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

The FREE Virtual Chesapeake Film Festival Announces a Sneak Preview of Its 2020 Line-up

The FREE Virtual Chesapeake Film Festival Announces a Sneak Preview of Its 2020 Line-up

The pandemic can't stop the Chesapeake Film Festival from giving their valued film enthusiasts another fabulous cinema experience in 2020. At NO COST to attendees, they'll receive a four-day All Festival pass to watch any or all of 45 films. 

It's the festival's gift to film lovers in the community, and beyond. Because the festival is virtual, attendees can watch the films anywhere in the world.

All the festival asks is that attendees consider a contribution to offset expenses.

The festival is bringing attendees an explosion of cinematic flavors, including dramas, comedies, environmental concerns, emerging artists, Maryland-made films, fascinating documentaries and pulsating animations.

Registration for the festival opens September 1 on chesapeakefilmfestival.com.

Some of the exciting new independent films featured:

• California Typewriter might center on a small, beleaguered typewriter repair shop in Berkeley, California, but this … documentary is about so much more than broken keys and busted type wheels. It's really about how we create art. Featuring Tom Hanks, John Meyer and Sam Shepard.

• Unarmed Man – Narrative Feature - Civil unrest erupts after a police officer shoots and kills an unarmed black man during a routine traffic stop.

• A Piece of Cake – Narrative Short – When a desperate father discovers his daughter's favorite cake decoration is illegal, he descends into a confectionary black market.

• Wake Up – In a short film directed by Olivia Wilde, Margaret Qualley stars as a woman awakened to a world she doesn't recognize, one where people are more engaged with screens and devices than with each other.

Wake Up

• Emanuel – Documentary Feature – National headlines blazed the story: Churchgoers Gunned Down During Prayer Service in Charleston, South Carolina. After a 21-year-old white supremacist opened fire in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, nine African Americans lay dead.

• An Island Out of Time – Environmental Short – about a remarkable family, the Marshalls, whose lives personify Chesapeake Bay's waterman, seafood-harvesting culture and history.

• Lost Cat – Animation – A girl travels through a surreal environment to catch her escaped cat.

• Les Animaux Domestiques – Animation – France -- Mr. and Ms. Archibald adopt by turns a dog, a cat, a fly, a toad and a moth. But they do not know anything about animals.

Les Animaux Domestiques

Trailers of many of the films will be available on September 1.

SOURCE: Chesapeake Film Festival

[Blog Tour] Guest Post By M J Porter Author Of The Last King: England: The First Viking Age (The Ninth Century Book 1) #HistoricalFiction

Blog Tour: The Last King: England: The First Viking Age (The Ninth Century Book 1) By M J Porter

Inspiration behind The Last King - the ‘historical’ Coelwulf

By M J Porter

The hero of my story, King Coelwulf, has not been treated kindly by history.

He appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (the main narrative source for the period) as a ‘foolish king’s thegn’ and not actually a king at all. His ‘reign’ has been explained as being entirely dependent on Viking overlords who really ruled Mercia, from their ‘base’ at Repton. He was a ‘puppet king,’ a sop to assist the independent Mercians as they struggled to come to terms with their new warlords.

The survival of two charters, carrying Coelwulf’s name, and witnessed by the ealdormen and bishops of Mercia, have not been given the attention they deserve because they suggest a different interpretation to that of King Alfred (the Great) single-handedly defeating the Vikings, and making ‘England.’

So, if we put aside the problems of what Coelwulf did, or didn’t achieve, who might he actually be, and why might he have been named as king?

Coelwulf’s name leads historians of the period to suggest he was a member of a branch of the Mercian royal family whose last ruler was King Coelwulf I, who ruled in Mercia from AD821-823. He succeeded his brother, Coenwulf, who ruled from AD796-821. They were descended from the brother of the mighty seventh-century king, Penda, most famously known for being pagan, warlike and terrorising the Northumbrian kingdom during its ‘Golden Age.’ He was therefore a member of a long-lived ruling dynasty that could trace its descendants all the way back to the early 600’s.

This identification of Coelwulf helps to explain why he was accepted as king following King Burgred’s abdication. He was no foolish king’s thegn. He was a member of a ruling dynasty, who, for one reason or another, were no longer the ruling family in Mercia in the 870’s. (And what was happening in Mercia before the 870’s is just as fascinating as what came after it).

