#StartWith1Thing : RACING EXTINCTION by Discovery Channel

DISCOVERY CHANNEL PREMIERES RACING EXTINCTION
AS A GLOBAL TELEVISION EVENT ON DECEMBER 2 AT 9PM
Discovery to Broadcast in More Than 220 Countries and Territories in 24-Hour Period #StartWith1Thing

Philippines, 27 November 2015 - Discovery Channel will be premiering Academy Award®-winning director Louie Psihoyos’s documentary RACING EXTINCTION on Wednesday, December 2 at 9PM to a global audience. Discovery, the No. 1 distributed TV brand in the world, will premiere RACING EXTINCTION in 220 international markets across the world within a span of 24 hours.

In the groundbreaking documentary RACING EXTINCTION, director Louie Psihoyos and the group behind the Academy Award^®-winning film The Cove assemble a team of artists and activists on a new undercover operation to expose the world of endangered species trafficking and the race to prevent mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous black markets and using high tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, the documentary reveals stunning, never-before seen images that truly change the way we see the world.  

“With the help of Discovery, I believe we can create a tipping point to create the change we need to preserve a planet that can sustain life for all species,” said Louie Psihoyos, Director. “There has never been a more important time in the world than to be alive now — the decisions we make in the next few years will impact the Earth and animal species for millions of years.”

RACING EXTINCTION will be the catalyst for a larger, ongoing campaign utilizing the hashtag #StartWith1Thing to serve as Discovery’s call to action to create a global movement behind the RACING EXTINCTION television event. Discovery will leverage its global premiere and additional platforms, including custom branded content, Discovery digital, social media and virtual reality and Discovery Education, along with our partners, to ignite curiosity and global actions people can take in four areas: fighting wildlife trafficking, reducing carbon emissions through use of green energy/transport, supporting green causes, and eating less meat.

In the Philippines, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific will be mounting a Racing Extinction University Tour to promote the advocacy of the film. Schools participating in the tour include Ateneo De Manila University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, University of Santo Tomas, Far Eastern University and Miriam College. Starting from 27 November, there will be a special screening of RACING EXTINCTION for students, along with activities that will further enhance the film’s moving message. This includes a meaningful pledge to #StartWith1Thing, and help the planet win the race against a sixth mass extinction.

Greenpeace Philippines and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Philippines have also signed on to be the official partners for the University Tour. Coupled with its own Oceans Campaign, Greenpeace hopes to share information on the new Philippine Fisheries Law and the proper ways to dispose plastic and garbage to protect bodies of water. WWF will focus on developing awareness on the current state of our environment, and to raise funds that will help establish environmentally-sustainable programs.

Local celebrities and well-known environmentalists - Erwan Heussaff, Marc Nelson, Senator Pia Cayetano, Bambike Founder Bryan Benitez McClelland and Philippine Animal Welfare Society Executive Director Anna Cabrera have pledged to #StartWith1Thing through a specially produced spot for Discovery Channel.

“Louie Psihoyos's RACING EXTINCTION is required viewing for all citizens of the world," said John Hoffman, Executive Vice President, Documentaries and Specials for Discovery Channel. “Everyone needs to see this film because it vividly demonstrates the serious threats our beautiful blue planet faces. Even more important, RACING EXTINCTION shows how if we all start by doing just one thing to improve the environment, all of us together can leave nature healthier than we found it.”

Racing Extinction premieres December 2, Wednesday at 9PM. 

Catch the encores on December 3, 12:10PM, December 5, 12AM and December 6, 10PM.