New York, NY--Straight from the mind of “The March of the Penguins” creator comes a project you should definitely investigate. Luc Jacquet, the director and writer behind the informative, jaw-dropping, and downright adorable Oscar-winning film about Antarctica’s most famous residents, has envisioned and created a way for students—and students-at-heart—to learn about climate change in a way he can best teach it—through gorgeous film shot around the world.

Jacquet has created a multimedia project through his nonprofit Wild-Touch NGO. Called Ice & the Sky, it offers something for people of all ages curious about how our planet’s temperatures are changing – videos, animated films, storyboard diagrams, and interviews with leading scientists.“We have to break the walls between science, entertainment, and education and bring them all together.” All elements on the website can be used as teaching material, or viewed solo. 

We hosted Oscar-winning director Luc Jacquet (March of the Penguins) and his Wild-Touch team in our offices before the first screening in the United States of his latest film, Ice & the Sky. We're exploring ways to work together to tackle climate change.

Jacquet’s latest film, “Ice & the Sky,” focuses on French glaciologist Claude Lorius, who began researching in Antarctica in 1957 when he as 23. After 32 expeditions to frozen continent, the 82-year-old now looks back at his work—told through amazing archival footage—particularly at his breakthrough discovery of measuring carbon bubbles in ice, which reveal temperatures when they were formed. A collection of ice cores allowed the researchers to see the changes in temperatures throughout the ice ages and warmer periods, demonstrating that in the last 100 years, mankind’s role in releasing greenhouse gases has significantly altered the planet’s climate. Lorius was one of the first scientists to talk about global warming. “Ice & the Sky” closed the renowned Cannes film festival this year, and received a standing ovation nearly 10 minutes long.

Connect4 Climate was lucky enough to attend the first U.S. screening, held on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Jacquet spoke after the film, emphasizing his quest to help the younger generation understand what is happening and help them find solutions: “My duty is to do something for the planet. If everyone does something within their own professions we can move quickly.” Jacquet says his contribution to the climate movement is through the storytelling mechanism he knows best—film.

We will be sharing more details of Jacquet's exciting efforts soon. Stay tuned!

Such a simple action, one night out that changed my life forever. As a University of Maryland (UMD) student this past spring, I attended the Connect4Climate Right Here, Right Now event at The World Bank in Washington, DC, to celebrate and recognize artists around the world who had participated in a competition to link conversations about global climate change to the local actions of our daily lives. I had no idea at the time what an impact this would have on me. 

Our professor, Dr. Leszek Sibilski, had explained that along with the excellent opportunity of attending this event, a couple of students from another class were working on a video assignment and needed a little extra help. So a few of UMD students came together and had an excellent evening producing video clips and listening to The World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Sustainable Development Network Vice President Rachel Kyte, External Affairs Vice President Cyril Muller, Africa Vice President Makhtar Diop, the Global Environment Facilitys CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii, and the Italian Minister of the Environment Corrado Clini speak and celebrate youth engagement in creative climate action. Good music, good food and a tour of the World Bank Headquarters left us curious, concerned and inspired to do more. Later I found out that The World Bank, the Italian Ministry of Environment, and the Global Environment Facility in collaboration sponsored that event with more than 150 partners.

Students of the University of Maryland Contemporary Social Problems Class working on iChange competition videos with Professor Leszek Sibilski.
Source: connect4climate.org

Our friends at Education Africa, Model UN South Africa and UNIC Pretoria put together this primer on the origins of the climate change debate ahead of the Model UN debates kicking off October 21st through 24th. This is a helpful resource for those of you engaging with us during AVCC week (October 24-31). While this primer doesn't address all the details of all the climate change agreements since 1992, it does provide a little bit of insight into where this conversation began and just how far the parties are on getting to an agreement on this very complex issue of climate change.

During AVCC week, we would like to hear what regular Africans (and policy-makers if possible) have to say about climate change and their local community and country. For Africa to develop, it will require massive amounts of energy. How developing regions access and generate that energy is a major component of this debate. How is Africa expected to develop without access to energy? What are some ways in which the continent can develop clean energy systems in enough capacity to address growing populations and an emerging middle class that is consuming resources at an alarming rate. Does the consumer bear a certain responsibility in changing their consumption habits? If so, how?

