Hope in a Changing Climate

While serving as executive director of the Environmental Education Media Project Jonathan Halperin managed the creation of Hope in a Changing Climate, the award-winning documentary screened in Copenhagen at COP-15 and broadcast globally by BBC World.

The story of successful large-scale ecosystem restoration that is shown in the film, narrated by EEMP founder John D. Liu, continues to inspire audiences around the world and has been translated into French, Russian, Chinese, and numerous other languages.

Beyond the making of the film, Mr. Halperin designed and led a global distribution approach. As a result of that, the film served as a platform for stakeholder engagement and discussion in more than 30 countries.

The Film

The Outreach Campaign

Media Coverage and Social Media

Recognition and Awards

The Film

Watch the full-length version of "Hope in a Changing Climate"
(Courtesy of Plant for the Planet)

"Integration, Integration, Integration"
In an interview with The Open University Jonathan J. Halperin discusses the importance of looking
at climate change challenges as a whole and the film Hope in a Changing Climate.

(Interview Transcript)

Jonathan J. Halperin introduces "Hope in a Changing Climate"
Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009 at the COP15 Agriculture & Rural Development Day in Copenhagen.

Jonathan J. Halperin Q&A with Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director at the Danish Film Institute
Copenhagen, COP-15, December 2009

The Outreach Campaign

The Environmental Education Media Project engaged local stakeholders around the globe in discussions of the themes of the film.

In cities and villages, on campuses and in corporate meeting rooms, “Hope in a Changing Climate” brought people together to to share their thoughts and concerns not only the substantial environmental problems we face, but specifically about the role that ecosystem restoration can play in stabilizing our climate, eradicating poverty and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

EEMP provided host organizations with a Discussion Guide on Ecosystem Restoration, a Hope in a Changing Climate Press Kit, templates for invitations, and a range of other support materials created by Mr. Halperin and his team.

Seventy-two organizations, on six continents, in 30 nations facilitated discussions and screenings of "Hope in a Changing Climate."

Countries:

Argentina, Australia, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ethiopia, Fiji Islands, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, DPR Korea, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia (Puntland), South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vietnam 

Organizations:

Media Coverage and Social Media

The story of the film and its distribution, as well as public response to the BBC broadcast, its premiere at COP15 in Copenhagen and to its presentation at screenings and film festivals was captured in a series of blog posts by Jonathan J. Halperin. The blog posts were shared across social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) designed specifically to stimulate wide-ranging public discussion of the issues addressed in the film.

Selected Media, Blog, and Social Media Coverage (November 2009 - March 2010)

Recognition and Awards

 Hope in a Changing Climate has received numerous awards, including:

  • Brazil: The International Festival of Environmental Film and Video accepted the film into its highly competitive global festival (June 2010)

  • United States: Best in Category: Ecosystem award from the prestigious International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana. In addition to the award for best ecosystem film, “Hope in a Changing Climate” also received six merit awards from IWWF (Presenter, Storytelling, Scientific Content, Conservation Initiative, Conservation Message and Human-Environment) in its 33rd annual film festival, May 2010, in Missoula, Montana.