The first episode is dedicated to the ocean and how plastics affect both aquatic life and human beings.
Discovery has launched a new video series titled Change Drivers about people who dedicate their lives to making a difference in the world.
The series airs on multiple channels in its portfolio across EMEA markets, featuring five episodes that will tackle pressing topics for the environment: Ocean, Nature, Air, Waste and Climate.
Change Drivers premieres through Discovery’s RISE initiative (Reducing Inequality and Supporting Empowerment), which connects its global audiences with opportunities to turn compassion into impact, with trusted non-profit partners who specialise in tackling the existential threats of our day and creating meaningful change. This all-new video series launches a new initiative meant to raise viewers’ awareness for making a difference in the world.
Edina Constantinescu, Marketing, Research and Social Good Director Discovery CEEMEA & PayTV, said: “Discovery is a purpose-driven company with a long history of leveraging its brand for impact. With each important topic covered in this new series, we hope to inspire our audiences to do something extra for a better tomorrow. The first step is acknowledging, and this is one of our purposes with Change Drivers: putting emphasis on pressing issues around us, making our viewers understand the impact their individual actions can have and inspire them to start acting for our future. We will give voice to people who dedicate their lives to lead the change in their communities – every episode will focus on a different change driver and his or her mission in tackling a variety of environmental and climate justice issues. Through their stories, we hope to inspire and lead by example and have our audience become more aware of what they can do themselves to be part of the solution.”
Dedicated to the Ocean and how plastic influences both life in the water and human beings, the first episode focuses on the first Change Driver: Emily Penn. She is a skipper and an ocean advocate, dedicated to studying environmental challenges in the most remote parts of the planet. In the three minutes episode that opens the series, she talks about plastic and chemical toxic pollution in the ocean. Emily and her team constantly test the water to determine how much plastic it contains, but also where this comes from, and the chemical toxic pollution linked to plastic pollution. Her blood was tested for 35 chemicals banned by the UN and results showed 29 of these were present, which raises a flag. She founded the all-female NGO eXXpedition – a mission to help people understand the true ocean plastic and toxic pollution problem. The NGO runs pioneering all-female sailing research expeditions at sea and virtual voyages on land to investigate the causes of and solutions to ocean plastic pollution. She also started the SHiFT platform, a website that lets users use the filters to quickly navigate hundreds of solutions to tackle ocean plastic pollution.
Emily Penn added: “As a skipper, my passion for the ocean developed over time into a concern. Although it’s a great experience to travel and have beautiful views on the water, I realized that there’s much more to it or, to be specific, in it. I was eight months pregnant when filming this episode and my blood contained 29 chemicals banned by the UN. How is this affecting me? How is this affecting my child? How is this affecting all of us and what can we do to stop it? These were just a few questions that drove me to be more involved, more determined to make a change for all the children that will come to this world and deserve living in a better and healthier world.”
Episode one is already on-air on Discovery, TLC, Investigation Discovery, HGTV, Food Network, Travel Channel, Discovery Science, Animal Planet, Discovery Family and Real Time in the feeds of several regions, including the Middle East. It was produced in partnership with Studio Birthplace, a creative studio and film production company committed to ecological and humanitarian storytelling.
Stephane Ridard from Studio Birthplace, who directed the first episode, stated: “I was very inspired by Emily’s story. She took real action and put all her energy into solving the plastic crisis. The fact that Emily found the time to educate us during her pregnancy touches me. I approached the subject in an artistic way to make audiences think deeply about the consequences, especially towards future generations. Everybody can do their part to change the situation. For me as a filmmaker, this is my way to share my attitude about the problem, to create awareness for the audience.”
