OUR AMERICA: CLIMATE OF HOPE Will Air April 17

ABC Owned Television Stations, in partnership with National Geographic, present "Our America: Climate of Hope," premiering on television and streaming platforms the weekend of April 17-18. The hour-long special brings together the station group's trusted meteorologists across the country with National Geographic Explorers and research to look at the impact of climate change and the innovations and ingenuity being applied to address the change. The special will air in the ABC Owned markets of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh-Durham and Fresno, and on Hulu.

In 2020, the U.S. experienced more billion-dollar disaster events than any other time in history, including wildfires, hurricanes, drought, flooding and heatwaves. Communities across ABC Owned markets experienced historical climate-related disasters-from the worst wildfire season across West Coast California to historic freezing weather in Texas that left millions without power and running water.

ABC Owned Television Stations' meteorologists, at the front lines of the extreme weather in their markets, and National Geographic Explorers, together with National Geographic research, project the future of U.S. cities over the next 50 years. Participating experts include ABC7/WABC-TV New York chief meteorologist Lee Goldberg and WABC weather anchor Sam Champion, 6abc/WPVI-TV Philadelphia chief meteorologist Cecily Tynan, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago meteorologists Cheryl Scott and Larry Mowry, ABC13/KTRK-TV Houston chief meteorologist Travis Herzog, ABC7/KGO-TV San Francisco meteorologists Drew Tuma and Sandhya Patel, ABC7/KABC-TV Los Angeles chief meteorologist DALLAS Raines, ABC11/WTVD-TV Raleigh Durham meteorologist Brittany Bell, ABC30/KFSN-TV Fresno meteorologist Kevin Musso and National Geographic Explorers Victoria Herrmann and Lillygol Sedaghat.

"Our communities are living with the reality of climate change-whether it's floods, wildfires or extreme weather. And yet, just as we came together to fight COVID-19, we can come together to fight climate change," said Anna Robertson, vice president for Content & Partner Innovation, ABC Owned Television Stations and an executive producer of the special. "By bringing together the weather teams that our viewers turn to every day after day with our partners at National Geographic, we can inform and empower viewers with stories of hope, inspiration and innovation toward a better future."

"When we say that the planet is changing, we mean that it is changing in a way that is affecting you, your family, your neighbors and all of our communities. Knowing the challenges that people face TODAY on a local level is crucial to better understanding what solutions we'll need for tomorrow and beyond. This type of coverage also reflects National Geographic's continued evolution of its storytelling about the planet, focusing on solutions and possibilities," said Michael Tribble, vice president of Integrated Storytelling at National Geographic.

The special focuses on two of the biggest environmental challenges facing communities-coastal flooding and wildfires-while also looking at the disproportionate impacts on communities of color. In addition, the special will profile cutting-edge innovations, youth environmental leaders, and practical solutions to reduce climate change.

Watch the trailer here:

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