David Rees' presentation on using System Dynamics Approaches in the Energy Cultures research project. Given at ENERGY AT THE CROSSROADS
ENERGY INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY conference in Wellington, 2013.
Built for Training - Sustainability Workshop Built for:
Built for Training's Sustainability workshop in Manchester on Thursday 12th May 2011 in partnership with GreenBuild News. For training opportunities at your offices call 01622 623786, email contact@builtfortraining.co.uk or visit www.builtfortraining.co.uk/training.
David Rees' presentation on using System Dynamics Approaches in the Energy Cultures research project. Given at ENERGY AT THE CROSSROADS
ENERGY INNOVATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY conference in Wellington, 2013.
Built for Training - Sustainability Workshop Built for:
Built for Training's Sustainability workshop in Manchester on Thursday 12th May 2011 in partnership with GreenBuild News. For training opportunities at your offices call 01622 623786, email contact@builtfortraining.co.uk or visit www.builtfortraining.co.uk/training.
GIS as Information Technology’s Answer to the Environmental Pollution Problem...Celestine Achi
The threat to human and sub-human existence is no longer a new piece of information. By the moment, the print and electronic media report cases of environmental pollution and its effects. On the developed side of the globe, the
media’s ideas are taken into consideration for prompt action while the developing nations remain unperturbed, not
because they do not want to solve the problems but because environmental pollution is given little or no priority.
In case of doubt, consider the Niger Delta people of Nigeria whose environment is not as valuable as their oil’s
revenue generation to the powers that be.
Program for Innovations Time For Change: Reframing the Conversation on Energy...Boltonhillconsulting
Program for A discussion on the occasion of the release of the
Innovations journal special issue on energy & climate: November 24, 2009 at The National Academy of Sciences 21st and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
Video at http://wp.me/pyHrt-cT
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
The goal of this meeting is to contribute to reframing the conversation on energy and climate by illuminating opportunities inherent in the transition away from carbon intensity. The meeting will focus on how technologies already in use can be combined with common-sense policies and 21st century modes of organization to create jobs, advance innovation, and enhance international cooperation. The meeting will take place at the National Academy of Sciences and will engage leaders from business, government, and academia in a discussion of the societal possibilities inherent in the creation of climate solutions.
The event is timed to take place two weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and coincides with the release of the Innovations journal special issue on energy & climate titled “Energy for Change.” Led by the Science Adviser to the President of the United States, John Holdren, and informed by a year-long project on energy & climate at the National Academy of Sciences, the meeting will be organized into a set of forward-looking conversations respectively emphasizing opportunities for business, for the United States, and for the global community of nations.
Professor and 2009 Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom kindly let us upload her key-note presentation, which took place during the "Climate Change Policy" Conference at the UNAM University in Mexico City the 8th of May.
Energy innovation es8928 - renewable energy policy handbook -final m coviMarco Covi
A handbook for policy makers in the renewable energy field in Ontario. The handbook places a heavy importance on better consultation and public education on energy matters when it comes to the planning of large-scale energy projects and makes several suggestions on how to improve this. The handbook is timely as it was written in the context of the 2013 LTEP. In addition it serves as an accessible scientific reference guide for decision-makers and the broader public alike.
The Decision to Go Green: Individual vs. Group Influences on Our Likelihood t...Marcel Harmon
2009 BECC Conference Presentation - Both the text and the slides
Recent studies by researchers affiliated with the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) have demonstrated that the long term benefits that result from green, sustainable design, are given more weight by groups as opposed to individuals. Our evolutionary past, with its focus on daily survival, has designed our individual analytical and emotional decision making systems to focus on short-term costs/benefits as well as those “threats” that have an immediate impact on our daily lives. Pressing work deadlines, job loss, etc., have more meaning to us than melting polar ice caps or invisible gases in the atmosphere. But in cohesive groups, decisions are more likely to be made with respect to the common good; and when the common good coincides with the delayed benefits obtained from sustainable design, groups are more likely to go “green” than individuals.
In the building construction industry, short term benefits often outweigh long-term benefits when making decisions on how green to be. Following the above line of reasoning, this suggests that individuals or small groups whose common good does not coincide with green’s delayed benefits are the primary decision makers involved. The author will test this by comparing a dataset of LEED, non-LEED but green, and conventionally designed facilities with respect to the decision makers – who they were, their demographic make-up, and their core values. The results should provide insight into the challenges faced in greening our built environment and the solutions needed to ensure a more rapid move to sustainability.
