WATCH: ‘4 Days to Save the world’ was a reality show with big ambitions. See a preview of the Star’s investigation into the deadly effects of climate change.
After two months of research into the devastating effects of climate change, Canadian TV viewers got their first look at what could become the new face of the environmental movement.
On the morning of April 13, 2013, thousands of Canadians tuned in to discover that it wasn’t the world’s leaders who were actually trying to save the planet: It was those living closest to the problem.
In “4 Days to Save the world,” a reality show that was set to premiere on CBC this week, the world was facing a devastating environmental crisis. On the surface, it was a story of a young boy, who was desperate for a home who dreamed of a better life for his family, but the more important story was that Canadians were beginning the difficult and often difficult process of saving the planet, even if it meant their own survival.
The first part of that story was presented by a father and son team, who were going door-to-door in Vancouver, recruiting people from all walks of life to form a community for climate change education. The second part of the story was told by Canadian filmmaker Justin Chan, who had filmed the event on location, but went on to tell a host of shocking and often heart-rending stories through the lens of his camera.
It’s an extraordinary story that has been well documented over the past two days but before we get to it, we’d like to share a few highlights from the CBC’s special “4 Days to Save the world:”
— We spoke to Justin Chan at a media event this week. But before we do, let’s remember a few key facts, because what we have here is a compelling story without a lot of context:
It started as a Canadian story.
When the CBC decided to air the series, it immediately became the most watched show in the history of Canadian television. The series was watched by an average of five million Canadians. So there is a lot there for the world to see, but this is also a Canadian story about our environment and our climate, and how we’re failing here.
It began with a Canadian story.
“4 Days to Save the World” was presented by a father and son