As you can tell, there are many angles to this debate. And that is why AVCC matters. Take part, and engage in the debate. What is your climate change story? What are some solutions? More importantly, share with us what YOU as an individual are doing to address the problem. Stories matter, and they begin with yours.

A iniciativa do Banco Mundial, Connect4Climate, junta-se à multiplataforma de entretenimento da Sony Pictures Television, Crackle, e à Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), de Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, para lançar o "Projeto Crackle Green", uma série de cinco curtas-metragens disponível na plataforma online brasileira da Crackle. Com o objectivo de promover o talento dos estudantes de cinema do Brasil e consciencializar a população sobre o meio ambiente e a sustentabilidade, a Crackle financiou cinco curtas-metragens apresentadas pelos alunos de cinema da UFF. Este é o primeiro passo para uma iniciativa global.

Um comité composto pela equipa de programação da Crackle e figuras internacionalmente reconhecidas da indústria do cinema, tais como o realizador Fernando Meirelles e os actores Alessandra Negrini e Rodrigo Santoro, selecionou os argumentos para as curtas. Segundo o realizador nomeado pela Academia, Fernando Meirelles, “O Projeto Crackle Green é uma oportunidade única para jovens cineastas se envolverem na defesa do ambiente e ajudarem a alterar os mecanismos de produção actuais da indústria cinematográfica.”

O Projeto Crackle Green pretende motivar o público a adoptar uma atitude mais consciente em relação às questões ambientais. As curtas-metragens (três documentários e duas ficções) abordam questões como as práticas do consumo sustentável, a preservação ambiental e o transporte sustentável.

“Crackle assenta numa intersecção entre media, entretenimento e conteúdo original de elevada qualidade. É um prazer ser parceiro da Universidade Federal Fulminense, da iniciativa do Banco Mundial, Connect4Climate, e do Departamento de Sustentabilidade da Sony Pictures Entertainment no lançamento de uma iniciativa de consciencialização ambiental que alia cinema, educação e tecnologia para um bem maior”, afirma José Rivera Font, GM & VP, América Latina Digital Networks da Sony Pictures Television. “Crackle é o meio perfeito para transmitir uma mensagem poderosa através de mais de quinze diferentes plataformas para a audiência brasileira, convidando-os a participar nos nossos esforços e juntos fazermos a diferença”.

“Segundo o nosso presidente, Jim Yong Kim, ‘Nunca acabaremos com a pobreza se não combatermos as alterações climáticas’”, afirma Lucia Grenna, Directora do Programa Connect4Climate. “O Connect4Climate pretende promover uma discussão que conduza à acção na luta contra as alterações climáticas e à criação de  um movimento global. Com mais de 180 parceiros em todo o mundo a trabalhar em conjunto para alcançar as mais diversas audiências e resultados tangíveis, o Connect4Climate integra-se perfeitamente nesta iniciativa única. Contamos dar o máximo de visibilidade às curtas-metragens, levando vozes locais a uma audiência global”.

A forte presença da Crackle e as suas  aplicações gratuitas facilitam o acesso da população brasileira através de dispositivos móveis, smart TVs e internet pelo site http://www.crackle.com.br As pl.ataformas incluem Google Chrome, Google TV, Sony Bravia TV, Samsung TV, LG TV e os seus dispositivos Blu-Ray, Apple TV, PS3, PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX One, Windows 8, Blackberry, iOS, Android e Kindle Fire.

NYU Heyman center for philanthropy and fundraising partners with World Bank’s Connect4Climate initiative to raise awareness about climate change issues around the world.

New York University’s George H. Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising (NYUHC) is the latest educational institution to partner with the World Bank and a broad range of partners in Connect4Climate (C4C): a campaign, a competition, and a community dedicated to raising awareness about climate change issues in Africa and around the world.  The C4C global partnership initiative uses social media and the web to give voice to local stakeholders who have stories to tell about climate change.

C4C’s goal is to create a participatory open knowledge platform that engages the global community in climate change conversation to drive local action. In just nine months, C4C has created a Facebook community of nearly 300,000 followers. Across multiple social media platforms and the www.connect4climate.org site, C4C’s weekly online reach is between 4 to 6 million.

