14 DAY TRIAL // Nokia extends its green preoccupations by supporting connect2earth, a new green online community launched by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), two of the world's largest environmental organizations. The new community, accessible at this address, allows young people to have their say on environmental problems by uploading and sharing videos, pictures and comments.
connect2earth also allows users to rank entries, talk about the issues they think are important, and share ideas and solutions. Each month, Nokia will offer mobile phones to those who are voted as having the best ideas. Moreover, the overall winner, selected by a group of notable conservationists, will have the chance to participate in the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona (October 2008) and expose his or her ideas directly to political, business and environmental leaders from around the world.
The connect2earth online community is aimed at people aged between 13 and 35, but that obviously doesn't mean people of other ages can't join. The website is accessible both from desktop and mobile browsers, and it's optimized to allow the use of mobile phones to create films, capture photos or submit comments. In a way, connect2earth is like a YouTube that cares for the environment.
"We live on an amazing planet - we need to protect it," says IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lef?vre. "We want to encourage young people to be involved in environmental issues and take action. With connect2earth they have the chance to influence real decision makers."
"connect2earth is a truly global space for young people to connect, share, express their concerns and their hopes about the environment online - and win some prizes in the process," said James Leape, Director General of WWF International. "This new community allows them to tell the world why they care about the environment and why it should be protected."
Kirsi Sormunen, Vice President of Environmental Affairs at Nokia, said: "Young people feel increasingly strongly about protecting the environment because, for them, it represents their future. We wanted to support WWF and IUCN in this exciting initiative to create a way for young people to express and share their ideas and connect with their peers in a new way."