PHOTO
Prince Albert of Monaco, His Excellency Dr. Sultan Al Jaber of the UAE and Richard Branson join Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg of Solar Impulse to launch the movement #FUTUREISCLEAN one day before take-off
Abu Dhabi, March 8, 2015
This morning in Abu Dhabi, ahead of the departure of the First Round-The-World Solar Flight, starting Monday morning March 9th at 7:30, Solar Impulse launched the #FutureIsClean movement to gather worldwide support for the use of clean energy.
Swiss Explorers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, Solar Impulse founders and pilots, said: "Only a significant support will push governments to replace old polluting technologies with clean and efficient technologies. This is what we want to create throughout our solar powered Round-The-World Flight. If there are technological solutions to fly a plane day and night without fuel, imagine the potential of these technologies in our daily lives, to achieve energy savings and reduce CO2 emissions. This would help create jobs, develop new industrial markets while also protecting the environment".
The platform www.FutureIsClean.org, was designed with the support of our web partner, Google, and aims to mobilize individuals, organizations, celebrities and politicians to confront the Conference on Climate Change of the United Nations (COP21), which will define the new Kyoto protocol in December 2015 in Paris. The goal is to establish the largest petition ever created to convince governments to implement technological solutions that are necessary. Every site visitor is asked to add their voice to the message "I want concrete solutions for a clean future" and share amongst their networks.
Several pages of the site will be dedicated to organizations and influential personalities that are joining the movement such as Solar Impulse's long-term supporters HH Prince Albert of Monaco and Richard Branson, Masdar, Irena, New 7 Wonders and Green Cross International. A global ranking is going to be organized within the community in order to valorize the actions realized by its participants: Invitation of friends, sharing on social networks, sending of photos, and promotion of the hashtag #FutureIsClean.
"We need to encourage those negotiating on our behalf to be bold and make 2015 the year where we stop damaging our planet. The future is now and the future is you. Tackling climate change is the biggest adventure of the 21st century. Be part of the #FutureIsClean generation" said Adventurer, Philanthropist and Virgin Founder Richard Branson.
Chairman of Masdar and UAE Minister of State H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, a patron of the movement remarked, "I am proud and honored to be a patron of this imperative movement on behalf of the United Arab Emirates and Masdar. The 'Future is Clean' is aligned with our country's objectives, as Masdar and Abu Dhabi are committed to diversifying the global energy mix with reliable wind and solar power. The world has a shared responsibility - and collective action must be taken - to create a cleaner future. This movement, spearheaded by Solar Impulse, is one of the many ways we can attain our shared objectives and reach a sustainable tomorrow."
The platform #FutureIsClean is also accessible through the updated site www.solarimpulse.com, designed to follow the progression of the airplane Si2 during its travel around the world. Visitors and supporters of the solar project will have the chance to keep up to date about the flight path, its legs ,as well as the life of the pilot on board. Users can directly live the adventure and follow the pilot in his conversations with the Mission Control Center in Monaco (MCC). Moreover, a virtual cockpit provides the telemetrics of Si2 (altitude, speed, battery level, equipment on board, etc.) and invites children and supporters to immerse themselves into the technical and human challenges that Solar Impulse embarks upon.
Here are the two main videos to present the First #RTW Solar Flight: «Exploration To Change The World»: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QS4ira-1AL0 and «Construction of Solar Impulse 2»: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNMBPJpaimc
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You can download information, photographs and B-roll footage in the press section of the Solar Impulse website: press.solarimpulse.com
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The site www.solarimpulse.com is designed to follow the progression of the airplane Si2 during its travel around the world. SiTV will stream live the departure and arrival of Solar Impulse 2 on each leg. In addition to that, a virtual cockpit provides the telemetrics of Si2 (altitude, speed, battery level, equipment on board, etc.).
iFrame SiTV departure
iFrame SiTV landing
iFrame virtual cockpit (widgets): http://www.solarimpulse.com/widgets/embed
Media contacts:
Head of Media Relations
Claudia Durgnat
Solar Impulse
Media Relations
T. +41 58 219 24 60
E. press@solarimpulse.com
About #FutureIsClean
The platform www.FutureIsClean.org, was designed with the support of our web partner, Google, and aims to mobilize individuals, organizations, celebrities and politicians to confront the Conference on Climate Change of the United Nations (COP21), which will define the new Kyoto protocol in December 2015 in Paris. The goal is to establish the largest petition ever created to convince governments to implement technology solutions that are necessary. Every site visitor is asked to add their voice to the message "I want concrete solutions for a clean future" and share amongst their networks.
Join the movement: www.FutureIsClean.org
facebook.com/pages/Futureisclean/
twitter.com/futureisclean
instagram.com/futureisclean/
plus.google.com/u/2/b/115039143506159159145/115039143506159159145/posts
About Solar Impulse
The clean tech revolution: The zero-fuel airplane
Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard (Chairman) and André Borschberg (CEO) are the founders, pilots and driving force behind Solar Impulse, the first aircraft able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel - propelled solely by the sun's energy. With the Si2 aircraft, they will attempt the first Round-The-World Solar Flight in 2015. Supported by Main Partners Solvay, Omega, Schindler, ABB, and Official Partners Google, Altran, Bayer MaterialScience, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, Swisscom and Moët Hennessy, this historic first aims at demonstrating that clean technologies can achieve the impossible.
After the original Solar Impulse Si1 prototype which holds 8 world records, Si2 engineers have designed and constructed a new single-seater aircraft made of carbon fiber. It has a 72 meter wingspan (larger than that of the Boeing 747) for a weight of just 2,300 kg, equivalent to that of a car. The 17,248 solar cells built into the wing supply electric motors (17.5 CV each) with renewable energy. The solar cells recharge four lithium polymer batteries totaling 633 kg each, which allow the aircraft to fly at night and therefore have virtually unlimited autonomy.
The Si2 Round-The-World flight will take-off from the Abu Dhabi (UAE), in early March and return by late July 2015. The route includes stops in Muscat, Oman; Ahmedabad and Varanasi, India; Mandalay, Myanmar; and Chongqing and Nanjing, China. After crossing the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii, Si2 will fly across the U.S.A. stopping in Phoenix, the Midwest, and New York City at JFK. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the final legs include a stop-over in Southern Europe or North Africa before completing the Round-The-World flight at its final destination in Abu Dhabi.
For more information, connect with Solar Impulse:
www.solarimpulse.com
google.com/+solarimpulse
twitter.com/solarimpulse
facebook.com/solarimpulse
youtube.com/SolarImpulseChannel
instagram.com/solarimpulse
www.weibo.com/5388701147/profile
Tag @solarimpulse, use hashtags #solarimpulse, #RTW, #Si2 in any publication to push content
Information on Solar Impulse's chairman and co-founder Bertrand Piccard, is available at: www.bertrandpiccard.com
facebook.com/piccardbertrand
twitter.com/bertrandpiccard
Information on Solar Impulse's CEO and co-founder André Borschberg, is available at:
andreborschberg.com
facebook.com/borschberg
twitter.com/andreborschberg
© Press Release 2015
