‘A not-to-be-missed site!’ Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow.
Cimex launches Big Picture TV
05 March 2007
Climate change is rarely out of the headlines and has become a growing concern for governments, businesses and the general public. Now, Big Picture TV, a new free-to-use, web-based video channel has launched to bridge the information gap on environmental issues and give viewers the big picture on climate change.
The site, which was designed and built by London-based interactive agency Cimex has launched with an exclusive video message from singer Annie Lennox who states, ‘Businesses and the establishment do not have the focus on the bigger picture. There needs to be an absolute wake up call so that society can actually make the kind of incredible significant changes that need to happen.’
The website offers over 40 hours of free, inspirational and thought provoking videos bringing together some of the world’s leading experts and activists to discuss solutions to some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental challenges, from climate change to corporate responsibility. Contributors including Nelson Mandela, Dame Anita Roddick, Dame Jane Goodall, HRH Prince Charles, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Wangari Maathai, offer startling warnings, well-informed commentary and practical ideas and solutions.
Big Picture TV calls for personal action but frames it in the need to reform elements of the global system. The site offers the most comprehensive and accessible channel of information on global sustainability. It is designed to have a universal appeal, inspiring everyone from school children to world leaders.
Founder Marcus Morrell states, ‘In the face of an unprecedented environmental crisis Big Picture TV will help people see the world today in a broader and more positive context. Problems such as climate chaos, rising sea levels and species extinction are all too familiar but they are only half the story. The big picture is about pragmatic solutions, recognising that the crises we face bring with them opportunities to rethink, innovate and progress.’
Big Picture TV has been welcomed by leading public figures and is already being used across the globe from radio stations in Turkey to university lecturers in the UK. Channel 4 news presenter Jon Snow has called Big Picture TV ‘A not-to-be-missed site!’
Broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby commented, ‘I warmly welcome the arrival of Big Picture TV. It is really important that we not only identify the problems, but explore the solutions as well. I am sure that with the kind of energy, talent and creativity shown here, we can make the world genuinely sustainable.’
In the wake of recent government announcements that pupils are to be given climate change lessons in school, it appears that one of the website’s most important uses will be in the classroom to educate children about the dangers of global warming and the practical solutions that could mitigate the worst of it.
Big Picture TV gives viewers instant access, without first having to register or install software. Big Picture TV provides expert insight and inspiration, personally and professionally, for opinion-makers, consumers, parents, teachers and students. In addition to this free service, users can also access audio and video downloads for £1.50 a month. These can be played on any computer as well as on 3G mobile phones, MP3 players, ipods and some PDAs, providing high-value content for conferences, debates, classes, lectures, radio broadcast, workshops and coaching. Transcripts are also available for download.