Prism Webcast News

Turing up the HEAT: can big business really save the planet?

Thursday, May 1, 2008
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Uncategorized

You’ve probably seen the adverts. Corporations these days love to tell us they’re working for a better world, from BP branding themselves as ‘beyond petroleum’ to E.ON visualising the energy we use so we can be more efficient. Even business-celeb Richard Branson has been flying planes part fuelled by coconuts and stating that he wants to be “at the forefront of developing environmentally friendly business strategies”. Big businesses really seem to have caught the green bug and are falling over themselves to tell us all how much they care about the people and planet.

But can big business really save the planet? Are these schemes genuine ideas to prevent the global catastrophe of climate change from hitting the world’s poor? Are they the most practical ways of greening our economy? Or are they simply greenwash window dressing dreamed up by public relations people?

You can find out more by getting involved in our Turning up the HEAT debates: http://dotm1.net/972887/266280085/42106787/563138/5474/0/t2.aspx

Taking place online, and in London, Cardiff and Manchester, the debates will cover the role of the free market, biofuels and aviation. We will be pitting the leading speakers from each point of view against each other. You can book free tickets to watch in person, or just visit our site to catch our live video feed where you can put your own questions to the panel.

In addition, we have a talking heads video wall, where speakers have recorded their own thoughts on the climate debate.

Featuring: Rob Newman, Walden Bello, Bronwen Thomas - People & Planet, Nick Clegg - Liberal Democrat leader, Joss Garman - Greenpeace, Fazlun Khalid - Islamic Foundation for Ecology & the Environment, Emma Burnell - Women’s Environmental Network, Leo Murray - Plane Stupid, Pamela Nowicka - writer & activist, Steve Webb - Liberal Democrat shadow secretary of state for the environment, Kevin Smith - Carbon Trade Watch/ Transnational Institute , Patrick Bond - political economist, Sian Berry - Green party mayoral candidate, Kenneth Richter - Friends of the Earth, Mark Lynas - Writer, Adam Ma-anit - New Internationalist, Peter Bunyard - journalist & author, Alastair MacIntosh - writer & activist, Mayer Hillman - Policy Studies Institute, Almuth Ernsting - Biofuelwatch, Fazlun Khalid - Islamic Foundation for Ecology and Environmental Sciences , Muzzamal Hussain - London Islamic Network for the Environment, Simon Maxwell - Overseas Development Institute, Robin Harper - MSP, Simon Retallack- Institute for Public Policy Research, KT Tunstall - musician, Pamela Nowicka - the Guardian, and John Redwood - MP

You can watch, comment and even film your own video response.

http://dotm1.net/972887/266280085/42106787/563138/5474/0/t2.aspx

All the best,

Murray Benham, Head of Campaigns WDM