Fred Steward: Innovation policy for sustainability - a new agendaSTEPS Centre
Professor Fred Steward, Policy Studies Institute, University of Westminster.
Presentation to the UK-China Innovation Workshop for Sustainable and Equitable Development, Tsinghua University, 19 March 2010, co-organised by China Institute for Science and Technology Policy (CISTP) at Tsinghua University and the STEPS Centre.
http://anewmanifesto.org/news/china-workshop-presentationschina-workshop-presentations/
Behavioural Meetup: "Think global, act local? Public engagement with climate ...Prime Decision
Our spreaker for the February 2016 Behavioural Meetup in Bristol was Prof. Lorraine Whitemarsh from the University of Cardiff.
Despite scientific consensus about the reality and severity of climate change, the public appears to show relatively little concern about the issue and to be taking few actions to tackle it. In this talk, we will discuss what influences public perceptions and how they may be shaped by communication. Recent survey and interview data, and findings from psychological experiments will be used to expose the strong ideological and social influences on public attitudes to climate change. Research will also be presented on low-carbon lifestyles, along with insights into fostering behaviour change, including new research to achieve behavioural ‘spillover’ (i.e., when changing one behaviour leads to further behavioural changes).
Behavioural Meetup: Perceptions of and behavioural responses to climate change.Poppy Mulvaney PhD
Our February Behavioural Meetup featured Prof. Lorraine Whitmarsh from the University of Cardiff:
Despite scientific consensus about the reality and severity of climate change, the public appears to show relatively little concern about the issue and to be taking few actions to tackle it. In this talk, we will discuss what influences public perceptions and how they may be shaped by communication. Recent survey and interview data, and findings from psychological experiments will be used to expose the strong ideological and social influences on public attitudes to climate change. Research will also be presented on low-carbon lifestyles, along with insights into fostering behaviour change, including new research to achieve behavioural ‘spillover’ (i.e., when changing one behaviour leads to further behavioural changes).
Integrated Science: Merging scientific disciplines to address global challengesDuPont
DuPont's Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Technology Officer, Doug Muzyka, addressed the 2013 Council for Chemical Research (CCR) conference on May 20, 2013.
The world is facing unprecedented challenges, brought on partly due to the increasing demands of a growing population. Muzyka challenged the chemical industry, who plays an important role in providing sustainable energy solutions, to continue to differentiate and diversify chemical offerings. According to Muzyka, our ongoing success will require continued integration of science, diversification of ideas and collaboration.
GIS as Information Technology’s Answer to the Environmental Pollution Problem...Celestine Achi
The threat to human and sub-human existence is no longer a new piece of information. By the moment, the print and electronic media report cases of environmental pollution and its effects. On the developed side of the globe, the
media’s ideas are taken into consideration for prompt action while the developing nations remain unperturbed, not
because they do not want to solve the problems but because environmental pollution is given little or no priority.
In case of doubt, consider the Niger Delta people of Nigeria whose environment is not as valuable as their oil’s
revenue generation to the powers that be.
Program for Innovations Time For Change: Reframing the Conversation on Energy...Boltonhillconsulting
Program for A discussion on the occasion of the release of the
Innovations journal special issue on energy & climate: November 24, 2009 at The National Academy of Sciences 21st and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
Video at http://wp.me/pyHrt-cT
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
The goal of this meeting is to contribute to reframing the conversation on energy and climate by illuminating opportunities inherent in the transition away from carbon intensity. The meeting will focus on how technologies already in use can be combined with common-sense policies and 21st century modes of organization to create jobs, advance innovation, and enhance international cooperation. The meeting will take place at the National Academy of Sciences and will engage leaders from business, government, and academia in a discussion of the societal possibilities inherent in the creation of climate solutions.
The event is timed to take place two weeks before the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, and coincides with the release of the Innovations journal special issue on energy & climate titled “Energy for Change.” Led by the Science Adviser to the President of the United States, John Holdren, and informed by a year-long project on energy & climate at the National Academy of Sciences, the meeting will be organized into a set of forward-looking conversations respectively emphasizing opportunities for business, for the United States, and for the global community of nations.
