By By Stephanie Dearing Oct 2, 2010 in Environment A video going viral to promote a climate change carbon reduction initiative goes too far by blowing up and shooting climate change deniers. Environment film withdrawn amid complaints about exploding people More The idea, said 10:10 staff, was to encourage people to cut their carbon emissions by 10% beginning in 2010. The offensive promotional flick was called "No Pressure," but its controversial "screen killings" has generated more complaints than appreciation. 10:10 responded to critisism quickly, removing the video from the organization's web site. However, the video remains available on You Tube, where it has received nearly thousands of views since it was uploaded to the site. In a "Today we put up a mini-movie about 10:10 and climate change called 'No Pressure’. With climate change becoming increasingly threatening, and decreasingly talked about in the media, we wanted to find a way to bring this critical issue back into the headlines whilst making people laugh. We were therefore delighted when Britain's leading comedy writer, Richard Curtis - writer of Blackadder, Four Weddings, Notting Hill and many others – agreed to write a short film for the 10:10 campaign. Many people found the resulting film extremely funny, but unfortunately some didn't and we sincerely apologise to anybody we have offended. As a result of these concerns we've taken it off our website. We won't be making any attempt to censor or remove other versions currently in circulation on the internet. We'd like to thank the 50+ film professionals and 40+ actors and extras and who gave their time and equipment to the film for free. We greatly value your contributions and the tremendous enthusiasm and professionalism you brought to the project. At 10:10 we're all about trying new and creative ways of getting people to take action on climate change. Unfortunately in this instance we missed the mark. Oh well, we live and learn." The organization has been kept busy apologizing on The blatant video has become fodder for climate change deniers, said environmentalist Bill McKibbon, one of the founders of "... It's the kind of stupidity that really hurts our side, reinforcing in people's minds a series of preconceived notions, not the least of which is that we're out-of-control elitists. Not to mention crazy, and also with a completely misplaced sense of humor. We at 350.org are spreading the word that we had nothing to do with it. We didn't see it till it had made its way around the web, and as soon as we did, we let people know we thought it was disgusting. We've known the creators for years -- they put out a statement apologizing for their lapse. But it's the kind of mistake that will haunt and hurt efforts. What makes it so depressing is that it's the precise opposite of what the people organizing around the world for Oct. 10 are all about. In the first place, they're as responsible as possible: They'll spend the day putting up windmills and solar panels, laying out bike paths, and digging community gardens. And in the second place, they're doing it because they realize kids are already dying from climate change, and that many, many more are at risk as the century winds on. Killing people is, literally, the last thing we want. There's no question that crap like this will cast a long shadow over our efforts, and everyone else who's working on global warming. We're hard at work, as always, but we're doing it today with a sunk and sad feeling." "... What disgusts me first is its target. The video is meant for the young. Young people get blown up by a calm and engaged teacher in the first scene, and music and sports and film figures appealing to the young are both victims and perpetrators throughout. Our reaction is irrelevant. They are not talking to us. They are talking to our children. What are they saying? That it’s okay to ostracize, bully and dismiss those who don’t agree that climate change is uber alles (Oops! Godwin alert, Godwin alert) and that skeptics or the children of skeptics are fair game for… whatever." Blogger "Thank you 10:10. We could not have come up with better promotion to show how malignantly dangerous the totalitarian eco-fascist dark side of Greens is." Writing in a game forum, "The anti-climate change initiative 10:10 has put together a delightful little video to encourage you to help sustain our dear planet by cutting your emissions by 10% each year... or else! Well, that should put to rest all this silly talk about eco-fascism for once and for all. Also, Sony is partnering with them. Sony is the dark side for reals, confirmed! Could they be looking to incorporate this splodey-button technology into the PSP2 or PS4?" Sony has not made any comment on the promotion as yet. The backlash might result in more than criticism and an erosion of the environmental movement. The publisher of Junk Science has written to 10:10's partner, Sony asking the corporation to withdraw from 10:10 commitment because of the video promotion reported Another funder of 10:10, "... Had a look? Well, I'm certain you'll agree that detonating school kids, footballers and movie stars into gory pulp for ignoring their carbon footprints is attention-grabbing. It's also got a decent sprinkling of stardust – Peter Crouch, Gillian Anderson, Radiohead and others. But it's pretty edgy, given 10:10's aim of asking people, businesses and organisations to take positive action against global warming by cutting their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in a year, and thereby pressuring governments to act. "Doing nothing about climate change is still a fairly common affliction, even in this day and age. What to do with those people, who are together threatening everybody's existence on this planet? Clearly we don't really think they should be blown up, that's just a joke for the mini-movie, but maybe a little amputating would be a good place to start?" jokes 10:10 founder and Age of Stupid film maker Franny Armstrong. But why take such a risk of upsetting or alienating people, I ask her: "Because we have got about four years to stabilise global emissions and we are not anywhere near doing that. All our lives are at threat and if that's not worth jumping up and down about, I don't know what is." "We 'killed' five people to make No Pressure – a mere blip compared to the 300,000 real people who now die each year from climate change," she adds. Jamie Glover, the child-actor who plays the part of Philip and gets blown up, has similarly few qualms: "I was very happy to get blown up to save the world." The public reaction to the film will be fascinating – please add yours below." Interestingly, there were quite a few supportive comments posted in response to the Guardian's request, and there was a segment of viewers who found the video "brilliant," "funny," "loved it," and "bold, brave, engaging and funny." Talk about a promotion going wrong. The overly graphic and shocking video, released September 30 (see video above), is so over-the-top that it is not only alienating environmental activists, it has become the overwhelming message from British organization 10:10 . Instead of promoting the reduction of climate changing carbon emissions, the organization is busy doing damage control.The idea, said 10:10 staff, was to encourage people to cut their carbon emissions by 10% beginning in 2010. The offensive promotional flick was called "No Pressure," but its controversial "screen killings" has generated more complaints than appreciation. 10:10 responded to critisism quickly, removing the video from the organization's web site. However, the video remains available on You Tube, where it has received nearly thousands of views since it was uploaded to the site. In a public apology , 10:10 personnel wroteThe organization has been kept busy apologizing on Twitter to those who cared enough to contact them, tweeting messages like "We got it wrong and we're sorry about that," and "guys, appreciate your comments during the day, hands up, we got this one wrong."The blatant video has become fodder for climate change deniers, said environmentalist Bill McKibbon, one of the founders of 350 . In a message posted on 350 and published with Grist , McKibbon took great pains to put a ten-foot stick in between 10:10 and 350, writing Thomas Fuller criticized the promotion sayingBlogger JoNova wroteWriting in a game forum, Badgenome saidSony has not made any comment on the promotion as yet.The backlash might result in more than criticism and an erosion of the environmental movement. The publisher of Junk Science has written to 10:10's partner, Sony asking the corporation to withdraw from 10:10 commitment because of the video promotion reported US Politics Today Another funder of 10:10, The Guardian , tried to put a good spin on the promotion. Journalist Damian Carrington wrote (in part),Interestingly, there were quite a few supportive comments posted in response to the Guardian's request, and there was a segment of viewers who found the video "brilliant," "funny," "loved it," and "bold, brave, engaging and funny." This opinion article was written by an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not necessarily intended to reflect those of DigitalJournal.com More about 1010, Climate change, Carbon emissions, Org, 350 More news from 1010 climate change carbon emissions org 350 pressure promotion viral vide...