FAQs

When will Planet Forward be on TV?

We broadcast weekly episodes on Bloomberg TV.

What are the Planet Forward Bloomberg TV episodes?

How do you choose what you feature online and on TV?

First, we filter out submissions that don’t meet our standards. Then, those ideas are rated by the online community (that’s you), as well as Planet Forward’s expert advisers and our editorial team. When you rate an idea, you’re casting a vote on which ideas are the most viable and should receive more attention and possibly appear on the special. Overall, we’re looking for the most creative and most innovative solutions to our common challenges. Ultimately, the final decisions are up to the Planet Forward editorial team.

Please note:

Planet Forward is all about your great ideas; it’s not intended to be an advertising platform. If you’re an entrepreneur, have a great business model or idea — feel free to tell the community how it works, why it works and what’s different about it. But don’t ask people to buy your product or use this as product placement. Ideas that are deemed to be promotional will not be posted.

What does “viability” mean?

We want to know—will this idea actually work?  Is this a scalable, cost-effective solution to solving our climate and energy problems? View our Most Viable ideas>>

What’s an “Idea”?

An Idea is a solution—a concrete example, plan or theory for how to move forward on the questions we’re addressing.

What kind of content can I submit?

Almost anything. Since we’re producing a television show, we like video, but written essays, photos or artwork, podcasts or even songs or poetry are fine.

What are topics of upcoming shows?

Future shows and web discussions will be on different aspects of the energy and climate problem. We’ll post the new topics on the site. If you want to be notified when the next topic is set, you can follow what’s happening on Planet Forward by e-mail, RSS, Facebook or Twitter.

Do I have to be an expert to do this?

No. We want to hear from lots of people and lots of perspectives. We all consume energy and we all have some idea of what the future should look like. Your contribution will be stronger if it’s based on fact or expertise – or on your informed opinion. If you are an expert, that’s good, too. Your expertise will bring an added dimension.

Do I give up copyright for my viewpoint?

No, you still own (and are fully responsible for) any content you submit. However, by making a submission you grant Planet Forward permission to use at any time, and at no cost, all or any portion of your content for any purpose on the web site, the television show, in promotional materials and in any other outlets related to the project.

Can I submit something I created for another purpose, like my blog?

Yes, you can repurpose something you’ve done before for Planet Forward, so long as it meets our submission guidelines. You can also upload your viewpoint to YouTube or your blog if you want.

What Format Should I Use To Submit My Viewpoint?

It’s easy to submit content to Planet Forward by embedding your multimedia content from other sites.

Video
• Upload your video to Vimeo or YouTube.
• Suggested video length: 1 – 3 minutes.
• Please DO NOT USE copyrighted content in your video.  It will not be published if it uses music or images that are owned by other people.
• Using HDCAM or other High Definition media gives the best image quality, but standard definition is okay too.
• Audio is often the weakest link. If there’s audio in your video, do all you can during the recording and editing process to make sure your audience will be able to hear your audio and hear it clearly.
• Be creative! Videos can be anything from a webcam commentary to a music video.
• If you feel like your video doesn’t say all you want to say, use the description section to flesh out your idea further. Above all, embed links and site your sources! Make your presentation bullet-proof.

Written Commentary, Article, Poem, Or Song Lyrics
• All submissions in writing are limited to 800 words.
• Make a reasoned argument, report on a new field of research, share a personal experience — even write a poem or a song.
• Accompanying photos, charts or graphs (.jpg, .png or .gif file size is limited to 10MB) are strongly encouraged.
• You can put together a slideshow in PowerPoint, Flash, or Quicktime (total file size cannot exceed 10MB) to supplement your writing.

Podcast Or Song
• Song must be your original work, which means you hold the copyright. Songs uploaded illegally will be removed promptly.

Are There Rules On What I Can Say In My Viewpoint?

• Be serious or humorous, personal or global. Be clear; be passionate.
• Be on point: any submission is welcome, but only submissions that answer our topic question will be considered for inclusion in our television special.
• Repetitious or excessive use of descriptives, superlatives, or other inducements to buy is not allowed. Words or phrases such as “only $19.95,” “superbly illustrated,” and “exciting collection,” and “you won’t want to be without” are unacceptable. Calls to action, such as “Pick up the phone” and “Click Here” are not acceptable.
• Accuracy matters. Your opinions will have greater impact if you cite the facts on which they are based. Give credit where it is due. Don’t plagiarize.
• Have fun: a satirical video or limerick can be as powerful as a more traditional Op Ed commentary.
• Own your ideas. Take full advantage to complete your membership profile.
• And be civil. We cannot accept libelous, obscene or otherwise illegal material. And submissions may mention but should not promote a particular product or service.
• Planet Forward reserves the right to remove a submission for any reason.

Who can participate in Planet Forward?

• Contributors submitting content must either be age 18 or older, or, age 13 to 18, submitting content with the permission of a parent.
• Submissions should come from individuals rather than organizations. Transparency is quite important to us. If you’re representing an organization’s viewpoint we expect you will say so.
• All points of view are welcome. Members whose work is judged most creative, most informative or most persuasive by the online community and Planet Forward’s editors may have their work showcased on this site or a future Planet Forward program.

Permissions & Warnings

We respect the rights of copyright holders and expect you to do so as well. Don’t include in your submission material that is protected by copyright law unless you have explicit permission from the copyright holder. If necessary, we will ask you to present written approval of that permission. This includes music, video, photographs, artwork, text, and other content that you might find on websites, blogs, TV or radio or in books, magazines, newspapers, libraries, etc. In other words: get permission, or come up with your own material.

Respect the privacy of others. Don’t use hidden cameras or record conversations without the permission of all involved.

Bear in mind that you are legally responsible for what you submit.

For questions about submissions, email: info@planetforward.org