According to NYU Heyman Center’ Executive Director  Naomi Levine: “Our  faculty is in a unique position to contribute its expertise in cause marketing, digital advocacy and fundraising, to help advance solutions to this key issue, affecting our planet and future survival.  The C4C partnership will also enable us to provide access to our distance learning courses designed to help nonprofits and activists better engage their supporters.” Upcoming Heyman Center online courses are Always On/Always There: Leveraging Mobile Applications and Engaging Supporters, taught online by faculty member, Elizabeth Ngonzi (C4C partnership liaison) on Wednesdays from 10:00am-12:30pm  ET, June 6 - June 27; and Fundraising Concepts and Practices, available May 21 - August 10 (10 sessions individually arranged), accessible to anyone around the world via Internet.

Lucia Grenna, C4C Program Manager, sees the partnership with NYUHC as a vehicle to provide educators, students and activists around the world with access to critical strategies and tactics that will help them  activate policy makers and increase stakeholder engagement in a meaningful manner, so as to lead help address climate change issues more effectively.  Other U.S. educational institutions participating in C4C include: Columbia University Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, MIT Center for Collective Intelligence-Climate Co-Lab, and Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.

Contact: Elizabeth Ngonzi 
Telephone: +1 732.208.3304
Email: en33@nyu.edu

The Nordic Climate Facility (NCF) is holding a call for proposals for "Innovative low-cost climate solutions with a focus on local business development in eligible developing countries." If you have a an innovative idea or solution to climate change that you are working on and live in one of the low-income countries listed, then this is your opportunity to apply for funding.

Grant financing of up to EUR 500 000 can be granted to partnerships between relevant Nordic (i.e. Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland) institutions, organisations, companies, authorities and qualified local Partners in low-income countries.

Countries eligible for the grant financing programme include:  Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe; Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kyrgyz Republic, Lao PDR, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam; Bolivia, Honduras and Nicaragua.

This and other "green" funding competitions offer an opportunity to low-income countries to jump-start green economies. The best thing about this call for proposals is that it offers innovators in these low-income countries an opportunity to partner with Nordic climate specialists for knowledge transfer. So your idea doesn't have to be fully-baked, just viable enough to peek the interest of specialists who would want to help your bring it to fruition. So you get the money and mentoring from experienced practitioners in the field.

So get you thinking caps on, cook up some great low-cost solutions to climate change and apply for a piece of the EUR 500,000. You never know, your idea just might be the one they are looking to fund. Good luck.

To me it seems like we might finally be coming out of what I like to call the post-COP15 climate change fatigue. The world is opening its eyes again. In the aftermath of 2012 there seems to be a broader acceptance that climate-induced extreme weather events are occurring, see WRI’s timeline of extreme weather events in 2012. I am encouraged to see increased climate change discussion happening around the world.

The extreme events experienced in the US in 2012 broke a number of records. This has resulted in Obama actively taking a stance on climate change. In his State of the Union address Obama said: “The 12 hottest years on record all came in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods all are more frequent and more intense… We can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it's too late.”

Not only is action being seen in the US, but also in countries such as China and increasingly across the developing world. South Africa, for example, has finally signed off on a number of renewable energy projects to help relieve its electricity supply deficit, making it an attractive market for renewable energy project developers. In 2012 most of the new energy projects in the US were also renewable, and in Germany, where the feed-in tariff for renewables has been cut back, the rollout of solar and wind projects still continues.

On a general note, although there was an apparent lull in global greenhouse-gas emissions in recent years, it was largely due to the global economic recession, and global emissions are still growing at an unprecedented rate. In 2012 CO₂ measurements soared. Even though this might have more to do with the fact that it was one of the hottest years on record, and hence the increase was more natural than human induced, the Mauna Loa records do indicate that we are heading above the “standard emissions scenario” of the IPCC and towards a 3°C or even 4°C warmer world, see also the World Bank Report, Turn Down The Heat.

Nonetheless there seems to be an increased realization that the best way of getting out of the global recession is through low-carbon development. Actually, it is the only way. As Betty Williams recently said at the Right Here, Right Now event “climate change is an injustice to Mother Earth.” To let us live in harmony in the future and make sure we and our children continue to enjoy our Mother Earth, low-carbon development is a necessity.