Professor and 2009 Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom kindly let us upload her key-note presentation, which took place during the "Climate Change Policy" Conference at the UNAM University in Mexico City the 8th of May.
Energy innovation es8928 - renewable energy policy handbook -final m coviMarco Covi
A handbook for policy makers in the renewable energy field in Ontario. The handbook places a heavy importance on better consultation and public education on energy matters when it comes to the planning of large-scale energy projects and makes several suggestions on how to improve this. The handbook is timely as it was written in the context of the 2013 LTEP. In addition it serves as an accessible scientific reference guide for decision-makers and the broader public alike.
The Decision to Go Green: Individual vs. Group Influences on Our Likelihood t...Marcel Harmon
2009 BECC Conference Presentation - Both the text and the slides
Recent studies by researchers affiliated with the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) have demonstrated that the long term benefits that result from green, sustainable design, are given more weight by groups as opposed to individuals. Our evolutionary past, with its focus on daily survival, has designed our individual analytical and emotional decision making systems to focus on short-term costs/benefits as well as those “threats” that have an immediate impact on our daily lives. Pressing work deadlines, job loss, etc., have more meaning to us than melting polar ice caps or invisible gases in the atmosphere. But in cohesive groups, decisions are more likely to be made with respect to the common good; and when the common good coincides with the delayed benefits obtained from sustainable design, groups are more likely to go “green” than individuals.
In the building construction industry, short term benefits often outweigh long-term benefits when making decisions on how green to be. Following the above line of reasoning, this suggests that individuals or small groups whose common good does not coincide with green’s delayed benefits are the primary decision makers involved. The author will test this by comparing a dataset of LEED, non-LEED but green, and conventionally designed facilities with respect to the decision makers – who they were, their demographic make-up, and their core values. The results should provide insight into the challenges faced in greening our built environment and the solutions needed to ensure a more rapid move to sustainability.
Fred Steward: Innovation policy for sustainability - a new agendaSTEPS Centre
Professor Fred Steward, Policy Studies Institute, University of Westminster.
Presentation to the UK-China Innovation Workshop for Sustainable and Equitable Development, Tsinghua University, 19 March 2010, co-organised by China Institute for Science and Technology Policy (CISTP) at Tsinghua University and the STEPS Centre.
http://anewmanifesto.org/news/china-workshop-presentationschina-workshop-presentations/
Behavioural Meetup: "Think global, act local? Public engagement with climate ...Prime Decision
Our spreaker for the February 2016 Behavioural Meetup in Bristol was Prof. Lorraine Whitemarsh from the University of Cardiff.
Despite scientific consensus about the reality and severity of climate change, the public appears to show relatively little concern about the issue and to be taking few actions to tackle it. In this talk, we will discuss what influences public perceptions and how they may be shaped by communication. Recent survey and interview data, and findings from psychological experiments will be used to expose the strong ideological and social influences on public attitudes to climate change. Research will also be presented on low-carbon lifestyles, along with insights into fostering behaviour change, including new research to achieve behavioural ‘spillover’ (i.e., when changing one behaviour leads to further behavioural changes).
Behavioural Meetup: Perceptions of and behavioural responses to climate change.Poppy Mulvaney PhD
Our February Behavioural Meetup featured Prof. Lorraine Whitmarsh from the University of Cardiff:
Despite scientific consensus about the reality and severity of climate change, the public appears to show relatively little concern about the issue and to be taking few actions to tackle it. In this talk, we will discuss what influences public perceptions and how they may be shaped by communication. Recent survey and interview data, and findings from psychological experiments will be used to expose the strong ideological and social influences on public attitudes to climate change. Research will also be presented on low-carbon lifestyles, along with insights into fostering behaviour change, including new research to achieve behavioural ‘spillover’ (i.e., when changing one behaviour leads to further behavioural changes).
Integrated Science: Merging scientific disciplines to address global challengesDuPont
DuPont's Senior Vice President and Chief Science & Technology Officer, Doug Muzyka, addressed the 2013 Council for Chemical Research (CCR) conference on May 20, 2013.
The world is facing unprecedented challenges, brought on partly due to the increasing demands of a growing population. Muzyka challenged the chemical industry, who plays an important role in providing sustainable energy solutions, to continue to differentiate and diversify chemical offerings. According to Muzyka, our ongoing success will require continued integration of science, diversification of ideas and collaboration.
