KIDS HAVE POWER! - Young Voices For The Planet · PRODUCER Q&A Interview with Producer/Director...
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Transcript of KIDS HAVE POWER! - Young Voices For The Planet · PRODUCER Q&A Interview with Producer/Director...
KIDS HAVE POWER! Global climate change is upon us and the need to reduce CO2 is immediate. To move Our world leaders to reduce emissions, a worldwide public outcry is necessary. Young people play a vital role in catalyzing change. Young Voices on Climate Change (YVCC) has carved a distinctive niche in the field of climate change education and action. Our centerpiece project, the short film series Young Voices for the Planet (YVFP) showcases earnest youth helping to solve the climate crisis-‐-‐speaking out and reducing CO2 emissions while tackling a range of environmental issues through creative win-‐win solutions. There is no better messenger than our children who will bear the brunt of climate change. PRODUCTION TEAM These award-‐winning movies, beautifully filmed in high definition, were produced and directed by popular author/illustrator Lynne Cherry with a team that includes renowned photojournalist Gary Braasch and eminent National Geographic cinematographers. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TEACHING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE OVERCOMING MOTIVATED AVOIDANCE: An important article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that people, when faced with a troubling and complicated issue that they know very little about, are motivated to avoid learning more about it. Researchers call this motivated avoidance. This study tells us that, in order to reduce carbon emissions, we must teach about climate change and energy in a fundamentally different and carefully thought-‐out manner, through messaging that focuses on positive success stories. SEE LYNNE CHERRY’S NEW YORK TIMES BLOG about how the Young Voices for the Planet films overcome the public’s “Motivated Avoidance.” SCREENINGS The Young Voices for the Planet films have been screened in Congress, at the UN, Rio+20 and the COP15 Climate Talks in Copenhagen. They have been shown at hundreds of schools, libraries, science centers and museums such as the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The films have also been shown at many film festivals such as Mountainfilm at Telluride. They are currently on tour with the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, with the “Climate of Change” program and with the Women in Film and Television, Int’l. Woman’s Day Showcase. The films have been viewed by over half a million people. PUBLIC TV BROADCASTS The films will air on PBS in MA, NY, and FL and will be streamed from PBS Learning, WGBH Boston.
OVERVIEW
Youth voices can change public attitudes and actions.
“If you adults won’t do something about climate change, then we kids are going to take the reins.”
-12 year-old Shannon McComb The Young Voices for the Planet film series is a project of Young Voices on Climate Change, a 501 (c) 3 organization.
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The Young Voices for the Planet films document inspiring success stories of kids shrinking their carbon footprint and fighting climate change.
Green Ambassadors: These California teenagers recycle, compost, plant trees, educate younger students, start a “Clean Plate Club,” promote “Klean Kanteens” and much more to reduce their carbon footprint. They passionately describe why sustainability and renewable energy are important. Green Ambassador Jordan Howard says emphatically, “YOU can make a difference! (4:02)
Kids vs Global Warming: At 12 years old, Alec Loorz founds the non-‐profit Kids vs. Global Warming and Sea Level Awareness Project (SLAP). He explains climate change and erects SLAP posts along the California coast to warn citizens about sea level rise caused by global warming and creates a Declaration of Independence from Fossil Fuel. Alec says, “Kids have power!” (4:50)
Team Marine: Team Marine high-‐school students testify before the Santa Monica City Council and are successful in banning plastic bags. They demonstrate Democracy at its best. Team Marine member Danny says, “If I can get plastic bags out of my life, so can you!” (5:39)
Anya: Citizen-‐Scientist in Siberia: Anya Suslova, an indigenous Siberian girl, sees her world literally melting away due to warming caused by the developed world’s CO2 emissions. Anya joins Arctic scientist Max Holmes’ research team to study Arctic melting and measure the runoff into the Lena River. She teaches her schoolmates and traditional community elders about global warming. (3:48)
Girl Scouts: These Girl Scouts go door-‐to-‐ door distributing free energy-‐efficient light bulbs, educating neighbors about sustainability and telling them how they can save energy and money. Clarissa says, “this project made me feel that I could do pretty much anything if I wanted to.” (4:14)
ABOUT THE
FILMS
The Young Voices for the Planet films…
…feature youth solutions to the Climate Crisis. …document young people speaking out and reducing CO2 while tackling a range of environmental issues through creative win-win solutions. …transform youth and adults from feeling hopeless to hopeful— apathetic to engaged. …empower youth and help them recognize that they have the power to make change in the world. …change public attitudes and actions. …show youth engaging school administrators, local government, parents and the public while helping their peers develop confidence in themselves as agents of change.