Besides mitigation, the adaptation agenda has really picked up, particularly in because of extreme weather events. There is an increased realization by cities and regional governments that we are already living with the impacts of climate change and that adaptation planning is a necessity. The EU is coming up with its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and in 2013 Connect4Climate will be represented at the first European Climate Adaptation Conference.

 

Such local and regional action is a welcome driving force. To me it seems that local action will drive global change, and as more and more actors come on board, the movement will no longer be local. It will become global. It is time to connect as far and wide as possible. Every industry, from fashion to energy, needs to take on the sustainability challenge, and every audience needs to come on board, which is why we are pushing for the broadest engagement possible at Connect4climate. In the words of Jim Yong Kim: “To deliver bold solutions on climate change, we need to listen to and engage broader and more diverse audiences. We need to hear the voices of young people. Their futures are at stake. The time for all generations to act is now.”

So while I see an awakening in the world, climate change is more of a reality than ever before. The wasted years from 2009 may finally have caught up with us, and we must not forget the challenge of dealing with climate change. We will have to peak global emissions in the next few years, and we will need to continue building our resilience to the climatic changes we have already set in motion. As Achim Steiner puts it: “the sobering fact remains that a transition to a low carbon, inclusive Green Economy is happening far too slowly, and the opportunity for meeting the 44 Gt target is narrowing annually.”

This makes me wonder why I still see adverts on CNN advocating the growth of the US petroleum industry by BP and other players and why, when 97% of all scientists know that climate change is a reality, the renowned debating forum at the Oxford Union still feels the need to give the platform to a climate skeptic.

In conclusion, thank you all for embracing climate change reality, but please realize that now more than ever it is time to act. In the words of Jim Yong Kim: "Connect4Climate is important because we have to take this struggle to a different level. We have been talking about the numbers. 98% of scientists agree, we are going to see a 4 degree Celcius world by the end of the century... We have said all the numbers again and again, but what we yet have failed to do is actually connect."

So I say, connect right here and right now to solve the climate challenge.

On April 8, 2015 we had the unique chance to sit in at the heart of the "Lets Talk Climate" webinar hosted by Earth Day Network and Connect4Climate at the World Bank Group HQ. (To listen to the entire webinar, go to connect4climate and scroll to "Let's Talk Climate"). The idea behind the webinar was to get leading thinkers talking about innovative strategies to communicate climate change. From social medias influence on spreading awareness, to connecting messages to concrete actions, and understanding your audiences values to find achievable solutions, the conversation was dynamic and non-stop, and the room itself was buzzing with energy. Clearly, the buzz was picked up around the world; the webinar boosted Connect4Climate's Twitter impression to 12 million that day!

 

The webinar "Let's Talk Climate" seriously spiked Connect4Climate's Twitter impressions! While the discussion touched on the many angles of climate change communications that we think about every day, it also gave us some new ideas to consider. It also provided some serious food for thought for our upcoming conference "Communication for Climate Change 2.0" on Wednesday, April 15, when Connect4Climate and the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) at Columbia University are bringing together a fantastic blend of scholars and leaders during the World Bank Group's spring meetings to dissect the science of climate change communication and determine the most effective ways to move forward.

See all Connect4Climate's events and initiatives surrounding Earth Day. 

Communications Officer Max Edkins and Lucia Grenna, Program Manager of Connect4Climate, and Joelle Auffray, Director of Apidae Development Pty Ltd., prepare for the webinar.

Liz Ngonzi's introductory remarks for April 20th Connect4Climate 'Local Climate, Global Change: Development Communication in a social media landscape' forum.

"Until the lion has his or her own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story."

Ewe-Mina (African) Proverb

Young people's access to new media worldwide brings new and in some peoples opinions, authentic voices into the global conversation about the issues that affect all of us the most, such as: climate change, conflict, economic crisis, education disparity, access to healthcare, and food security. 

