Tree Media Releases Carbon, Narrated By Leonardo DiCaprio

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tree Media, a production company focused on inspiring positive social action, with the support of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation and in collaboration with Thom Hartmann, released CARBON, a film aimed at exploring crucial issues related to the climate crisis.

Ahead of the 2014 UN Climate Summit on September 23, CARBON attempts to move the debate forward, exploring how governments worldwide are putting a price on carbon through carbon trading or carbon taxes.  CARBON is the first film in the series Green World Rising that will include three additional films covering solutions to the climate crisis. The films can be viewed at greenworldrising.org.

"97% of climate scientists agree: climate change is happening now – and humans are responsible.  We cannot sit idly by and watch the fossil fuel industry make billions at our collective expense.  We must put a price on carbon – now," said Leonardo DiCaprio, Narrator of CARBON.

According to the World Bank, about 40 national and over 20 sub-national jurisdictions are putting a price on carbon. These pricing instruments range from emissions trading schemes to emissions taxes and can be found from Kazakhstan to Boulder, CO.

"We need serious action to address the most pressing issue of our time. Communities across the world have taken action in the most direct and effective way possible by taxing and trading carbon. For us to beat this crisis, many more need to join," said Thom Hartmann.

The United Nations Climate Summit 2014 will be convened in New York City on September 23, 2014. Leaders of governments, non-profits and corporations will gather to determine initiatives and actions to cut carbon emissions internationally. While negotiations for binding international commitments will be finalized at the UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in 2015, dozens of governments are acting now.

"We certainly need a price on carbon pollution. Right now, it's a free good and we are using the atmosphere as a sewer. That has a real cost and that cost should be reflected in the cost for carbon pollution," said Joseph Romm, an expert featured in CARBON and Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress.

"It's fairly simple to introduce. When they see a carbon tax in place, people know they can invest in alternatives that actually cut out the use of fossil fuel. It starts to have that effect- improving your energy efficiency in your home or improving industry's energy efficiency. And what we've seen in the last five years is we've doubled our amount of alternative energy supplies. So the benefit for the consumer is if through those signals. You can cut out the wasteful use of energy.  Then everyone is saving money, and it more than covers the cost of the carbon tax in the first place," said Eamon Ryan, an expert featured in the film, the former Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and Leader of the Irish Green Party.

The film can be seen at greenworldrising.org, where viewers can also take action with resources to contact elected officials and spread the word. "This film is meant to be an asset for the climate movement and to generate momentum for the global reduction of carbon emissions," said Leila Conners, director of the film, which was produced by George DiCaprio, Mathew Schmid, Roee Sharon and Earl Katz, and presented by Thom Hartmann.  Conners added, "We must move toward renewable energy and to create a real solution, hopefully well before the COP 21 in Paris in 2015."

The next three films in the Green World Rising series will be released in succession leading up to the UN Climate Summit in New York this September.

SOURCE Tree Media