Representation of Ceolwulf II on a damaged 9th century silver halfpenny, found in Buckinghamshire circa 2003, Wikipedia.

The Last King: England: The First Viking Age (The Ninth Century Book 1)  By M J Porter

Publication date: 23rd April 2020
Publisher: Indie

The Blurb:

They sent three hundred warriors to kill one man. It wasn’t enough.

Mercia lies broken but not beaten, her alliance with Wessex in tatters.

Coelwulf, a fierce and bloody warrior, hears whispers that Mercia has been betrayed from his home in the west. He fears no man, especially not the Vikings sent to hunt him down.

To discover the truth of the rumours he hears, Coelwulf must travel to the heart of Mercia, and what he finds there will determine the fate of Mercia, as well as his own.

The Last King: England: The First Viking Age (The Ninth Century Book 1) - Book Cover

Buy Links:

Amazon UK • Amazon US

M J Porter

Author Bio:

I'm an author of fantasy (viking age/dragon themed) and historical fiction (Early English, Vikings and the British Isles as a whole before the Norman Conquest), born in the old Mercian kingdom at some point since AD1066. I write A LOT. You've been warned!

The Last King - the 3 books

Connect with M J Porter:

Website • Blog • Twitter

Jigsaw Explorer Defeats Home Isolation with Multiplayer Jigsaw Puzzles

Screenshot of a web-based jigsaw puzzle at Jigsaw Explorer

Jigsaw Explorer, a leader in online jigsaw puzzles, announced availability of its new multiplayer feature for all of its online jigsaw puzzles. Jigsaw Explorer has been providing jigsaw puzzles that can be played directly in the web browser for 10 years, but until now playing online jigsaw puzzles has always been a solo activity. 

The new multiplayer feature allows friends and family to collaborate on the assembly of the same jigsaw puzzle while connected over the internet. The idea is similar to a family gathering around a cardboard jigsaw puzzle at the kitchen table, but now the puzzle is online and the people playing that puzzle can be at different locations anywhere in the world.

"Our web-based jigsaw puzzles were already popular, but when the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders went into effect in the spring it created new demand for those puzzles," said Jigsaw Explorer's founder and owner, Bob Flora. "We knew there was also a new need to allow friends and family to play these puzzles together over the internet as a way to socially connect and engage with each other at this time when there are significantly less in-person interactions due to concerns related to the pandemic. That realization led us to immediately begin work on a multiplayer feature for our puzzles."

Screenshot of a web-based jigsaw puzzle at Jigsaw Explorer

Jigsaw Explorer provides all of their 7500+ jigsaw puzzles free of charge, including use of the new multiplayer feature. Players simply choose a puzzle subject they like and click the multiplayer button to switch the puzzle to multiplayer mode. The player is then shown a web link that can be sent via email or social media to the friends and family the player wishes to invite to participate in the assembly of the puzzle. When recipients receive the game link and click it, their web browser joins them to the game. The joined players can see the puzzle piece movements of all of the other players on their screens. If the players leave the puzzle unfinished, they can use the game link to return to it later and complete it.

• More information about Jigsaw Explorer's multiplayer feature can be found at the Jigsaw Explorer website.

SOURCE: Jigsaw Explorer

Top 5 Ideas For Beginner Investors

Top 5 Ideas For Beginner Investors (image via Pexels)

The world of investment allows us to improve our finances, learn new skills and build up a diverse portfolio. Whether it’s investing in stocks or investing in a holiday home, every asset you have brings you that little bit closer to financial freedom. If you’re a beginner looking to start investing, take a look at these top ideas for newbies.

1 . Robo advisor platforms

A robo advisor is a digital platform which provides financial planning and the opportunity to make investments. The platform uses algorithms and collects data about your finances. Using the data, the robo advisor can make auto investments and provide advice. There are plenty of benefits to using a robo advisor, including security, portfolio management, low fees and customer service. One of the best things about a robo advisor is that you do not need to put in lots of money to get started.

