In 2021, Youth4planet organized the Earthbeat Tour, which aimed to spread the message of sustainability, cooperation, and love across the world.
In 2021, Youth4planet organized the Earthbeat Tour, which aimed to spread the message of sustainability, cooperation, and love across the world.
Imagine embarking on a journey from Luxembourg to Glasgow on a bike to raise awareness about climate action. That’s exactly what the Earthbeat Tour, organized by Youth4planet, aimed to do in 2021. Founder Joerg Altekruse came up with the idea to equip three special transport bicycles, called CreatiVelos, as mobile communication hubs, powered by two large solar panels. Two team members, Alessandra Barale and Max Hoffman, rode these bikes while other members rode regular bikes alongside them.
The Tour aimed to create a continuous narrative along the journey from Luxembourg to the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. The CreatiVelos served as a platform to showcase films and stories made by young people from around the world, highlighting their efforts towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These films were created during Youth4planet workshops or through the Earthbeat Challenge, which encouraged everyone to share their stories in engaging and meaningful ways.
The journey started with a three-day Climate Expo in Luxembourg where the bikes were introduced to the public. The built-in screens on the bikes played films created by children and youth, showcasing their fears, dreams, and insights as a call to action. This sparked conversations with the public and captured their perspectives through interviews and short films. The #oneearthbeat hashtag documented the journey on social media, generating significant traction.
In Glasgow, the team organized and participated in various events, including showcasing the journey and the results of the film challenge at a multi-hour event at the Glasgow IMAX cinema. The bikes were used for demonstrations, interviews, and even a radio program. The team grew to 19 members, and the success of the Earthbeat Tour led to inquiries from around the world, including from the Kenyan Transport Minister, who expressed interest in a similar project in her country.
My initial question was: how can we succeed in equipping three special transport bicycles as mobile communication sites and using them on a journey in such a way that a continuous narrative unfolds along the way about the population's level of awareness of the great transformation.
The Earthbeat Tour demonstrated the power of communication and collaboration between civil society initiatives and governments and corporations. Joerg Altekruse, the founder of Youth4planet, even rode along on a regular bike alongside other team members. The use of film to connect local and global communities to create a growing movement for sustainable change is a promising model for the future. The inspiration and material gathered during the journey will be used to create a documentary film titled “Earthbeat.”
The UN Climate Change Conference 2021, also known as COP26, was held in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31 to November 12, 2021. It aimed to initiate effective climate protection measures, specifically to keep the 1.5-degree Celsius target of the Paris Agreement within reach. The conference resulted in the Glasgow Climate Pact, which saw over 190 countries commit to more ambitious climate action. However, the outcome was criticized by some for not going far enough. There were also protests from various groups calling for more urgent action to address the climate crisis, highlighting the growing frustration and anger among many people worldwide.
