What can be done about climate change? At the governmental level, initiatives and programs to reduce carbon emissions and curtail climate change can be slow to develop. Action at the individual level, however, has gained a lot of momentum through the use of social media. In order to capture and make use of this momentum PSFK challenged its readership to come up with concepts that address issues put forth by Former Vice President Al Gore and the Climate Reality Project. Participants in the challenge were encouraged to leverage trends identified in PSFK’s Future of Gaming report to create potential solutions to these problems. PSFK received over 60 entries from around the world and chose ten finalists whose presentations formed the basis for our recent Gaming For Good event, held at Soho House New York.
In this video from a special PSFK announcement event, the former Vice President and members of the Climate Reality Project team explain that harnessing the power of social media will be the key to effectively dealing with environmental problems. Gore declares:
"People all around the world, are expressing a very strong conviction that we have to shift to low-carbon technologies…they are starting to demand much more responsible solutions.” Now, “individuals have easy access, almost no barriers to access, ideas matter."
Check out our video of Al Gore’s talk and the presentation of the various gaming concepts
Gaming For Good from Piers Fawkes on Vimeo.
~~~~~~~~~~I think this is a good idea. Just wondering the age limits of such games. While I think the ideas presented were good, I also think a game for children could be introduced to teach them good stewardship of the planet in a way that would also teach them about mitigating climate change.
I had an idea for a game called "Polarity." (Name is debatable.) Anyway, it would center on polar bears in the Arctic looking to get across the ice to their feeding grounds without being drowned by the melting ice that is melting more rapidly due to climate change. The players would have to not only navigate the bears to safety, but would also have challenges that revolve around doing things that decrease Co2 and other greenhouse gases in order for the ice to refom to give the bears safe passage. Levels could include planting trees in the Amazon (while fighting off loggers,) working on a farm to sequester Co2 in soil, installing solar panels on homes, etc... certain actions bring you more points that bring down the CO2ppm thus reforming the ice and bringing the bears to safety.
Now, I know it all isn't that simple, but from the perspective of a child/teen it will not only be fun and rewarding to finally save the bears, but it is also a learning process. And that is what I think games should be, a learning process. I'm just an amateur here, but I do care about the planet. Anyway, I think since DC is going to consistently fail us all in their duties thus being accomplices to all that is unfolding that it will be up to us to implement ways to not only adapt to what has already taken place, but to prepare and teach children the ways in which they can make this planet more habitable.
Thank you, Al. As always you prove that with true passion and perseverence, you can accomplish anything.
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