While traditional media and development agencies are able to provide the world with visibility into these issues, they are only able to do so through specific lenses colored by the interests of their leadership - in the case of the media-- keeping advertisers happy and maintaining ratings and with development agencies - satisfying donors requirements.  The result being that the people whose lives are most affected by the issues, have traditionally been left out of the conversation, leading to policy decisions and development projects that in some instances solve the wrong problems, and ultimately do more harm than good, for those they are intended to assist.

What is particularly exciting about new media is that it widens the conversation by providing channels for new voices to be heard and amplified in a matter of minutes. If we think about traditional news cycles and the amount of time it typically takes for a development agency to compile and publish a report, what in the past may have been seen as timely information may in fact become irrelevant by the time it is accessed by the public. Contrast that with social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook which enable a young woman in Mbarara Western Uganda (from where I hail) to use a basic SMS-enabled mobile phone to (in real-time) write about the circumstances in her village and potentially have her voice heard by many people across the globe who can help her affect change. With a more sophisticated video-enabled phone, she can now even record and upload a video to a computer in her local Internet caf (assuming her phone is not WiFi-enabled) and show her reality in a richer manner.

If we take the example further and put it within the context of the Connect4Climate video contest which was piloted in Africa last fall and received over 700 submissions from the continents young people, we really start to see the power of new media.  For instance, the video by South Africa's Thabo Edkins, entitled "The World Has Malaria", through one Connect4Climate outlet alone - Facebook - can be accessed by its 1/4 of a million followers, all of whom could potentially watch each of those videos and even more importantly, forward any of them to their friends - resulting in amplification on a scale unimaginable in the past.  Additionally, if the videos revealed any particular trend that needed to be addressed immediately, policy makers from the countries videos countries of origin can access them on the Connect4Climate Youtube channel and potentially take action in real-time. 

Of course when we speak about this sort of citizen journalism, one of the potential risks we have to consider is that the stories are unvetted, however with enough data points and mechanisms in place to verify information, citizens could very well be some of our best sources.  Another potential risk is that of retribution by governments in countries that disallow free speech, which could lead to some of the censorship efforts weve seen in the last 18 months during the Arab Spring and elections worldwide.  Finally, with the increase in content comes the need for crowdsourced mapping tools to turn the data into actionable information, such as with the case of Ushahidi and ReVoda election monitoring platforms and of course, Microsofts Local Impact Map.

Ultimately, I see new media as providing access to new voices, but I also still believe the traditional outlets are valuable, however as with other industries that have been affected by the disruptive technologies, they will have to find a way to add more meaningful analysis and potentially incorporate the new voices into their reports, in order to remain relevant in the future. 

Ladies and gentlemen, ironically I agree with The New York Times' Thomas L. Friedman the world is indeed "flattening".

 

Liz Ngonzi

Adjunct Professor

New York University Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising

You can find Liz Ngonzi on Twitter at @LizNgonzi. 

When I moved to the US I realized that the consumption habits related to my new household and everyday life were not the most sustainable. Air conditioning 24 hours a day, and to always use the drying machine instead of drying your clothes naturally in the sun is something unbelievable in my home country (Portugal) and not the right path if you care about your impact on the environment.

So, after this consumption shock, I realized that I had to green my routine and thats when I decided to transform the 12x5 backyard garden of my house into a vegetable garden.

Gardening and growing your own vegetables is easier than it seems and is also a fulfilling experience. Gardening is an action that is more than a funny, relaxing, and rewarding outdoor exercise. It requires you to learn more about crops, watering methods, soil characteristics, and to feel the real impacts of climate change on living species. Besides this knowledge advantage, growing your own vegetables will bring you several benefits. It allows you to really know what you are eating, to always have fresh vegetables, to try better tasting food since you will be sure to avoid pests and food modifying processes, and to reduce food waste. At the same time, you will save money on groceries and you will even be able to involve your family and friends in an outdoor activity a great way to engage everyone in sustainable actions and to promote a green lifestyle. You will be making an healthier and smarter choice for you and for the planet!

With a small sunny piece of soil, a packet of seeds, and the right mood to become a modern farmer everyone can grow his or her own vegetables. Here I am with my beautiful first pumpkin, happy and ready to celebrate Halloween, or to transform it into a delicious pumpkin cake!

Got a personal climate change story to share with us, then submit it to Voices4Climate for a chance to win!