2. Real estate options

Real estate is one of the most popular ways to start investing. You can choose to make money by either buy-to-let or property flipping. With a buy- to- let you purchase a property, rent it out and use this as a form of passive income. To save time on the admin and legalities, choose a property management service. Property flipping refers to buying a property, refurbishing it, and then selling it on for a higher price. Both property investment options are fine for beginners, but you’ve got to put in the time to learn about the property market.

3.Try investment apps

Investment apps are the perfect place for beginners to learn the ropes. Acorns is the leading investment app, it's inexpensive to make a start, and making small investments is simple. Acorn offers lots of detailed financial content, so it’s also a great place to learn new things. If you’re saving to retire, be sure to check out the ‘Acorns Later’ feature.

4. Invest in Balanced Funds

Balanced Funds are a type of mutual fund; they are made up of a money market, a stock and a bond. Each part exists within the same portfolio. A balanced fund is balanced between both equity and debt, and the goal is to grow the funds and generate an income. These types of funds are ideal for those who want safety, income and capital. With a balanced fund you invest across a variety of assets, combining low-risk and high-risk elements.

5. Social lending

Social lending allows investors to provide loans to other individuals. Sometimes this type of lending is referred to as ‘crowdlending’ or ‘peer-to-peer’. If you become a P2P lender, you’ll have the chance to create a portfolio using smaller loans. You will earn around 10% on each loan, and there are plenty of associated services, including Funding Circle and Prosper.

Investing is one of the best ways to secure your financial future and make more money. The problem is, debts can hold you back. If you’re looking to settle your debts and start investing, be sure to check out the DTSS program at www.dtss.us/programs.html.

Hip Hop Public Health Completes Trilogy Of COVID-19 Music Video PSAs With Release Of #BehindTheMask [Video & Lyrics Included]

Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) Completes Trilogy Of COVID-19 Music Video PSAs With Release Of Behind The Mask (PRNewsfoto/Hip Hop Public Health)

Building upon the momentum and public engagement generated by 20 Seconds or More and 20 Segundos o Más, the high-impact music video PSAs that have become global anthems and rallying cries around the importance of handwashing in the fight against COVID-19 since launching in April and July, respectively, Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) today released Behind the Mask. 

Behind the Mask is an original new song and music video designed to increase the use of face masks as an effective means of stopping the spread of the coronavirus around the world. It is the third installment in a trilogy of COVID-related music video PSAs produced by Hip Hop Public Health, the New York-based, nonprofit organization founded in 2006 to build health equity through the transformative power of music, art and science. 

With the number of coronavirus cases continuing to rise around the country while disproportionately affecting communities of color, the goal of Behind the Mask is to proactively address the issue by driving the conversation and debate around COVID-19 safety protocols into action with culturally relevant and compassionate messaging.

Behind the Mask was written by multi-platinum composer Quennel Worthy, and features Grammy-nominated vocalist Raheem DeVaughn, backed by Grammy-winning rapper Darryl DMC McDaniels from Run-DMC and the iconic rapper and HHPH Co-Founder, Doug E. Fresh. With medical oversight by Dr. Olajide Williams, Co-Founder of Hip Hop Public Health and Chief of Staff, Department of Neurology, New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Behind the Mask utilizes HHPH's evidence-based behavior change Multisensory Multilevel Health Education Model . 

• The video focuses on proper mask-wearing techniques while incorporating culturally tailored, personalized themes that drive a strong emotional connection to the message, which in turn has been shown to facilitate behavior change.

"There is unequivocal supporting evidence that masks reduce the spread of COVID-19, and this is related to the scientific consensus that the infection can occur from inhaling droplets containing the virus," says Dr. Olajide Williams. "Masks act as a barrier to these infected droplets of saliva that are expelled when we sneeze, cough, or even breathe heavily. They protect those around us from being infected by us, and this is especially important because of the people in our communities walking among us who do not exhibit symptoms (asymptomatic people). The more people that wear masks, the more we are able to reduce the spread of COVID-19 - and to demonstrate this point, one study from the University of Washington showed that if 95% of the public wear masks, we would avoid approximately 34,000 more deaths by October 1, 2020."

Hip Hop Public Health created Behind the Mask as the cornerstone of a major public health education initiative that began in April at the height of the pandemic in New York with 20 Seconds or More, followed by the Latino community-facing 20 Segundos o Más campaign in early July. 

