Time devotes special edition to Earth issues

Time magazine's Earth Day 2000 edition: "It is the first global special edition — the first published by every one of our regional magazines around the world," said editor Charles Alexander

By Environmental News Network staff

April 19, 2000
Web posted at: 12:30 p.m. EDT (1630 GMT)

Planet Earth isn't just the cover story of the special edition of Time Magazine that will be on newsstands around the world this week. In one way or another, the global environment is the subject of every report in Time's 96-page publication commemorating the 30th anniversary of Earth Day.

"It is the first global special edition the first published by every one of our regional magazines around the world," notes Time editor Charles Alexander in his introduction. "And what topic could be more deserving of global treatment? No nation alone can defeat global warming or clean up the atmosphere and oceans."

"I have long wanted to do a global special issue. Earth Day 2000 seemed like the perfect timing for it. The initial feedback has been pretty positive."

At the end of the special issue is the first global edition of Time for Kids, usually published only in the United States. The section salutes 10 young global heroes selected by correspondents from Time bureaus worldwide. The young activists hail from Cambodia to British Columbia to Portugal.

Ford Motor Co. is the sole advertiser for the entire issue, marking the debut of the automaker's advertising campaign aimed at publicizing environmental initiatives under way at Ford facilities around the world.

"Ford Motor Company is very proud to be the exclusive sponsor of these important issues of Time and Time for Kids magazines," said James Schroer, vice president of global marketing at the company. "Ford has made a pledge to provide ingenious environmental solutions that will position us as a leader in the automotive industry of the 21st century. Our actions, such as making all of our trucks in the United States low-emissions vehicles, demonstrate that we care about preserving the environment for future generations. You can learn more about these actions via this unique sponsorship of an important environmental effort."

Time's special edition, which is expected to reach 30 million readers worldwide, is the culmination of the "Heroes for the Planet" series that Time has published in regular issues for the past two years.

Past heroes include Yvon Chouinard, president and founder of Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, and marine biologist Sylvia Earle.

The special issue also features articles about key environmental areas such as biodiversity, wildlife conservation and the health of oceans. Authors include paleontologist Richard Leakey and Harvard professor Edward Wilson.

Each subject area recognizes at least one "hero." In an article about freshwater issues, readers are introduced to Capt. Ron Gatto of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection Watershed Police. Robert F. Kennedy, author of the piece, describes Gatto as his personal hero for the work he has done to hold individuals and organizations accountable for polluting the state's waterways.

"Gatto has been personally responsible for more than 150 arrests and citations for environmental crimes, making him one of the world's greatest eco-cops," writes Kennedy.

The issue also includes essays by President Clinton and Earth Day chairman Leonardo DiCaprio along with a list of celebrity heroes for the planet. American actor Ted Danson, Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and Indian writer Arundhati Roy are honored.

The special edition previews an ambitious United Nations assessment of the health of the world's five major ecosystems. The $4 million study reveals unsettling statistics about water scarcity and the diminishing capacity of the planet to sustain the world's population.

A special U.S. edition of Time for Kids will be available to 2.8 million young subscribers. In this extra issue, Time's editors salute the winners of the Time for Kids Environmental Challenge.

"We were impressed by the passion our readers' entries demonstrate," said Nelida Gonzalez Cutler, editor at Time for Kids. "The nine winners in the 'Kid Heroes for the Planet' issue prove that kids can make a difference in their communities. The creative teachers who helped these projects found ways to incorporate science, math, language skills and social studies into a fully integrated eco-curriculum."

Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved

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Time Magazine
Time for Kids
Ford Motor Co.
Heroes for the Planet
Yvon Chouinard
Sylvia Earle
United Nations assessment
Earth Day
Ford's tribute to Heroes for the Planet
World Resources Report 2000-2001
exclusive report

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