News
HRH attends a reception to launch online public awareness campaign to save the Rainforests
4th May 2009
The Prince of Wales said he was building an online community for "urgent action" as he launched a web campaign to save the Rainforests.
The Prince gave a short speech at the first screening of his online film featuring cameo appearances from Prince William and Prince Harry - and a frog.
The Dalai Lama, Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Pele also star alongside an animated frog in the 90-second clip to boost awareness of The Prince's Rainforests Project.
The Prince became the first senior royal to broadcast on a social networking website as it was broadcast on MySpace.
Speaking during a reception at the National Geographic Store, central London, The Prince joked that he was "aware Princes and frogs have had a long association".
Speaking ahead of the video's screening, he added: "It features a number of supporters and our aim, with your help, if I may say, is to build an online community to call, from the bottom up, for urgent action to protect the Rainforests, by the time the world's leaders gather together in Copenhagen in December for crucially important climate change discussions."
The www.rainforestsos.org website which it features on was designed and built by Blue State Digital, the internet consultancy company behind Barak Obama's successful web campaign in the US Presidential elections.
Featured in the film, Prince William and Prince Harry, sitting side by side, say they are trying to save the environment "for all of us".
The Prince’s spokesman, Paddy Harverson, said the internet video was an "unprecedented" move by The Prince of Wales.
The video - which also features comedian Robin Williams and singer Joss Stone - is the latest mission in his ongoing bid to save the world's rainforests.
Over the past 18 months The Prince has stepped up his campaign against deforestation as a way of combating climate change.
His Royal Highness hopes the new project will improve public understanding of deforestation's effect on the climate.
The Prince is urging the public to demonstrate its support for action by signing up to the website www.rainforestsos.org.
Click here to read The Prince’s speech.
Click here to visit The Prince's Rainforests Project website.
Click here to read more about the online film.
Click here to read the press release about the launch of the campaign.