Karl Burkart writer for MNN.com gave this lecture at ECREA, the European conference on media & communications research. It explores the possibility that the internet may (somewhat ironically) have the solution for our greatest environmental challenge -- disconnection from both our positive and negative impacts on nature
1. 0
Can the new internet save the planet?
ENVIRONMENTALISM
2.0
“It’s amazing what one seed can grow.”
Proposal: Launch ‘08
2. 3 questions must be asked first…
1
Can we use the internet to catalyze massive
1 social change?
What is the fundamental environmental
2 challenge that faces us today?
How can the new internet be leveraged to
3 overcome this challenge?
3. 1st question…
2
How can the new internet be leveraged to
Can we use thechallenge? catalyze massive
overcome this internet to
1 social change?
4. 1st question…
Obama impressions:
3
How can the new internet be leveraged to
overcome this challenge?
The Obama campaign leveraged hundreds of
1 internet tools to create a new base.
5. 1st answer…
4
YES
WE CAN.
• inform
• inspire
• activate
• propagate
How can the new internet be leveraged to
overcome this challenge?
Obama was the first president elected by the
1 Internet.
6. 2nd question…
5
CO2?
Co2? Oil? Deforestation? Water?
How can the new internet be leveraged to
overcome this challenge?
What is the greatest environmental
2 challenge facing us today?
13. The internet is the new brain.
12
Kevin Kelly :
• 5% global energy
• 100 billion clicks
• 55 trillion links
• 1 quad transistors
• equivalent storage
This brain is
doubling in
power every
two years.
14. 3rd question…
13
How will the
new internet
overcome the
perceptual
gap?
Radically new methods of creating and
3 distributing content …
15. 3rd question…
14
rich media: photo video
visualizations: 2d 3d
interactivity: 1-way 2-way (MMP)
3 and the redefinition of content itself.
16. 3rd question…
15
media media media
push media blogosphere crowdsourcing
3 2000 2008 2012
17. 3rd question…
16
TV vs. Internet Social Media
3 Growth Patterns : 2008
18. 3rd question…
17
Survey of 200+
environmental
websites &
applications to
reveal 4 critical
functions:
INFORMATION redefinition of content
…and the INSPIRATION ACTIVATION itself.
PROPAGATION
19. The solution part 1
18
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Embeddable content widgets : news feeds
20. The solution part 1
19
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Embeddable content widgets : tips
21. The solution part 1
20
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Rich media galleries : ARC’s “virtual zoo”
22. The solution part 1
21
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Integrated video lets you play on arrival.
23. The solution part 1
22
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
2d data maps visualize impacts.
24. The solution part 1
23
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Interactive data maps visualize group
progress: Yahoo Green
25. The solution part 1
24
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
3d data maps enable a new understanding
the state of the planet : Google Earth
26. The solution part 1
25
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Impact calculators : LOL, WWF, CarbonFund
27. The solution part 1
26
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Friendly feedback calculator : the EVO Tree
28. The solution part 1
27
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Interactive learning : National Geographic
29. The solution part 2
28
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
UGM TV: Current, Greentube & RiverWired
30. The solution part 2
29
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Live casting from the African bush : Eco TV
31. The solution part 2
30
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Real-life Success Stories : Trees for the
Future
32. The solution part 2
31
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Campaign for Arbor Day : Treeless Squirrel
33. The solution part 2
32
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
A friendly, quirky guide : Green Thing
34. The solution part 2
33
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Timberland puts you in the forest.
35. The solution part 2
34
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
BMW celebrates innovation and the wind.
36. The solution part 2
35
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Solving for “cool” -- G Living
37. The solution part 3
36
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Earn “greenage” points : Creative Citizen
38. The solution part 3
37
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Put your pledges on video : The Big Ask
39. The solution part 3
38
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : recycling
40. The solution part 3
39
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : shopping
41. The solution part 3
40
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : junk mail
42. The solution part 3
41
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : commuting
43. The solution part 3
42
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Kiva turns charity into media experience.
44. The solution part 3
43
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
CI’s call-to-action is visualized thru sights
and sounds of your personal forest.
45. The solution part 3
44
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Integrated social network membership
46. The solution part 3
45
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Aggregator for nonprofit membership :
Tactics of Hope
47. The solution part 3
46
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Competition-based CO2 reduction
48. The solution part 3
47
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Lottery-based CO2 reduction
50. The solution part 4
49
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
1-step social network posting and…
51. The solution part 4
50
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
1-step widget embed: 400,000+ views
52. The solution part 4
51
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
An estimated $35 million was raised
through virtual gifting on Facebook.
53. The solution part 4
52
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
Virtual currencies will create micro-
economies, building online identity.
54. Bio
53
Holding a Master's degree in Architecture, KARL BURKART brings
together an expertise in creating quot;online spacequot; with a passion for
technology, pop culture and the environment. He was a leader in the
green building movement, creating the Greenmatrix – an award-
winning web tool used by architects and clients such as Kaiser
Permanente to develop their sustainable design initiatives. Recently,
he developed the content for EVO.com, a vertically integrated green
lifestyle site featuring the quot;EVO Treequot; - a gamelike app that tracks a
user's quot;greennessquot; based on a series of questions and user behaviors.
He is active in the Facebook development community, and created the
newsworthy Voozoo application for Paramount Studios. Karl’s goal is
to leverage new social media tools to empower and enrich people’s
lives by giving them access to great, interactive content with a special
focus on environmental and cause issues. Karl has his own blog
Greendig.net and is a technology blogger at MNN.