• Together, these campaigns have reached over three million people around the world through the viewing and sharing of the videos, significant social media traction and international media coverage.

A running theme encapsulated in the Behind the Mask song is love: how our actions or inactions can dangerously impact those we love, and how, from behind the mask, we are promoting community and neighborhood health, while protecting and saving the lives of our loved ones and those with whom we come into contact daily. 

The music video PSA features guest appearances by well-known and everyday New Yorkers – artists, public health experts, religious and civic leaders, athletes, media personalities, entertainers and families, all wearing masks or demonstrating proper donning, doffing, and storing for re-use techniques. Among the participants are: rappers Niko Brim and Rob Base; New York Jets linebacker, James Burgess; Broadway legend Irene Gandy; Chief Jeffrey B. Maddrey, NYPD Chief of Community Affairs; Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, NYPD First Deputy Commissioner; DJ Dee Wiz, touring DJ and Producer; author and poet Jacqueline Woodson; music executive Sal Abbatiello; award-winning broadcaster Cheryl Wills; Rick Patel, Deputy Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York; radio personality Sasha the Diva; and, virologist Dr. Angela Rasmussen (full list of participants).

"Behind the Mask is a love letter and an ode from the people of New York to everyone around the world," says Lori Rose Benson, Executive Director and CEO of Hip Hop Public Health. "The song's lyrics literally bring people together with a message of love, unity and hope. Our work is far from over, and we see Behind the Mask as a natural way for Hip Hop Public Health and our supporters to advance our mission of propelling the dialogue and action around COVID-19 forward with kindness and humanity at the heart of our message and towards our goal of stopping the spread."

Says Doug E. Fresh, "Behind the Mask is a classic R&B-inspired track infused with the forthrightness of hip hop to deliver a vital, lifesaving message. Continuing on this journey with my friend Darryl DMC McDaniels as we join forces with 'The Love King' himself, Raheem DeVaughn, will hopefully move people and inspire them to wear a mask to protect themselves and their loved ones."

Raheem DeVaughn adds, "It was an honor to collaborate with Hip Hop Public Health, Doug E. Fresh and Darryl DMC McDaniels on this project. Everyone has, in some way, been impacted by COVID-19 and we all need to listen and adhere to the message of Behind the Mask as a symbol of love, a symbol of trust and a way forward to a better future."

As a long-time supporter and Advisory Board member of Hip Hop Public Health, Darryl DMC McDaniels comments, "I know first-hand how music, and naturally, hip hop can impact people in a positive manner. Behind the Mask is a powerful example of this and I am convinced that it will make a difference."

Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) Completes Trilogy Of COVID-19 Music Video PSAs With Release Of Behind the Mask (Hip Hop Public Health)

Behind the Mask -The Lyrics:

Behind The Mask
By Q. Worthy, Barnard “BJ” Gray, and Joshua Banks

(Verse1 )
A symbol of love
A symbol of trust
Between us
I wear it for you
You wear it for me
A promise
I put on the mask
Out of respect for the masses
And all those left behind
To salute and honor
All the first responders
Battling on the front lines

(Hook)
You got my back
I got your back
Behind the mask
It’s not
Much to ask
We’ll save the world
From behind the mask
If you feel alone
Just know
You’re not invisible
Cause I still see you
Behind the mask

(Verse2)
Now we can’t pretend
The state that we’re in, is not dangerous
One minute we’re close
Then six feet away like strangers
There’s a virus outside
Threatening all of our lives
And we can’t let it in
Not just for you but for all
To prevent a loss
We put on the mask for them

(Hook)
You got my back
I got your back
Behind the mask
It’s not
Much to ask
We’ll save the world
From behind the mask
If you feel alone
Just know
You’re not invisible
Cause I still see you
Behind the mask
Yeah I still see you
Behind the mask

(Rap)
Now here’s a little story about this year
Who woulda thought we would end up here
Fresh decade we was barely in it
New year came wit a world pandemic
But it’ll get better
The storm we’ll weather
Heads held high as we stand together
We gotta do our part to stop the spread
All pull together like we never did
First, wash your hands make sure they’re clean
20 secs or more is what I mean
Put ya mask on don’t matter what kind
Cloth, surgical, N95
Before you take ya mask off
Go and wash ya hands off
Fold it up outside in so the germs touch
Store your mask in a paper bag
Then one last time go and wash ya hands

Behind the Mask - The Video:

• The Behind the Mask video was produced by IDEKO, a New York-based experiential production agency. To learn more, please visit www.hhph.org. 

