National Geographic to Dedicate November to Climate Change Coverage
21st Century Fox Social Impact
As the global community prepares for the United Nations climate change conference beginning November 30 in Paris, National Geographic will dedicate its diverse portfolio of media properties to the coverage of climate change and climate science throughout the month of November. National Geographic Channel, National Geographicmagazine, and NationalGeographic.com, each part of a proposed new venture between National Geographic and 21st Century Fox, will debut new content across television, print, and digital that explores the science behind climate change and the unique problems it poses to both our society and our planet.
The month-long initiative will begin on Sunday, November 1, with Explorer: Bill Nye's Global Meltdown, a special installment of National Geographic Channel's signature series Explorer in which acclaimed educator Bill Nye investigates how communities around the world are addressing the issue of climate change. Also featuring Hollywood action star, environmental activist, and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the special promises an entertaining, unconventional look at the science of climate change, as well as the range of views on the subject held by activists, politicians, extremists, and experts. The special airs on Sunday, November 1, at 8/7 c.
November will also see the release of a new series, Breakthrough, in which six Hollywood visionaries bring to life the stories, people, and technology behind the world's most cutting-edge scientific innovations. In particular, the series contains two episodes addressing climate-change related issues: alternative energy technologies and water scarcity around the world. These episodes, directed by Akiva Goldsman and Angela Bassett respectively, highlight the work of the scientists and engineers who are actively rethinking the ways we produce and consume energy. Breakthrough will air Sunday nights at 9/8 c, beginning November 1.
Both in print and online, National Geographic magazine dedicated its November 2015 issue entirely to the coverage of climate change. The magazine takes readers through the evidence for climate change, its effects on communities around the world, and some of the renewable energy technologies that currently stand the best chance at mitigating its effects. "Inside this issue you can see what [the] future might look like," writes Editor-in-Chief Susan Goldberg. "Our coverage ranges from an in-depth story on how an industrialized nation is trying to kick its coal dependency to practical guides on what you, as an individual, can do to make a difference."
In September, the National Geographic Society announced it would expand its partnership with 21st Century Fox to create a new media venture called National Geographic Partners, combining the channels with the society's other media assets, including National Geographic magazine. The deal, valued at $725 million, pushes the Society's endowment to more than $1 billion, enabling the organization to nearly double its investment in an array of science, research, and education programs, including the creation of the National Geographic Grosvenor Center for Education.
