. Crow, the Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization promotes environmental awareness and impact through conscious business, nonpartisan collaboration and community-driven sustainable solutions. 

In 2019, the event drew over 177,000 attendees, 2,000 environmental business leaders, 700 exhibitors, 450 speakers, 63 films and 49 Eco-virtual reality experiences.

About The National Geographic Society:

The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization that uses the power of science, exploration, education and storytelling to illuminate and protect the wonder of our world. 

Since 1888, National Geographic has pushed the boundaries of exploration, investing in bold people and transformative ideas, providing more than 14,000 grants for work across all seven continents, reaching 3 million students each year through education offerings, and engaging audiences around the globe through signature experiences, stories and content.

To learn more, visit www.nationalgeographic.org

SOURCE: EarthX

1 March 2020

Bernie Sanders: Making Socialism Cool Again

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Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign event in Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 27, 2020.
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks during a campaign event in Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Love him or hate him, Bernie Sanders has emerged as the indisputable front-runner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.

Sanders has inspired a massive, energetic, hardworking and fiercely loyal following, determined to carry him to victory at the Democratic National Convention in July.

To the great agitation of his rivals and critics, Sanders has demonstrated a stunning popularity among a diverse cross-section of voters, including women, Latinos, Blacks, Muslims, union members and especially young people.

The oft-repeated trope of the white “Bernie bro” has proven to be more myth than reality. Sanders’ rapid and dramatic rise to front-runner status has sent his critics in the Democratic Party into a full-blown panic, revealing their inability to understand the current historical moment and the rhetorical power of the Sanders campaign.

Women, including young women of colour, are among those who have been energized by Sanders. Supporters are seen here in South Carolina.
Women, including young women of colour, are among those who have been energized by Sanders. Supporters are seen here in South Carolina. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
How, they wonder, has Sanders risen to the top of the field? What exactly is his appeal? 

Why are young people, including young women of colour, going for the old white guy?

Perhaps most importantly, why are so many Democratic voters warming to socialism, long regarded as antithetical to the American way of life?

As he did in 2016, Sanders has exposed a deep rift in the Democratic Party between its centrist and progressive wings.

The Third Way

This rift is not so much an intra-family dispute as a longstanding rivalry between two distinct political traditions. The first of these traditions is the so-called Third Way, first described by British sociologist Anthony Giddens in the early 1990s.

The Third Way was conceived after the end of the Cold War as an alternative to the left and the right. Also known as the “radical centre,” the Third Way rejects both the robust government interventionism championed by the left and the intolerance and bigotry congenital to the right.

It pursues incremental change while vigorously upholding a capitalist order. Bill Clinton was the first American president to put Third Way politics into practice. The Third Way has since become the reigning orthodoxy of the Democratic Party. Even Barack Obama, who campaigned on the lofty rhetoric of “hope and change,” governed as a resolute and unapologetic centrist, much to the disappointment of his progressive base.

Elizabeth Warren is also at odds with the Third Way.
Elizabeth Warren is also at odds with the Third Way. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
 With the exception of Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, the rest of the Democratic field falls squarely within the tradition of the Third Way.

While the Third Way proved to be a politically salient politics during the 1990s, it has since calcified into rigid and obstinate dogma. The longstanding habit of ignoring the poor, siding with the rich and powerful and pursuing only incremental change has run up against a brick wall of brute reality: Gilded Age-levels of income inequality, skyrocketing medical debt, US$1.5 trillion in student loan debt, a racist criminal justice system and impending ecological collapse.

‘Massive failure’

Set against this stark empirical reality, incrementalism appears to far too many voters to be a massive failure. And the apologetic habit of dressing it up in the robes of pragmatic necessity has become a kind of secular theology: it demands faith in a better future that it can never deliver, a future lacking precise detail because it lacks a definable goal.

In the logic of the Third Way, incremental change becomes an end in itself: change for its own sake.

The problem with this delicate high-wire act — preaching incremental change in the face of exponentially worsening social and environmental crises — is that it has become impossible to pull off convincingly. Talk of incremental change doesn’t sound very promising or encouraging when the planet is on fire and climate scientists have given us a very short window to act.

By contrast, Sanders has been a lifelong advocate of democratic socialism, a tradition whose core principle is that democracy should be expanded from politics into the workplace — the sphere of life in which we spend the bulk of our waking lives.

Democratic socialism goes beyond mere social democracy — beyond programs like universal health care and public pensions — by calling for a fundamental change in the relationship between executives and workers.

It holds that workers should also have decision-making power, including over how revenue is distributed and how they get paid.

Deep, structural change

Democratic socialists want the workplace to be structured democratically, not like little North Koreas, in which CEOs rule like tyrants. Socialists see capitalist exploitation of people and the planet as the root of injustice. Hence, they advocate not incremental, but deep, structural change.

