The polar caps are shrinking in size with water flowing where glaciers once stood. Deserts grow steadily in size, swallowing up forests along the way. Climate change is an inevitable fact anyone can recognise and see, even if some choose to ignore it. To remind us of its dangers, Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22nd; a culmination of events celebrated around the world to support environmental protection. One such company that spreads awareness about our planets dire environmental status is Apple.
This year, like every other year Apple aims to educate its customers during Earth Day. As a result the Apple Store in Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi will experience a viridescent change. Employees will be wearing green t-shirts in an effort to raise awareness about protecting life on our planet, the Apple renew program will help recycle old products customers turn in, both at the store and online, including those products Apple doesn’t award credit for and finally, the Apple Logo will see a change; the leaf that hovers above it will be green.
But giving everything a green hue isn’t all what Apple have up their sleeves; the company has teamed up with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) as well as the developers behind 27 apps to launch the “Apps for Earth” campaign. Between now and the 24th of April, App Store customers can help WWF raise awareness and protect life on our planet by engaging with exclusive content, created specifically for the campaign (by the app developers) that embraces the core focus areas of WWF’s global efforts. For the duration of the campaign, 100% of the proceeds from the purchase on of the 27 apps (and their in-app purchases) will go to WWF.
The full list of participating apps can be found here, but seven of the participating apps (and their developers) are:
Angry Birds 2 (Rovio Entertainment; Finland) focuses on protecting our oceans with a limited-time event that includes three exclusive levels and an all-new power-up. Players will be challenged to stop the dastardly piggies from overfishing.
Candy Crush Soda Saga (King; Malta) features a live in-game event, Bamboo Hill, which players can experience on the weekends of April 15 and April 21 to help conserve our planet.
VSCO (Visual Supply Company; US) photographers can purchase a new WWF preset that enhances the lights and colors of natural settings, and is ideal for landscape and wildlife photography
WWF Together (World Wildlife Fund; US) will bring users the story of a new and limited edition feature, called Earth, where users will view a 360° panoramic image of Earth from space, immerse their iPhone in digital water and see stunning photography and video of the planet.
Yoga Studio (Gaiam Inc; US)is cultivating gratitude for our planet with two new collections: Earth Salutations, featuring six new yoga classes, and a set of inspiring Earth Meditations.
Cut the Rope: Magic (ZeptoLab; Russia) offers all-new and exclusive puzzle levels where Om Nom magically transforms into an adorable panda inspired by the now famous sneezing panda meme.
Map My Run+ (Under Armour; US) athletes can participate in “Run Nature”, a fitness challenge encouraging their global community to log as many miles (walks, runs, and bike rides) as possible. Users can unlock custom badges along the way that represent nature’s finest after completing a distance associated with each legendary location.
Furthermore Apple have also launched a revamped version of the www.apple.com/ae/
- We are losing forests at a rate equivalent to 48 football fields per minute. Addressing threats to our forests head-on will sustain nature’s diversity, benefit our climate and support human well-being.
- 71 percent of our planet’s surface is oceans, providing a life-support system for Earth from the food we eat to more than half of the oxygen we breathe. Protecting these healthy and resilient marine ecosystems helps support the abundant biodiversity, sustainable livelihoods and thriving economies our oceans provide.
- Less than one percent of the world’s water is fresh and accessible, and impacts from climate change, population growth and consumption patterns place this already finite natural resource at greater risk.
- Today, more than 7 billion people consume 1.5 times what the Earth’s natural resources can supply. And By 2050, the world’s population will reach 9 billion and the demand for food will double. By improving efficiency and productivity while reducing waste and shifting consumption patterns, we can produce enough food for everyone by 2050 on roughly the same amount of land we currently use.