Plant for the Planet: As a 9-‐year-‐old from Germany, Felix founded Plant for the Planet and, at 11, he had planted more than a million (now over a billion) trees to help sequester carbon and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He makes a profound plea for “climate justice” on behalf of future generations and compares the energy use of households in the United States, Germany and Africa. Felix says, “If the adults won’t do something then WE have to.” (5:54)
Dreaming in Green: Four middle school students conduct an energy audit and save their school $53,000 in energy bills. These dynamic girls, an incarnation of Charlie’s Angels, talk about how they created a coalition that worked together in their school, and at the Miami International Airport, to address sustainability. Maddi Cowen reminds viewers, “of all the coastal cities in the world, Miami will sustain the greatest economic loss from climate change.” (6:25)
Olivia’s Birds and the Oil Spill features 11-‐year-‐old Olivia Bouler from NY who raises $200,000 for Audubon’s efforts to rescue oiled birds after the BP spill. Olivia encourages Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and her Congressmen Steve Israel and Henry Waxman to support renewable energy. At the end of the film she says, “You don’t have to do what I did, but everything that you do COUNTS.” (6:44)
FILMS (Continued)
The Young Voices for the Planet films are licensed by NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EDUCATION to share with their 5 million online subscribers. There is no better messenger than our children who will bear the brunt of climate change.
Please help us shine a light on these global youth innovations that have the potential to create enduring solutions to climate change.
Longing for a Local Lunch features students in Great Barrington, Massachusetts who are changing their cafeteria fare from processed foods to local meat and local fresh vegetables and calculating the difference in CO2 emissions between locally grown food and food coming from a distance. Zoe Borden asks, “Why not start here and reduce our carbon footprint by buying locally?” (9:00)
REVIEWS
ABOUT THE
FILMMAKER
Lynne Cherry is an environmental lecturer and author and/or illustrator of over thirty award-‐winning children's books including her bestsellers The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran Wild that teach children to respect Planet Earth.
Lynne is also the producer and director of the Young Voices for the Planet films which are used by educational institutions such as National Geographic Education online and they are also being aired on PBS TV. The films have been screened widely at international conferences such as the COP15 Climate talks and at the United Nations. They have been shown at many film festivals worldwide and at science centers and museums such as the American Museum of Natural History in NYC.
Lynne earned an art degree at Tyler School of Art, her teaching degree at Temple University and a Masters in History at Yale University. She has had artist-‐in-‐residencies at many eminent institutions including Princeton University, The Smithsonian Institution, and Cornell. She was a recipient of the Metcalf Fellowship and has received science-‐writing fellowships from the Marine Biological Lab and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
“We, as educators, have a crucial role to play and we are on the front lines in this fight to save our planet and the children’s futures. But how can we teach kids about climate change without scaring them? How can we inspire and empower them? And how can we motivate the general public and our elected officials to act now to reduce carbon emissions?”
