ECOS: everyday energy consumption through interactive data visualisation
"Inviting play and reflection on the role of green buildings, ECOS presents data on the Cube using a simple and interactive game-like application. The data shows how energy consumption and generation impacts people in a variety of climates within a five-star rated green building like the Science and Engineering Centre (SEC), where the Cube is located.
ECOS incorporates live weather data into an interactive illustration and places a fictional green building into different climates, allowing users to play with the parameters of the buildings and observe the results and the possible impacts on people.
ECOS promotes behavioural change by demonstrating the factors that influence sustainable energy consumption and generation."
Project team: Prof Jeff Jones (Cube Project Leader), Debra Polson (Project Leader), David Wallace, Cassie Selin, Warwick Mellow
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
The Environment Nexus: WATER, ENERGY, FOOD
"Nexus thinking is a new way of thinking that recognises the crucial interdependence of water, energy and food - a relationship that forms the core of the Environment Nexus project. This new IIEA video explores the deep interconnections between the three essential resources and highlights the need for nexus thinking to help meet the world’s needs, as it grows from 7 to 9 billion by 2050."
(The Institute of International and European Affairs, 20 February 2013)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
The9Billion: Sustainability, Clean Technology News and Views
"Here at THE9BILLION you'll find the latest news, information and opinion related to living a happier and more sustainable life, one day at a time. Main categories cover Earth, Technology, Living, Business, Politics, Culture, Entertainment, and the Social aspects of life.
It's estimated that the world's population will reach around 9 billion people by 2050, and then begin to fall. We are currently approaching 7 billion. Many of us living today will still be around in 2050. The question is: given our many social and environmental issues, how are 9 billion people going to learn to live sustainably by 2050?"
(John Johnston)
Fig.1 "Greenaid Seedbomb Vending Machine", SpontaneousInterventions [http://www.spontaneousinterventions.org/project/greenaid-seedbomb-vending-machine].
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Home: a call to action to halt global warming
"In the past 200,000 years, humans have upset the balance of planet Earth, a balance established by nearly four billion years of evolution. We must act now. It is too late to be a pessimist. The price is too high. Humanity has little time to reverse the trend and change its patterns of consumption.
Through visually stunning footage from over fifty countries, all shot from an aerial perspective, Yann Arthus-Bertrand shows us a view most of us have never seen. He shares with us his sense of awe about our planet and his concern for its health. With this film, Arthus-Bertrand hopes to provide a stepping-stone to further the call to action to take care of our HOME.
HOME is the first film that has been made using aerial-only footage. The film marks artist-activist Yann Arthus-Bertrand's feature film directorial debut.
HOME the movie is carbon offset. All of the CO2 emissions engendered by the making of the film are calculated and offset by sums of money that are used to provide clean energy to those who do not have any. For the last ten years, all the work of Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been carbon offset."
(Yann Arthus-Bertrand)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Cultivating Communities: shifting from a material to a people-focused society
"The context of Cultivating Communities is the transition towards a sustainable society. Because of several environmental issues this is one of the biggest challenges that our and future generations are facing. I am convinced that this implies a shift from a material-focused society to a people-focused society. During my PhD research I will explore how design can enable people to become part of this transition. Experimenting with designing scenarios executed as creative contexts, engaging toolkits and community platforms will be a central part of the research. I believe that scenarios can be powerful instruments in enabling people to contribute to sustainable development. The potential of these enabling scenarios will be tested during the cultivating communities project. The goal of this project is to develop an education toolkit and platform focused on sustainable development for elementary schools. Together with some local schools in Limburg (Belgium), I will develop a sustainable scenario around several vegetable-like characters."
(Ben Hagenaars)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
