Act on CO2: Standby & Loft

“It’s like Blackpool illuminations up here!” – Dad turns green after seeing the household’s latest energy bills

Playing on the familiar comic figure of the cash-conscious dad, these films from 2008’s Act on CO2 campaign appeal to the funny bones (and wallets) of the audience, with the aim of reducing household energy consumption.

Behind the camera for the campaign was director Shane Meadows, whose films from This Is England to A Room For Romeo Brass to Small Time also draw inspiration from the rhythms, textures and vernacular of everyday life.

Meadows told The Guardian in 2008: "Apart from the fact that I really liked this campaign because it's funny and well written, I was also interested in making some films that might make a difference to the way people behave… I've no doubt about how serious the whole climate change issue is and no one can afford any longer to sit around and pretend it's not happening.”

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Climate Challenges: Environmental Issues on Screen

How green causes have been covered and communicated on screen, from acid rain to global warming.

Issues related to climate and the environment are never far from the forefront of public debate and, from the 1990s onwards, the topic of global warming was brought very close to home by a succession of government campaigns tasked with raising awareness about the impact our everyday energy use has on the world around us.

To encourage us to use our cars less, or turn down our thermostats, or adopt a series of energy efficiency guidelines, the powers that be corralled all the ingenuity of the creative sector. And so, be they painted, celeb-filled, funny, heart-breaking or stop-motion animated, these short films appealed to our hearts (and our bank balances) in a bid to save the planet.

This collection places these public information films in dialogue with other environmentally-minded works, ranging from activism to news reports, children's programming to industrial films, to fill out a complex and wide-ranging story that has never been more relevant.

28 videos in this collection

Public information film about global warming

Helping The Earth: Cry

1992

Watch in libraries only

Are You Doing Your Bit? Campaign 1999/2000

2000

Watch in libraries only

UNEP Conference: Ozone

1990

Watch in libraries only

DEFRA Climate Challenge

2006