GREEN ICT POLICY MATURITY FOR ACTUALIZATION OF SUSTAINABLE COMPUTING IN DEVEL...ijcseit
Green ICT Policy encompasses the frameworks an organization has developed and put in place to apply
environmental sustainability criteria throughout its value chain. The lack of appropriate green policy
alignment to application of ICT uptake challenges the reaping of the benefits often stated of ICT. Multiple
case study design with case from different sectors of the economy selected based on information richness,
accessibility, size as well as diversity in application of ICT was employed. Triangulation of data collection
and findings interpretation was utilised. The study established that green ICT policy maturity was very low.
In effect, calling for purposed policy set up on green ICT application by developing nations to ensure ICT
benefits are realised while limiting environmental degradation.
GREEN ICT POLICY MATURITY FOR ACTUALIZATION OF SUSTAINABLE COMPUTING IN DEVEL...ijcseit
Green ICT Policy encompasses the frameworks an organization has developed and put in place to apply environmental sustainability criteria throughout its value chain. The lack of appropriate green policy alignment to application of ICT uptake challenges the reaping of the benefits often stated of ICT. Multiple case study design with case from different sectors of the economy selected based on information richness,
accessibility, size as well as diversity in application of ICT was employed. Triangulation of data collection and findings interpretation was utilised. The study established that green ICT policy maturity was very low. In effect, calling for purposed policy set up on green ICT application by developing nations to ensure ICT benefits are realised while limiting environmental degradation.
Green ICT Policy encompasses the frameworks an organization has developed and put in place to apply
environmental sustainability criteria throughout its value chain. The lack of appropriate green policy
alignment to application of ICT uptake challenges the reaping of the benefits often stated of ICT. Multiple
case study design with case from different sectors of the economy selected based on information richness,
accessibility, size as well as diversity in application of ICT was employed. Triangulation of data collection
and findings interpretation was utilised. The study established that green ICT policy maturity was very low.
In effect, calling for purposed policy set up on green ICT application by developing nations to ensure ICT
benefits are realised while limiting environmental degradation.
Alex De Pinto
Global Landscapes Forum
IFPRI Session: Informing the policymaking landscape: From research to action in the fight against climate change and hunger
Marrakech, Morocco
November 16, 2016
Informing the policymaking landscape: From research to action in the fight ag...CIFOR-ICRAF
Presentation given by Alex De Pinto, of the Environment and Production Technology Division of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), at the Global Landscapes Forum on 16 November 2016 in Marrakesh, Morocco.
http://www.landscapes.org/
This is the dissertation I have submitted to the LSE as a part of my MSc in Environment and development. It seeks to integrate the well established literature on elite capture with the relatively new literature on community based adaptation.
Abstract:
Community based adaptation (CBA) is gaining momentum as an approach to enhance the adaptive capacity of those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It builds off of decades of experience in community based approaches to development and natural resource management. Still, the lessons from these past approaches, particularly regarding elite capture, seem to be forgotten in the practice of CBA. If CBA projects suffer from elite capture, they will not succeed in reaching the most vulnerable people within communities. This paper seeks to integrate elite capture into the discussion on community based adaptation by testing whether CBA practitioners are omitting past lessons learnt from decades of experience with elite capture into the design of projects.
Comments to IJC on comment Preliminary Recommendations on Microplastics in th...LOWaterkeeper
The International Joint Commission (IJC) invited public comment on its Preliminary Recommendations on Microplastics in the Great Lakes for binational, science, policy, and education solutions to microplastic pollution. The Commission was interested in public comments on the following questions: Are the recommendations sound? Are any important considerations overlooked? Are there relevant examples from your community or business to consider?
Members of the public were invited to provide comments until November 10, 2016.
The Alliance for the Great Lakes, Environmental Defence Canada, EcoSuperior Environmental Programs, Freshwater Future, Freshwater Future Canada, and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper submitted these comments.
The world today has been witnessing phenomenal outgrowth in all fields during the past few decades. This augmentation has been largely stimulated by information and communication technologies (ICT). However, the inexorable evolution of technology and global economic development are being pursued at an ever-increasing societal cost with a snowballing potentially negative impact on the environment. Hence, one of the important challenges modern society faces is sustainability. This article attempts to explore the existing body of knowledge to provide a better understanding of the impact of ICT and digital revolutions on global carbon footprint and emissions. It also attempts to explore the presence of environmental sustainability initiatives in e-government programs worldwide. It presents some thoughts about how governments may address sustainability requirements in their e-government programs and enact responsible ICT-enabled transformation.
