Vice President Kamala Harris is joining forces with Discovery+ and mobile news brand NowThis to take part in an Earth Day climate special, Action Planet: Meeting the Climate Challenge.
The one-hour special, hosted by NowThis correspondent Zinhle Essamuah, will air on NowThis, Discovery+, Discovery Channel, Science Channel and OWN on Thursday. It’s “focused on informing audiences about the broader challenges of the climate crisis and examining its multidimensional impact.”
The magazine-style special will feature a one-on-one interview with Harris and Essamuah. It also will feature interviews with Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House National Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Former Vice President Al Gore and several scientific experts, business leaders, government leaders and individuals impacted by the climate crisis.
The special, executive produced by Siobhan Walshe, will take a look at the climate crisis’ impact on public health, environmental justice, jobs and infrastructure, and national security, concluding with the Harris interview.
The special will premiere on Earth Day, April 22, across NowThis’ TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook channels at 8 p.m. ET, as well as on Discovery’s streaming service Discovery+, and will then broadcast in primetime on OWN, Discovery at 10 p.m. ET, and at 11 p.m. ET on Science Channel.
The special is a companion to the Discovery+ series Action Planet, a new series produced by NowThis Earth, a recently launched NowThis vertical that focuses on planetary emergencies. Also debuting on Discovery+ on Thursday, the series will highlight the work of people who are taking action, including Common, Jane Fonda, Matt Damon, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Adrian Grenier and Greta Thunberg.
“NowThis is thrilled to deepen its partnership with Discovery and bring this important and timely climate special to two large and distinct audiences across the country,” NowThis president Athan Stephanopoulos said. “With Earth Day providing renewed attention to the urgency of the issue, NowThis has brought together an unprecedented group of scientists, academics, climate leaders, business executives and members of the Biden-Harris Administration — along with everyday Americans who have been personally impacted by the climate crisis — to illuminate how climate change impacts various parts our lives and the importance of immediate action.”
Said Scott Lewers, executive vp multiplatform programming, factual and head of content at Science: “This special continues Discovery’s commitment to protecting our planet and shedding light on the incredible efforts to help combat the ongoing climate crisis. With the powerful reach of discovery+, our partners at NowThis as well as Discovery, Science Channel and OWN, we have the ability to share this timely message with viewers on multiple platforms across the country and around the world. We’re thrilled by the deep access of this special to the leading scientists, decision makers and top government officials who are shaping environmental policy.”
