October 21, 2008 - The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos, Canada's late-night talk show, and Cisco are partnering to spearhead a massive, nationwide environmental movement. This fall, CBC and The Hour will mobilize Canadians to commit One Million Acts of Green. In partnership with Cisco, and the power of their 'Human Network Effect' the collective goal is to change how we live and how we treat the planet, one act at a time.
It's not about overhauling your life; it's about one act from each individual amassing to a million. Maybe it's switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, making the decision to walk or bike to work, or to buy locally grown organic food. It can be as simple as recycling your cell phone or as ambitious as building a green roof space. One small thing can have a huge impact. Young and old, parents and kids, small towns and big cities, The Hour wants Canadians to take action for the sake of the environment.
All Canadians have to do is commit one act of "green" (or more), then register the act. There will be a highly interactive One Million Acts of Green (OMAoG) website (www.onemillionactsofgreen.com) where anyone can log their acts and see an immediate impact via an extensive green calculator designed by GreenNexxus. The site will also be a hub of information about OMAoG, and will serve as an educational resource of "green" content. Registrants will be able to learn more, inspire and challenge others to act.
The campaign will officially kick off on Tuesday October 21, 2008 and will run over The Hour's entire upcoming season, through to June 2009. George and The Hour will unite with other CBC programs to 'go green,' including CBC News, Kids' CBC, Steven & Chris, Living, CBC Sports and others. The call is out to everyone: politicians, celebrities, athletes, businesses, schools and universities. Everyone. OMAoG has recruited some big time environmental partners who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us for the duration of the campaign: Clean Air Foundation, The David Suzuki Foundation, Earth Day Canada, Environmental Defence, Evergreen, Green Street (managed by the Canadian Teachers' Federation) and The Climate Project-Canada are all non-profit, ENGO's. They are results-based, community-centred and absolute authorities on what it takes to get to 'green.' Their support and commitment to OMAoG is invaluable.
The Hour is the only talk show in Canada that, night after night, delivers the best conversations with an incomparable line up of guests. The Hour has featured some of the leading environmentalists in the world and key issue makers including, Al Gore, Dr. David Suzuki, Sir Richard Branson, Bjorn Lomborg, Dr. Jane Goodall, Tim Flannery, Terri Irwin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger - making The Hour a perfect vehicle to take this topic and this challenge direct to Canadians.
OMAoG exemplifies what Canadians do best, being a part of a collective. To be bigger than the individual, and to see what can be achieved by working together in a human network, is intrinsically Canadian. The goal is set: the challenge is on to make our lives, our communities, and our environment greener. One Million Acts of Green, one act at a time.
ONE MILLION ACTS OF GREEN - ABOUT OUR PARTNERS:
Cisco - Cisco is changing the way people work, live, play and learn. Through our technology, we enable people to make powerful connections whether in business, education, philanthropy or creativity. Our technology forms the foundation of the Internet and the Internet isn't a network of computers, it's a network of people. We call this "The Human Network" - a network of people with the power to change the world we live and work in. We believe change is a good thing, and that technology can and should improve life. Because of Cisco's solutions, people can come together in ways never before imagined. It doesn't matter whether walls, borders, mountains, or oceans stand in the way, over the network, people can come together and transform business, communities, governments, schools, and lives. Together, we are more powerful than we ever could be apart. When the human network sets out to solve a problem, the result is a Human Network Effect. www.cisco.com
Clean Air Foundation - Clean Air Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing, implementing and managing public engagement programs and other strategic approaches that lead to measurable emissions reductions, to improve air quality and protect the climate. The Foundation currently manages seven public engagement programs - Car HeavenTM, Mow Down PollutionTM, Keep CoolTM, Go Solar, Switch the 'Stat, Switch Out and Cool ShopsTM. www.cleanairfoundation.org
David Suzuki Foundation - The David Suzuki Foundation works through science and education to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life, now and for the future. With a goal of achieving sustainability within a generation, the Foundation collaborates with scientists, business and industry, academia, government and non-governmental organizations. We seek the best research to provide innovative solutions that will help build a clean, competitive economy that does not threaten the natural services that support all life. An independent charity, the Foundation does not accept government grants and is supported with the help of some 40,000 individual supporters across Canada and around the world. www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge
Earth Day Canada - Earth Day Canada (EDC), a national environmental charity founded in 1990, provides Canadians with the practical knowledge and tools they need to lessen their impact on the environment. In 2004 it was recognized as the top environmental education organization in North America, for its innovative year-round programs and educational resources, by the Washington-based North American Association for Environmental Education, the world's largest association of environmental educators. This year, it was chosen as Canada's "Outstanding Non-profit Organization" by the Canadian Network for Environmental Education and Communication. EDC regularly partners with thousands of organizations in all parts of Canada. www.earthday.ca
Environmental Defence - Environmental Defence protects the environment and human health. We research solutions. We educate. We go to court when we have to. All in order to ensure clean air, clean water and thriving ecosystems nationwide, and to bring a halt to Canada's contribution to climate change. Environmental Defence champions critical environmental and health issues under three program areas: Greening Cities, Protecting People, Saving Species. www.environmentaldefence.ca
Evergreen - Evergreen is a registered national charity founded in 1991. We are a national non-profit environmental organization with a mandate to bring nature to our cities through naturalization projects. Evergreen motivates people to create and sustain healthy, natural outdoor spaces and gives them the practical tools to be successful through its three core programs: Learning Grounds - transforming school grounds, Common Grounds - conserving publicly accessible land, and Home Grounds - for the home landscape. Community naturalization is a collective effort that includes people from all walks of life in the revitalization of their schools, homes or community and, ultimately, in the environmental, social and economic functioning of their cities. www.earthday.ca
Green Street - The program endeavours to provide opportunities to actively engage students and teachers in environmental learning and sustainability education. Using funding from the J W McConnell Family Foundation, the Canadian Teachers' Federation uses the Green Street Program to link schools in Canada to reputable Environmental Education organizations across the country and to encourage teachers and students to create their own sustainability initiatives. Green Street aims to deliver credible, accessible and affordable programs that are relevant to students' concerns, curriculum-linked, encourage a sense of personal responsibility for the environment, foster a commitment to sustainable living, and promote an enduring dedication to environmental stewardship. www.green-street.ca
The Climate Project - Canada - A non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public about climate change through presentations by 270 Canadian volunteers. These individuals were personally trained by Al Gore in April 2008 to present a live version of the slideshow featured in the Academy Award winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." The slide show has been tailored for Canadians. The volunteers come from every province and territory and from all walks of life, including retirees, students, Olympic athletes, scientists, business people and educators. www.climateprojectcanada.org/index_en.htm
GreenNexxus - Provides its members with the ability to share their environmentally focused projects and thoughts, belong to groups, invite friends, and attend events. This online community will help the reduction humanity's impact on the environment and promote active green living by facilitating the networking and collaboration of like-minded people and organizations. www.greennexxus.com