The reason Sanders has been so politically appealing to a diverse coalition of voters is because he offers a powerful explanatory key for making sense of America’s crisis moment.

He indicts not just specific people, like Donald Trump, Michael Bloomberg and Jeff Bezos, but the system: The political economic structure in which the super-rich have amassed extraordinary sums of wealth at the expense of everyone else, and our shared planet.

Bernie Sanders is seen speaking to an overflow crowd at a Super Bowl watch party campaign event on Feb. 2, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Bernie Sanders is seen speaking to an overflow crowd at a Super Bowl watch party campaign event on Feb. 2, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Sanders’s rhetorical genius is to have linked different types of injustice, like income inequality, racial inequality, gender inequality, and environmental breakdown, through a single frame: corporate greed.

This enables voters to see injustice in big-picture terms. Sanders has equipped his base with a revolutionary political vocabulary for expressing their sense of injustice, as well as a language of shared struggle against a structure that thrives on exploitation. Solidarity, it turns out, is incredibly empowering.

Rise of a new politics

Third Way Democrats have scrambled to understand the Sanders revolution.

They’ve dismissed him as an old man yelling at the clouds and a snake-oil salesman offering the false promise of “free stuff.” Worse, they have been forced to perform the awkward dance of claiming the mantle of progressivism while disavowing popular progressive proposals and “revolution politics.”

This has inspired rhetorical gimmicks like cowboy talk and meaningless platitudes, that have been mercilessly satirized online. The desperate turn to disavowal and gimmickry strongly suggests the collapse of the Third Way and the rise of a new politics for the Democratic Party.

Democratic socialism might just be about to have its moment in America.

About Today's Contributor:

Jason Hannan, Associate Professor of Rhetoric & Communications, University of Winnipeg

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

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27 February 2020

"When the Earth Moves" to Premiere at the EarthX Film Festival and the Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit

by
"When the Earth Moves"
"When the Earth Moves" (Outrider Foundation/Generous Films)
The timely short film When the Earth Moves is set to premiere via back-to-back screenings at the EarthX Film Festival on April 22nd and the Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit on April 25th and will then immediately be available on YouTube and at outrider.org

When the Earth Moves reclaims the authentic story and original vision of Earth Day as a bipartisan and socially just environmental movement and highlights the need for people across generations and on both sides of the political aisle to play an active part. The premiere coincides with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day – an event that is expected to activate over a billion people worldwide around environmental and climate action.

The film features archival footage of the original 1970 Earth Day and its founder, Wisconsin Senator and Governor Gaylord Nelson, as well as leading voices from the modern Earth Day movement, including Nelson's daughter and Outrider Foundation Managing Director Tia Nelson, former South Carolina Congressman and RepublicEn founder Bob Inglis, and youth activist and Sunrise Movement co-founder Varshini Prakash.

"I feel especially compelled to tell my father's story at this unique moment in history," says Tia Nelson. "He worked tirelessly his whole life to build an inclusive Earth Day movement, and today, 50 years later, the job is not yet done. It's imperative that we come together as a nation to protect our environment and renew our commitment to building a brighter future for all Americans."
"When the Earth Moves demonstrates that when it comes to environmental issues like climate change, we're literally in this together – all of us, the whole nation and world," says Bob Inglis. "In solving them, we have the opportunity to model a way out of divisiveness, a way out of destruction, a way of respect and love. This is a huge challenge and an incredible calling."
"Building on the momentum generated by the millions of students who took to the streets on Earth Day 1970, we are the climate generation today," says Varshini Prakash. "We are promoting a new kind of environmentalism that is rooted in racial and economic justice, and waking and shaking millions more people to action."

When the Earth Moves - Trailer:


The film is produced by Outrider Foundation, in partnership with Generous Films.

Outrider Foundation believes in the power of an informed, engaged public. It uses digital media to help enhance public understanding of global threats such as climate change and nuclear war, and to inspire action. 

Outrider's content – including films, interactive features, and in-depth articles – help audiences learn what's at stake and how they can be a part of the solution. 

Generous Films is an independent production company focused on socially and politically relevant campaigns that spark change. 

Generous' work includes the renowned short film series Let Science Speak, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival and aired on The Weather Channel. 

EarthX Film Festival features films and emerging media that explore conservation, climate change, and the environment while honoring the heroes working to protect our planet. 

The goal is to turn awareness into action, through art and motion picture media including documentaries, film shorts, and virtual reality, and to partner with environmental, film and entertainment organizations across the globe. 

EarthX Film Festival will run April 22-26, 2020 in Dallas, Texas. 

Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit showcases stories of both small and large-scale actions that frame the conversation and demonstrate that success is possible. 

The event reaches millions around the world who can learn, adapt, and scale success for greater impact. 

The Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit will run April 23-25th in Washington, DC


SOURCE: Outrider Foundation

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