Climate change has become one of the most complex and pressing environmental issue of this century. But while many of us agree that we must do something, the challenge sometimes seems great. What small action can you take to make a difference? Go Zero. The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program makes it simple for individuals, corporations, or even entire communities to first measure their carbon dioxide emissions, learn helpful ways to reduce those emissions, and then offset the remainder by planting trees.

Did you know?

Estimates are that as much as 50% of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the last 50 years may be due to the effects of changing land use patterns. In the United States alone, we lose more than two million acres of forests, farmland and natural landscapes each year to development. And in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, more than 20 million acres of native forestland have been cleared in the last century.

While restoring America’s forests alone will not stop global warming, given the scale of the effort required to tackle climate change, we need to pursue new technologies that help us reduce our footprint and at the same time, recognize and use the tools we have at our fingertips.

Climate change has become one of the most complex and pressing environmental issue of this century. But while many of us agree that we must do something, the challenge sometimes seems great. What small action can you take to make a difference? Go Zero. The Conservation Fund’s Go Zero program makes it simple for individuals, corporations, or even entire communities to first measure their carbon dioxide emissions, learn helpful ways to reduce those emissions, and then offset the remainder by planting trees.

Did you know?

Estimates are that as much as 50% of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the last 50 years may be due to the effects of changing land use patterns. In the United States alone, we lose more than two million acres of forests, farmland and natural landscapes each year to development. And in the Lower Mississippi River Valley, more than 20 million acres of native forestland have been cleared in the last century.

While restoring America’s forests alone will not stop global warming, given the scale of the effort required to tackle climate change, we need to pursue new technologies that help us reduce our footprint and at the same time, recognize and use the tools we have at our fingertips.

Travel with Founder Matt Mitro, Senior VP Ben Stone, and the remarkable women of Rwanda as they discuss the empowering approach of Indego Africa, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise devoted to helping artisans lift themselves out of poverty.  Indego Africa – which stands for INdependence, DEvelopment, and GOvernance – partners with cooperatives of world-class artisans in Rwanda, composed entirely of women, and sells their fair trade handicrafts at high-end retailers across the U.S. and on its WebStore. Indego Africa then applies 100% of profits and other grants or donations to its long-term skills training programs in financial management, entrepreneurship, literacy, and computers – which are administered by Rwanda’s top university students.  Indego Africa is a member of the Fair Trade Federation and the subject of a Harvard Business School case study.

SnagFilms is a leader in documentary exhibition and filmanthropy. At this Weds One you will learn how you can take advantage of their platforms to promote your work.
SnagFilms is committed to finding the world‘s most compelling documentaries, whether from established heavyweights or first-time filmmakers, and making them available to the wide audience these titles deserve.

SnagFilms.com is a website where you can watch full-length documentary films for free, but we’re also a platform that lets you “snag” a film and put it anywhere on the web. With a library of over 850 films, and rapidly growing, you’re bound to find films that resonate with your interests. We make it easy for you to find a film that shines a light on a cause you care about. You can then open a virtual movie theater on any web site, so any one can watch your favorite SnagFilms for free.

SnagFilms can be summed up in four words: Find. Watch. Snag. Support.

FIND. Whether using our custom search tools, browsing by topic, or tuning into one of the great channels provided by our partners, with a few clicks you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.

WATCH. By streaming films worldwide, on-demand, 24×7 and with no software installation or downloading required, we have radically expanded the audience for documentary films. All you need is a decent broadband connection. Just click play, go full-screen, and lean back and enjoy our films.

SNAG. Widgets let you take your favorite SnagFilms with you wherever you like to go online. Open a virtual movie theater right in your webpage, blog, Facebook or MySpace page, or just about any other place online you can think of.

SUPPORT. At their best, documentaries don‘t merely entertain us, they engage and inspire us to action. We provide a link for you to a charity related to the topic of each film (many of them selected by the filmmaker) so you can get involved, immediately. And just by embedding our widgets, you’ve donated your pixels and helped support independent film.

Confirmed Panelists:
Ross Koenig, Snag Films
Davin Hutchins, NomadLands LLC

RSVP to membership@wifv.org
$10 WIFV Members; $20 public

BIOGRAPHIES
DAVIN HUTCHINS is a filmmaker, producer and social entrepreneur specializing in news, documentaries and new media with a emphasis on international social issues and online delivery platforms. In addition to running NomadsLand, he is also the Director of the Independent Digital Distribution Lab at PBS & ITVS, where he strategizes with independent filmmakers, PBS and ITVS about acquiring new audiences through partners like iTunes, Amazon, NetFlix, Roku and Hulu. Hutchins has fifteen years experience in television journalism and has worked with CNN, BBC World, TechTV, Witness, Internews, SnagFilms, the U.S. State Department and The Huffington Post. In 2008-09, as Managing Producer at American News Project in Washington, D.C (now the Huffington Post Investigative Fund), he produced investigative video reports on immigration, the environment and the 2008 U.S. presidential race which appeared on outlets such as The Huffington Post, Al Jazeera English, CNN and Talking Points Memo. His online video reports have tallied more than two million views and tens of thousands of comments. Hutchins directed “The Art Of Flight”, his debut feature documentary which featured at AFI Fest Hollywood, International Documentary Festival Amsterdam and Bangkok International Film Festival.

Date(s): March 3, 2010
Time: 6:30 PM
Sponsor:
Location: Interface Media Group 1233 20th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 Dupont Circle South METRO
Web Address:
Email: membership@wifv.org