– Lynne Cherry
Ø BBC TV World News America
Ø Climate Challenge Interview with Lynne Cherry
Ø Lynne Cherry: Digging in the Dirt, by Katherine Pierpont of Essential Learning Products
Ø Climate Tide Ø Denver Film Festival Ø Earthbeat Radio Pacifica
“Women Creating Real Environment Change”
Ø Herald Tribune web article from Copenhagen
Ø Natural Resources Defense Council web magazine OnEarth “How to Teach Your Children About Climate Change Without Scaring Them” by Gary Braasch and Lynne Cherry”
Ø Paul F-Brandwein Lecture Ø Smithsonian.com Ø Treehugger Ø Way Cool Science with Scott
Sala Denver Public Schools Distance Learning Dept. Interview w/ Lynne Cherry
REVIEWS “Beautifully shot in high definition, the films are ideal for classroom inspiration.” -‐PR WEB “These beautifully crafted Young Voices for the Planet films can change the worldview of adults and youth alike in the matter of about 5 minutes! Adults will find the films poignant; for youth, they will provide an epiphany—allowing them to realize how much power they have to make positive change in the world. Please take a few minutes to watch these short films and to get motivated to take action on climate change.” -‐Professor Chris Palmer, author of “Shooting in the Wild: An Insider’s Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom,” and Director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University in Washington, DC “I see these films as some of the most powerful tools we can use to teach and inspire the next generation. We now show them in all the student workshops that Clean Currents offers as prime examples of youth building more sustainable communities and a better world for the generations to come.” -‐Emily Conrad, Community Outreach Coordinator, Clean Currents “The MY HERO Project congratulates Lynne Cherry and Olivia Bouler on winning the ENGAGE Award. Olivia’s activism is just the sort of everyday heroism we encourage from young people around the world, and Lynne’s talent and passion in telling Olivia’s story clearly demonstrates why she is a top-‐notch filmmaker who is consistently honored at our Film Festival.” -‐David Kelly, Communications Officer, The MY HERO Project “A strong testimonial to the power of young people! I had the honor and privilege of meeting Olivia and her mom at our conference last year at NYU…she is an amazing young advocate for the environment. Keep teaching us Olivia!” -‐Mary Leou, Director of the Environmental Conservation Education Program in the Department of Teaching and Learning at New York University “These Young Voices for the Planet movies have been seen worldwide, and inspired a new generation of environmentalists. I can personally attest that her [Lynne’s] work has motivated hundreds of my own college students. When they ask: ‘What can I do?’ I simply refer them to Lynne’s work.” -‐Juliana Texley, Ph.D., President-‐Elect of National Science Teachers Association and Education Professor at Central Michigan University “By watching Lynne Cherry’s Young Voices for the Planet films, my teachers and their students are inspired to join in local efforts in conservation.” -‐Suzanne M. Flynn, Professor at Lesley University
SCREENINGS
OFFICIAL ENTRY AAAS PUBLIC SCIENCE DAYS FILM FESTIVAL AQUATIC SCIENCES FILM FESTIVAL COLORADO ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL MIAMI & BEACHES ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL MOUNTAINFILM IN TELLURIDE FESTIVAL STARZ DENVER FILM FESTIVAL WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL WOODS HOLE FILM FESTIVAL MY HERO FILM FESTIVAL WINNER, Series, Team Marine WINNER, ENGAGE AWARD, Olivia’s Birds and the Oil Spill, $500 Cash Prize 2nd Place, Environmental Award, Olivia’s Birds and the Oil Spill 2nd Place, Series, Plant for the Planet 3rd Place, Series, Dreaming in Green 3rd Place, Series, Anya: Citizen- Scientist in Siberia 4th Place, Community Hero Award, Girl Scouts 4th Place, Series, Green Ambassadors
PRODUCER Q&A Interview with Producer/Director Lynne Cherry
