09.24.2009

Sir Richard Branson to Launch National Green Curriculum during Climate Week NYC around the Award winning Documentary FUEL

Sir Richard Branson along with Josh Tickell and Rebecca Harrell, the team behind the Veggie Van Organization and the Award Winning Sundance Documentary "FUEL" now in theaters, as part of Climate Week NYC, will be announcing a National Green Curriculum.

Sir Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group, who makes a rare, personal appearance in the just released movie FUEL, will launch the first ever national green educational curriculum to meet national educational standards on Thursday at noon in New York City as part of the Climate Week NYC. Climate Week is a partnership between The Climate Group, United Nations, UN Foundation, City of New York, the tcktcktck campaign and Carbon Disclosure Project. The CEO Steve Howard of Climate Group will be giving the opening remarks and speaking about Climate Week NYC.

The curriculum, created by FUEL movie producer and director, Rebecca Harrell and Josh Tickell, is a project of the Veggie Van Organization, a founding member organization of the Clinton Global Climate Initiative. It is the first curriculum spurred from a documentary film, meeting national education standards and the allowing students, teachers and parents to collaborate around green education. The curriculum was created due to demand from FUEL theatergoers that there be a ready-for-classroom version of the unique green solutions (such as fuel from algae, and do-it-yourself 150 mile per gallon cars) that are featured in the movie FUEL (www.thefuelfilm.com), which released last week in New York, Washington D.C. and San Francisco and expands to theaters in Philadelphia this week. Producer/Director team Harrell and Tickell have re-packaged the movie into educational content that will be available via a secure online web site directly to schools.

The Veggie Van Organization was born out of the work of environmentalist Josh Tickell. The Sundance Award winning documentary film, FUEL, was Josh's project for the last 12 years, documenting his experiences and the amazing people he has encountered in the sustainability/alternative energy realm. From FUEL, The Veggie Van Organization, a 501 c3 nonprofit, was born, with the purpose being to educate and inform the public about the new green economy, launch a green curriculum in schools across the nation, and empower a more environmental future.

The film FUEL will have a wide release nationally to 150 movie theaters in 50 cities-approximately opening on September 18, 2009. The stirring, radical and multi-award winning documentary FUEL is a comprehensive and yet oddly entertaining look at energy in America, complete with solutions to current energy related crises.

The Climate Group Steve Howard, CEO of The Climate Group said: “Through Climate Week NY°C, we have united business, government and civil society to call for a fair, ambitious and binding global climate deal. We’re delighted to support the launch of this National Green Curriculum from the makers of FUEL which will help educate tomorrow’s generation on climate change and personal action.”