21 September 2008: On the occasion of the 16th Clean Up the
World Weekend, which was celebrated from 19-21 September 2008 under the theme
“Start today-Save tomorrow-Clean Up Our Climate,” Google and Clean Up the World
launched a website that allows groups to share information about themselves and
the activities they undertook as part of the Clean Up the World Weekend.

Ian
Kiernan, Chair of the campaign, said he hoped the use of Google Maps would
“motivate new communities to get involved in the campaign.” Speaking about the
work of groups involved in the initiative, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of
the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), said, “climate change is the number one
issue facing humanity at the turn of the 21st century – lives are threatened as
is the very fabric of all countries and communities. So let’s all start today
to save tomorrow.” [UNEP Press Release; Clean Up the World website]