Jordan Howard of Green Ambassadors
The plastic bag monster testifying
Alec carrying his SLAP post
The audience at the ECOMB screening
Q: Most people know you as a famous children’s book author and illustrator, especially for your classic books The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran Wild. What made you start making movies? A: I felt that movies would reach more young people. Kids are influenced by their peers and the youth in these movies are inspirational role models. Q: Do children have power? A: Young people play a vital role in catalyzing change. Youth were the societal motivators to stop littering and smoking, to wear seat belts and to recycle. There is no better messenger than our children who will bear the brunt of climate change. Q: What are the young people in the movies doing to stop climate change? A: All the kids are somehow reducing CO2 through win-‐win solutions. For example, in “Dreaming in Green,” four Florida middle-‐school girls do an energy audit and save their school $53,000 in energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions! “Plant for the Planet” features Felix Finkbeiner, an 11-‐year old German boy who, through his viral website, plants millions of trees to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Q: How can the films help youth make change? A: The films show replicable projects. When young people see the films they say, “I can do that”– and they do! Q: How do the films affect adults? A: The films reach people’s hearts. I’ve seen them make grown men cry. They make adults want to do something more to make sure their children have a future. If all the children, speaking for future generations, speak out, I believe that our leaders will respond to them and pass what Alec Loorz calls a “Climate Recovery Act.” Q: What would you like to see happen? A: I would like to see a Manhattan Project for Renewable Energy, elimination of subsidies on fossil fuels and a tax on carbon. According to a 2012 Department of Energy report, the US already could meet 80% of its energy needs with existing technology if we had the political will. I hope that the Young Voices for the Planet films will encourage kids and adults alike to speak out. Q: Do you think the Young Voice for the Planet Films have had an effect? A: An outside evaluator validated our strategy and found that our films are truly effective. But also, the films have fundamentally changed the pedagogy of climate change education. Both educators and environmental groups were trying to motivate through teaching about the horrible consequences of climate change-‐-‐of doom and gloom. People psychologically couldn’t handle believing it so they went into denial—and into the arms of the Climate Deniers. The Young Voices for the Planet films are POSITIVE SUCCESS STORIES that empower people and spur them to action. PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THESE INSPIRING YOUTH. FOR A MEDIA INTERVIEW WITH THE YOUTH IN THE FILMS OR WITH PRODUCER LYNNE CHERRY, PLEASE CONTACT US AT: [email protected]
PHOTO
GALLERY
COUNTERCLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Some of the kids featured in the Young Voices for the Planet films at the “Kids These Days” panel at Society of Environmental Journalists Conference; Lynne filming Jordan as the plastic bag monster; RETHINK from Team Marine; The dynamic four girls featured in Dreaming in Green.
OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT The Young Voices for the Planet film series has challenged and transformed the way that climate change is being taught. The psychological value of the films, as a tool to teach youth about climate change, has been discussed at meetings of such prominent institutions as National Education Association, EPA, National Science Foundation, National Academy of Sciences, NOAA, Ecological Society of America, the National Science Teachers Association and the North American Association of Environmental Educators.