About Hip Hop Public Health:

Hip Hop Public Health (HHPH) is an internationally recognized organization that creates and implements multimedia public health and education interventions designed to improve health literacy, inspire behavior change and promote health equity. Based in New York City, HHPH was founded in Harlem in 2006 with the mission to empower youth and families around the country – and the globe— with the knowledge and skills to make healthier choices, reducing preventable health conditions. Through a research-driven developmental process created by Columbia University Neurologist Dr. Olajide Williams (a.k.a. the "Hip Hop Doc"), Hip Hop Public Health works with socially conscious artists and public health experts to create scalable, highly engaging, culturally relevant music and multimedia "edutainment" tools.

The Hip Hop Public Health team, led by physical education veteran and public health leader Lori Rose Benson, is a collective comprised of not only health and education professionals (including nutritionists, public health researchers, teachers, physicians, behavioral scientists, and a student advisory board), but also proven-successful multi-media professionals and A-list iconic rap stars and pop artists including Doug E. Fresh, Chuck D, DMC of Run DMC, Ashanti, Jordin Sparks, as well children's television writers/producers (formerly of Sesame Street). All HHPH music, videos, comic books, video games and guidance documents are available for free and can be accessed on its online resource repository.

SOURCE: Hip Hop Public Health

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

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.

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

The Simpsons and Spinal Tap Star Harry Shearer Brings You Donald Trump As You've Never Seen Him Before [Video Included]

The Simpsons and Spinal Tap Star Harry Shearer Brings You Donald Trump As You've Never Seen Him Before (Screengrab)

A new video depicting Donald Trump performing a song in praise of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is today revealed as being the work of The Simpsons and Spinal Tap star Harry Shearer. 

Son in Law, which premiered on YouTube, is the first track to be released in a cycle of satirical songs inspired by the last four years of US politics and in particular the often mercurial behaviour of the current occupant of The White House. 

The Simpsons and Spinal Tap Star Harry Shearer Brings You Donald Trump As You've Never Seen Him Before (Screengrab)

• A new song will be released each week throughout the summer and autumn.

The "Son In Law" video uses groundbreaking motion-capture animation to portray the US President lionizing his senior advisor and husband of his daughter Ivanka. At one point it shows the spookily real Trump with his hand casually hovering over the nuclear button on his desk in The Oval Office, whilst extolling the virtues of his daughter's curves.

Harry Shearer says, "You can't fire family, but you can sing about them."

The video was conceived and produced by Harry Shearer with Matt Hermans of The Electric Lens Company in Sydney, Australia. The On Set Producer was Harry's long-time collaborator, cinematographer Matthew Mindlin. 

COVID-180, out today, is the second song in the series and has Shearer as the Leader of The Free World as he dances to his own tune in a dizzying reality-distanced spin away from the virus that has swept the world.

Written by Shearer, the old-style New Orleans R&B song has The Simpsons star on vocals in an eerily accurate impersonation of the President of The United States. 

 He is joined by a band of top New Orleans musicians who include David Torkanowsky of The Astral Project and Stanton Moore Trio on piano and organ, The Metres star George Porter, Jr. on bass, Raymond Weber of Dumpstaphunk on drums, leading saxophonist Brad Walker, Scott Frock of Delfeayo Marsalis' Uptown Jazz Orchestra, on trumpet, and one of New Orleans' top trombonists Jon Ramm. 

The track is mixed by long-time Harry Shearer musical collaborator C J Vanston at The Treehouse North Hollywood and produced by David Torkanowsky. It was recorded in New Orleans and Los Angeles.

"COVID-180" by Harry Shearer

• Harry Shearer has vocally portrayed every US president of his lifetime. Donald Trump is the third he has portrayed physically, having previously played Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan on screen.

SOURCE: Harry Shearer