For Immediate Release

April 29, 2007

Contact: Lisa Swann

Earth Day Network

202 518-0044 ext. 14

 

COOL GLOBE PROJECT COMES TO MARRIOTT WARDMAN PARK

Earth Day Network Green Schools Program to Benefit

Washington, DC – The renowned Cool Globes project featuring giant 5 foot globes painted by famous artists with global warming themes is coming to Washington with the installation of a global warming-themed globe in the lobby of the Marriott Wardman Park on Woodley Road in Washington. The red-white-and blue globe will be auctioned off along with 10 others to benefit school greening programs for the nonprofit DC-based Earth Day Network (www.earthday.net). The other globes will be displayed at the United States Botanic Garden.

“The Cool Globes have been a big hit in other cities, and we are fortunate to have them here in Washington, where we really want to raise awareness of the urgency of global warming,” said Kathleen Rogers, Earth Day Network President. “The innovative cool globes combine art, issues and public awareness. We can’t think of a better place for the first globe to appear than at the Marriott Wardman Park.”

Last year, the City of Chicago hosted “CoolGlobes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet,” (www.coolglobes.com) a project that uses art to inspire individuals and organizations to take action against global warming.

The outdoor exhibit featured over 100 sculpted globes, each five feet in diameter, displayed along Chicago’s lakefront. Artists from around the world, including Jim Dine, Yair Engel, Tom Van Sant and Juame Plensa, painted the globes. Millions saw the globes, which were painted with environmental themes such as deforestation, oceans and wildlife.

In Washington the Cool Globes project is reminiscent of the famous Elephants and Donkeys public art display that lined street corners in Washington. These figures now grace lobbies of DC law firms, lobbying groups and other organizations.

All the Cool Globes coming to Washington, which were shown on the National Mall during Earth Day Network’s Earth Day 2008 celebration, will be auctioned off in the fall to benefit Earth Day Network’s school greening program. Last year Earth Day Network did a school greening project in New Orleans and will green schools in Chicago, Denver, New York and Washington this year. Green school projects include installing green roofs, solar energy systems, energy efficient lighting and even gardens to grow organic vegetables for school cafeterias.

Studies have shown that green schools raise attendance rates and test scores, lower allergies, and use less energy and water.

About Earth Day Network

Earth Day Network, www.earthday.net, seeks to grow and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable planet. It pursues these goals through education, politics, cultural events, and consumer activism. Earth Day Network has a global reach with a network of more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries. More than 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities, making it the largest secular civic event in the world.

The 39th Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22, 2008.