Global Cool Commits 10 Years and Targets $250 Million to Engage Public in Reversing Global Warming

Global Cool Commits 10 Years and Targets $250 Million to Engage Public in Reversing Global Warming

Press Briefings in London and L.A. Detail Initiatives and Partnerships; World Premiere of Doors/Jim Morrison Song With Perry Farrell's Satellite Party Seeks to Ignite Global Climate Change Movement

LOS ANGELES and LONDON, Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Enlisting the resources of science and entertainment to launch a global communications effort aimed at engaging billions of individuals to defeat global warming, the newly launched movement Global Cool today held simultaneous press briefings in London and Los Angeles. The event introduced its international coalition of scientific and entertainment leaders, the science behind its solution to climate control and how, through webcasts, mobile messaging, live concerts/festivals and other platforms, the organization looks to empower individuals to save the planet.

The London briefing will be followed by a reception at 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister Tony Blair and 50 of the world's top business and climate control leaders.

With the credo of "One by One, Ton by Ton," Global Cool is focusing its message not at government or industry, but at individuals, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by ten billion tons over ten years. Educating people how to use less power in their everyday lives and counteract the energy they continue to use, Global Cool aims to make a collective impact on climate change -- buying enough time for the development of clean renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water, hydrogen, bio-mass and geo-thermal power.

"Today marks the start of a 3,650-day campaign to change the energy consumption habits of a billion people," stated Global Cool CEO Julian Knight, a former global head of London-based Man Group plc. "We are grateful to our corporate supporters, partners and the artists whose advocacy will be critical in accomplishing our goal."

Global Cool, founded by Dan Morrell, is being funded by a consortium of blue-chip financial institutions, which have set a target of $250 million in support of its ten-year campaign. The nonprofit organization will disperse funds to other NGOs and buy "offset credits" in combating CO2 emissions worldwide. GC's environmental messaging is informed by a respected board of trustees including Dr. Steve Howard of the Climate Group; Dr. Richard Tipper of the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management; James Cameron of Climate Change Capital; and Fanny Calder, former chief facilitator of the Number 10 Climate Advisory Group.

Given its mission to inspire audiences through music to embrace a shared responsibility for the planet, Global Cool finds a potent sonic anthem in "Woman in the Window." Making its world debut on January 30, the song melds what is believed to be one of the last unreleased, never-before-heard recordings of Jim Morrison and The Doors with new music by Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction, Lollapalooza), recorded by his current project Satellite Party. When they were approached by Farrell, The Doors granted him permission to create and perform the music to the "Woman in the Window" track, as originally performed a cappella by Jim Morrison. "When you hear it, it sounds as though Jim Morrison were watching us and commenting on the world today," says Farrell, who was "in awe" of the prescience of Morrison's images -- telling of a majestic, yet troubled Earth from the vantage point of an angel. A lifelong environmental activist, Farrell brought the song to Global Cool, which has been allowed to utilize "Woman in the Window" as a theme song for its campaign.

Global Cool is organizing an ongoing series of worldwide live musical events that will be announced in the coming weeks. The live concerts will be augmented by an ambitious slate of 25 annual webcasts featuring such acts as Maroon 5, The Scissors Sisters, Kasabian, KT Tunstall and others. More than 100 musical acts, film stars and athletes have committed to the effort to date -- including Josh Hartnett, Orlando Bloom and the mainstays of action/extreme sports -- helping Global Cool reach audiences worldwide through webcasts, SMS messaging, PSAs, personal appearances and performances.

Through its website www.global-cool.com, Global Cool provides an opportunity for education, entertainment and community. The site features a carbon calculator, called "MyCO2," for people to see how much energy they use in their everyday lives and teaches easy ways -- through efficiency, reduction and offsets -- to reduce their "carbon footprint."

Global Cool has partnered with the Environmental Media Association (EMA), a nonprofit organization that promotes environmental messaging within the context of filmed and recorded entertainment. Its board is representative of television network and studio executives as well as writers, producers and performers dedicated to advancing public awareness of environmental issues, while also providing the public with lifestyle tips and information. EMA, through its communications partnership with E! Entertainment, will work with Global Cool in the distribution of its messaging as well as other programs within the entertainment industry.

With nearly 27 billion tons of CO2 emitted globally every year, with an added annual increase of a half-billion tons, the consensus among climate scientists is that we are fast approaching a climatic "tipping point" -- the point at which the climate will become irreversibly unstable. These experts generally agree that in 2007 we may be only a decade away from this point, and only by reducing CO2 emissions by a minimum of one billion tons per year can we forestall this point long enough in order to develop long-term energy solutions.

For more information, visit the website at www.global-cool.com.

Source: Global Cool

CONTACT: Liz Jaeger, ljaeger@bwr-la.com, or Kelly Striewski,
kstriewski@bwr-la.com, +1-310-550-7776, both for Global Cool

Web site: http://www.global-cool.com/

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