Triple Bill of firsts!

As week two of the UN Climate change meeting in Copenhagen commences, the European Environment Agency launched a world premier of the film “One Degree Matters,” along with a new interactive website of personal climate change pledges and with UNEP, an Environmental Atlas of Europe looking at the rapidly changing environment of parts of Europe.

One Degree Matters is a film that follows social and business leaders as they travel to Greenland and experience for themselves the dramatic implications of melting icecaps.

They come to understand the effects of climate change and the subsequent impacts it will have on society and the economy. The film brings latest science from the Arctic to the big screen, and shows why a further rise in global temperature, of even one degree, will critically affect the planet and human behaviour.

Following on from the film, The European Atlas chronicles the rapidly changing environment of parts of Europe and was jointly launched by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
The significance of global warming and its alterations in Europe's climate and economy are vividly depicted via 'before-and-after' satellite imagery. At the same time, the Atlas provides an important opportunity to show some positive environmental changes thanks to community initiatives on the ground, emphasising the importance of local action to combat climate change.
Dr Angela Cropper, executive director at the United Nations Environment Programme said, “It is a fitting time to launch this Atlas as policy makers are midst taking critical decisions affecting our planet. The Atlas is a tool to illustrate how our world is changing, and how we can best respond to the critical threat that climate change presents.”
For those that want to know how they can live a low carbon lifestyle and make tangible changes, 'Bend the Trend' is a new social networking site where individuals are encouraged to pledge a lifestyle change that will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. 'Bend the Trend' will also incorporate data from other existing pledge systems.
The collective effects on carbon emissions will be projected onto an interactive world atlas. The application will link with social networks for 'Trendbenders' to build viral momentum. 'Bend the Trend' pledging will be available to the public from 14 December.