Nairobi, - Supermodel Gisele Bündchen,
Actors Don Cheadle and Ian Somerhalder and footballer Yaya Touré – all UNEP
Goodwill Ambassadors – have launched a challenge to see who can rally the most
registered activities for World Environment Day 2014. Their call to action,
Message in the Bottle, asks individuals around the world to join one of the
celebrities’ teams and make a difference by pledging to take action in support
of World Environment Day. These pledges can be registered at wedchallenge.com.
The campaign features a
variety of Public Service Announcements in 7 languages which will run on CNN,
large format billboards in Times Square in New York City and Piccadilly Circus
in London, and on-line. (To view the videos, please visit https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ4sOGXTWw8GqnygMSOxWirZN_m-Gphn9).
In a unique creative
approach, viewers get to see Don Cheadle playing trumpet to prepare for his
upcoming directorial debut and lead role as Miles Davis, Gisele practicing her
beloved martial art, Kung Fu, and Yaya Touré getting mentally prepared for the
run up to the World Cup.
“These global celebrities
are giving fans a unique glimpse into the private moments that make them who
they are,” said Jeffrey Nachmanoff, director of the Public Service
Announcements, screenwriter for the climate blockbuster The Day After
Tomorrowand writer/director of Traitor and the CBS series Hostages.
“They are then interrupted
in these moments by a message in the bottle which is an unexpected play on
their roles and provides a twist that should get the viewer’s attention and
encourage them to want to go to the site to get involved,” he added.
This is the second time
that Nachmanoff has lent his talent to create a UNEP public service
announcement, the first was for the Seal the Deal Climate Campaign in 2009. He
worked alongside accomplished cinematographers, Jim and Nicole Whitaker on both
UNEP projects. Game 7 Films of New York City produced the films. Notably, the award-winning
band The Police donated the sound track of the iconic song, Message in the
Bottle, to support the campaign World Environment Day (WED)
is the United Nations’ principal vehicle for encouraging worldwide awareness
and action for the environment.
Over the years, it has
grown to be a broad, global platform for public outreach that is widely
celebrated in over 100 countries. It’s the “people’s day” for doing something
good for the environment, and for galvanizing individual actions into a
collective power that generates a substantial positive impact on the planet. In support of the UN’s
designation of 2014 as the International Year of Small Island Developing
States, WED 2014 has adopted Small Island Developing States as its theme in the
broader context of climate change.
The objective is to
encourage a greater understanding of the importance of SIDS and the urgency to
help protect the islands in the face of growing risks and vulnerabilities,
particularly as a result of climate change, and to demonstrate the connections
between these ecosystems and ours.
From Trinidad and Tobago to
Tonga, Samoa to Suriname, the problems that these small islands face – climate
change, waste management, unsustainable consumption, degradation of natural
resources, extreme natural disasters in the midst of overpopulation and
continuing industrialization – are the problems that face us all.
For Small Island Developing
States, climate change is foremost among these challenges, as global warming is
causing ocean levels to rise. According to the
International Panel of Climate Change (IPCC), global sea levels are rising at
an increased rate. This is projected to be increase even further this century.
When the global temperature warms, seawater expands and occupies more space.
Sea levels also rise when polar ice melts.
Coastal communities in
every country are then threatened with floods and storm surges, to which Small
Island Developing States are the most exposed. Many of these islands’ inhabited
areas and cultural sites are potentially in danger of being lost to sea-level
rise.
WED 2014 underscores that
we all face similar challenges and are connected and united by a common goal: a
sustainable and prosperous life for everyone on this planet. Every action,
pledge, and activity counts and, when multiplied by a global chorus, becomes
exponential in its impact. Make your voice heard and register at www.unep.org/wed and wedchallenge.com.
How to Get Involved:
Each celebrity Goodwill
Ambassador is championing his or her own cause in support of this year’s
WED theme, Raise Your Voice not the Sea Level. YOU can cast your own vote by
pledging support to one of their activities at wedchallenge.com or on Twitter. You can also support
via social media networks:
Hashtags
#WorldEnvironmentDay
#WED2014 #WEDchallenge
Teams:
GiseleBünchen Twitter
account: @giseleofficial
Yaya TouréTwitter account:
@Toure_yaya42
Don CheadleTwitter account:
@IamDonCheadle
IanSomerhalder Twitter
account: @iansomerhalder
Facebook/Google +
For #WorldEnvironmentDay
this year Gisele Bündchen will work against food waste, Don Cheadle wants you
to power down, Ian Somerhalder asks you to go greener and Yaya Touré to purge
plastics. Which team will you join? #WEDchallenge
UNEP Goodwill Ambassadors
have taken up #WorldEnvironmentDay challenge. How will you step up to the
challenge? Join a team and register your activity!
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