National Geographic has linked to our web pages, embedded one of our films and trailer in their Education website and is advertising our films and web site with curriculum to their 5 million educator subscribers. WGBH, the Boston PBS affiliate, is featuring the films on their PBS Learning website. We are also collaborating with service-‐
learning organizations, non-‐profits, businesses, universities and after-‐school groups such as Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots and Girl Scouts who are encouraging their members to replicate the projects in the films. Our films are reaching university audiences, as well. For example, Harvard Professor Tim Weiskel and Professor Rosemary Milham of SUNY New Paltz championed the films. Professor Weiskel included them in his ethics classes and Professor Millham created a community-‐wide “Sustainability Day” around the films. University of Colorado uses the films in their Climate Change Workshops to dispel teachers’ and students’ fears and enable them to hear the science. CURRICULUM Elementary, Middle and High School teachers integrate the films into classroom lessons to make learning relevant to the real world. Each Young Voices for the Planet film has a dedicated web page with a CURRICULUM created by URBAN ECOLAB and funded by the NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. This impressive, in-‐depth curriculum engages youth in science. TRANSLATIONS The films have already been translated into Russian and Polish and were shown at major environmental conferences in those countries. Global Green, Mikhail Gorbachev’s non-‐profit, brought the films to Russia and Rio+20. The films have also been subtitled for hearing-‐impaired audiences. The YOUNG VOICES FOR THE PLANET DVD is available on our website. Click below:
OUTREACH
The following organizations have LINKED to our website and/or are using the films in their programs: ➢ American Association For the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Ø Climate Institute Ø Climate Solutions Ø (The) Coalition for
Science After School Ø Earth Island
Institute/Brower Youth Awards
Ø Frederick County Office of Sustainability
Ø GLOBE Program Ø Green Schools Initiative Ø International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Ø Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots
Ø (The) Mother Nature Network
Ø National Geographic Ø National Science
Foundation (NSF) Ø National Wildlife
Federation (NWF) Ø North American
Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE)
➢ World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
CREDITS
Filming the Rivertown Kids Chorus rehearsing SOLARTOPIA in Beacon, NY.
Longing for a Local Lunch: High school student Zoe Borden preparing lunch at her school cafeteria in Great Barrington, MA.
Filming Anya: Citizen-Scientist in Siberia in Woods Hole, MA.
Kids vs. Global Warming Producer/Director: Lynne Cherry | Co-‐Director David Linstrom Consulting Producers: Bob Nixon and Norm St. Landau Co-‐Producers: Gary Braasch and Candace Major Cinematographer: David Linstrom and Bryan Duggan Editor: Blake Facente Production Assistant: Tonya Nickerson Featuring: Alec Loorz Anya: Citizen-‐Scientist In Siberia Producer/Directors: Lynne Cherry & Bob Nixon Cinematography: Earth Conservation Corps, Daryl Wallace and Davonte Williams Consulting Producers: Norm St. Landau Editors: Blake Facente and Ines I. Perez Thompson Featuring: Anya Suslova and Max Holmes Green Ambassadors | Team Marine | Girl Scouts Producer/Director: Lynne Cherry | Co-‐Director and Cinematographer: David Linstrom Co-‐Producers: Gary Braasch & Candace Major Consulting Produce: Norm St. Landau Editor: Ines I. Perez-‐Thompson Production Assistant: Tonya Nickerson Featuring: Team Marine: Danny Farahdel, Yassaman Sarvian and Evelina Weary Green Ambassadors: Tracy Alvarez, Jordan Howard and Carolina Parra Girl Scouts: Clarissa Klein and Hannah Poplack Plant For The Planet Producer/Director: Lynne Cherry Cinematography: Steven Strange Productions Consulting Producer: Norm St. Landau Co-‐Producer: Gary Braasch Editors: Hayley Nenedal and Ines I. Perez-‐Thompson Featuring: Felix Finkbeiner and Frithjof and Karolin Finkbeiner Filmed in Germany Dreaming In Green Producer/Director: Lynne Cherry Consulting Producer: Norm St. Landau Co-‐Producers: Gary Braasch & Jennifer Locke Berenbaum Cinematography: Mark Moorman, Moving Pictures Sound: Ben Stinson | Editor: Jon Miles Featuring: Melissa Quintana, Nicole Martinez, Larissa Weinstein and Maddi Cowen Olivia’s Birds And The Oil Spill Producer/Director: Lynne Cherry Cinematography: Ed Nescott, Ventana Productions Sound: Dan Melius | Editor: Peter Rhodes Featuring: Olivia, Jackson, Nadine and James Bouler Longing for a Local Lunch Producer/Director: Lynne Cherry Cinematography: Rick Sands | Sound: Dan Karp Editor: Peter Rhodes Production Assistant: Sharika Bivens Featuring: Zoe Borden, Kelt Wilska, Emma Adler, Charlie Gibson and Principal Marianne Young
