The EA2K Project
Don't Take Our Planet For GrantedPRESS RELEASE
April 20, 2000
CONTACT: ELODIA M. BLANCO
For Immediate Release
ph(504) 947-0511 fx(504) 259-5448 E-mail: EA2Kissues@aol.comSONY MUSIC TO MANUFACTURE INTERACTIVE CD/CD-ROM SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT
INNOVATIVE PROJECT TO RAISE $5 MILLION FOR NEW GENERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS
The Special Products division of Sony Music is giving a major boost to The EA2K Project, a philanthropic venture developed to raise consciousness about the environment and to raise money to build diversity in the environmental movement. The recording industry giant will manufacture the Project's "Don't Take Our Planet For Granted" -- a customized, multimedia compact disc featuring music by notable recording artists and interactive programming accessible via CD-ROM drive.The EA2K Project is an ambitious, not-for-profit organization affiliated with The Tides Center. It was created on Earth Day 1999 in response to the lack of ethnic and cultural diversity within the mainstream environmental community and the lack of public urgency about reducing global warming and its ominous effects on the environment.
"Communities of color are often disproportionately affected by environmental crises generally, and just as often are marginalized in mainstream environmental activism. They don't have access to mainstream funding; they don't have opportunities to share in the development of mainstream education, mitigation and relief priorities; and they don't benefit proportionally from mainstream environmental programs," stated Project spokesperson, Elodia M. Blanco.
"The purpose of The EA2K Project is to build bridges between diverse constituencies. New energy, new voices, new resources and shared leadership contribute to a balanced perspective and are critical to the legitimacy of the environmental movement. Diversity must be a priority if the movement is to survive in the 21st century," added Lela Pickett, Project Deputy Director, who along with Cheryl Alethia Phelps founded The EA2K Project.
"The 30th anniversary of Earth Day is the ideal occasion to announce this venture," continued Pickett. "The EA2K Project is a part of the Earthday Network and shares the coalition's view that reducing global warming is the defining environmental challenge of the century. Its effects -- heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods, blizzards, and outbreaks of vector-borne disease -- are felt across the planet. The CD/CD-ROM's interactive programming will provide an entertaining and informative overview of the issue. We want to make global warming's cause-effect-solution lexicon a part of our popular culture and offer remedies that people can incorporate into their daily lives."
Proceeds from the sale of the Don't Take Our Planet For Granted CD/CD-ROM are hoped to raise as much as $5 million for the Project's primary beneficiaries. The beneficiaries include Clark Atlanta University and Xavier University of Louisiana jointly; the Environmental Support Center; and the Latino Issues Forum.
"The EA2K Project must raise $2 million in corporate sponsorships over the next six months to make this happen," Blanco said. "We are grateful and motivated to have enlisted Sony Music Special Products' expertise and resources in the development of this innovative CD/CD-ROM."
"REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING IS THE DEFINING ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE OF THE MILLENNIUM." DECLARE EARTH DAY 2000 ACTIVISTS There is growing consensus among climate experts and activists that the hostile weather events of recent years are the consequence of global warming. And there is increasingly incontrovertible evidence that industrialized humankind is a major factor. Industrial activity and fossil fuel combustion are causing unnaturally high concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases in the atmosphere. As levels of greenhouse gases rise higher than normal, so do global temperatures, triggering climate extremes that dominate news headlines.
Those in agreement about the causes and consequences of global warming also agree that a widespread transition to renewable energy sources and improved energy efficiency is necessary to reducing its effects. The Earth Day 2000 U.S. Clean Energy Agenda outlines four tenets for responsible energy use: clean power, clean air, clean cars and clean investments. The underlying premise is that individual decision-making is key to achieving a societal change.
Founded on Earth Day 1999, The EA2K Project offers an innovative approach to mobilizing a new generation of environmental activists.
The Project has enlisted the Special Products division of Sony Music to manufacture "Don't Take Our Planet For Granted" -- a customized multimedia compact disc featuring music by notable recording artists and interactive educational programming accessible via CD-ROM drive. Proceeds from its sale are hoped to raise as much as $5 million for the Project's primary beneficiaries. The beneficiaries include Clark Atlanta University and Xavier University of Louisiana jointly; the Environmental Support Center; and the Latino Issues Forum.
"The 30th anniversary of Earth Day is the ideal occasion to announce this venture. The EA2K Project is a part of the Earthday Network and shares the coalition's view that reducing global warming is the defining environmental challenge of the century," said Project co-creator and Deputy Director, Lela Pickett. "Its effects -- heat waves, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, floods, blizzards, and outbreaks of vector-borne disease -- are felt across the planet. The CD/CD-ROM's interactive programming will provide an entertaining and informative overview of the issue. We want to make global warming's cause-effect-solution lexicon a part of our popular culture and offer remedies that people can incorporate into their daily lives."
The EA2K Project is a not-for-profit organization affiliated with The Tides Center. As such, all contributions are tax deductible.
INNOVATIVE PROJECT TO RAISE $5 MILLION FOR NEW GENERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS Two women of diverse backgrounds &endash; Cheryl Alethia Phelps, an African-American entrepreneur and aspiring innkeeper, and Lela Pickett, a Franco-American chanteuse and clean energy activist &endash; have an innovative approach to mobilizing a new generation of environmental activists. Their brainchild is The EA2K Project. Their goal is to improve public understanding of global warming and to reshape the environmental movement by raising significant funds for groups with ethnically and culturally diverse constituencies. They have enlisted the Special Products division of Sony Music to manufacture a unique CD to achieve their goal.
"The purpose of The EA2K Project is to build bridges between diverse constituencies. New energy, new voices, new resources and shared leadership contribute to a balanced perspective and are critical to the legitimacy of the environmental movement. Diversity must be a priority if the movement is to survive in the 21st century," stated Lela Pickett, Project Deputy Director.
The Project creators' shared vision of 21st century environmental activism led to the development of "Don't Take Our Planet For Granted" &endash; a state-of-the-art multimedia compact disc to be manufactured by Sony Music Special Products. It will feature music by renown recording artists and interactive programming accessible via CD-ROM drive. Proceeds from its sale are hoped to raise as much as $5 million for its beneficiaries.
(1) Clark Atlanta University's Environmental Justice Resource Center and Xavier University of Louisiana's Deep South Center for Environmental Justice will share a grant to develop and implement collaborative projects that move diversity issues from the periphery to mainstream environmental activism.
(2) The mission of Environmental Support Center is to provide modest capacity-building grants to grassroots organizations. The EA2K Project grant will be used to fund multi-purpose microgrants for environmental advocacy among low-income and rural communities.
(3) In their publication "Forging New Alliances: Building a Common Vision for California's Environment," the Latino Issues Forum offered a state-wide analyses and commentary on environmental issues from a Latin-American perspective. Funds from The EA2K Project will be used to broaden the scope of the organization's survey and to build consensus on environmental advocacy needs within Latin-American communities.
(4) The EA2K Project proposes to endow a scholarship for students attending historically black colleges and universities who are pursuing careers in the environmental sciences or renewable energy industries. The Project has not yet named the organization that will administer this grant.
(5) The Project also proposes to fund an as yet unnamed organization to provide weather-related medical relief