Successes, Failures, and the Road to 2030 - A Study of Emissions from the Nor...Rebecca L. H. Briedis
My master's thesis aimed to analyze the effectiveness of Norway’s political system in facilitating the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. The objectives included identifying current measures in place to reduce emissions and their impact, evaluating Norway’s political system in this effort, and exploring the feasibility of reducing emissions further in the future.
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in SocietyS.docxcroysierkathey
Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society
Slow Tech: a quest for good, clean and fair ICT
Norberto Patrignani Diane Whitehouse
Article information:
To cite this document:
Norberto Patrignani Diane Whitehouse , (2014),"Slow Tech: a quest for good, clean and fair ICT", Journal of
Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 12 Iss 2 pp. 78 - 92
Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JICES-11-2013-0051
Downloaded on: 12 January 2016, At: 09:57 (PT)
References: this document contains references to 59 other documents.
To copy this document: [email protected]
The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 350 times since 2014*
Users who downloaded this article also downloaded:
Tobias Matzner, (2014),"Why privacy is not enough privacy in the context of “ubiquitous computing” and
“big data”", Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 12 Iss 2 pp. 93-106 http://
dx.doi.org/10.1108/JICES-08-2013-0030
Michael Lemke, Keith W. Miller, (2014),"On robots as genetically modified invasive species", Journal of
Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 12 Iss 2 pp. 122-132 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/
JICES-06-2013-0019
Neil Kenneth McBride, (2014),"ACTIVE ethics: an information systems ethics for the internet age", Journal
of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, Vol. 12 Iss 1 pp. 21-44 http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/
JICES-06-2013-0017
Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by emerald-srm:331081 []
For Authors
If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for
Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines
are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information.
About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.com
Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company
manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as
providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.
Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee
on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive
preservation.
*Related content and download information correct at time of download.
D
ow
nl
oa
de
d
by
I
nd
ia
na
U
ni
ve
rs
it
y
B
lo
om
in
gt
on
A
t
09
:5
7
12
J
an
ua
ry
2
01
6
(P
T
)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JICES-11-2013-0051
Slow Tech: a quest for good,
clean and fair ICT
Norberto Patrignani
Politecnico of Torino, Torino, Italy, and
Diane Whitehouse
The Castlegate Consultancy, Malton, UK
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce the term Slow Tech as a way of describing
information and communication technology (ICT) that is good, clean an ...
The city of Zagreb since 2012, participates in the i-SCOPE project (interoperable Smart City services trough Open Platform for urban Ecosystems). i-SCOPE delivers an open platform on top of which it develops, three "smart city" services: optimization of energy consumption through a service for accurate assessment of solar energy potential and energy loss at building level, environmental monitoring through a real-time environmental noise mapping service leveraging citizen's involvement will who act as distributed sensors city- wide measuring noise levels through an application on their mobile phones and improved inclusion and personal mobility of aging and diversely able citizens through an accurate personal routing service. The students of Faculty of Geodesy University of Zagreb, who enrolled in the course Thematic Cartography, were actively involved in the voluntary data acquisition in order to monitor the noise in real time. In this paper are presented the voluntary acquisitioned data of noise level measurement in Zagreb through a mobile application named Noise Tube, which were used as the basis for creating the dynamic noise map.
Understanding citizen science and environmental monitoringGreenapps&web
Citizen science can broadly be defined as the involvement of volunteers in science. Over the past decade there has been a rapid increase in the number of citizen science initiatives. The breadth of environmental-based citizen science is immense. Citizen scientists have surveyed for and monitored a broad range of taxa, and also contributed data on weather and habitats reflecting an increase in engagement with a diverse range of observational science. Citizen science has taken many varied approaches from citizen-led (co-created) projects with local community groups to, more commonly, scientist-led mass participation initiatives that are open to all sectors of society. Citizen science provides an indispensable means of combining environmental research with environmental education and wildlife recording. Here we provide a synthesis of extant citizen science projects using a novel cross-cutting approach to objectively assess understanding of citizen science and environmental monitoring including:
1. Brief overview of knowledge on the motivations of volunteers.
2. Semi-systematic review of environmental citizen science projects in order to understand the variety of extant citizen science projects.
3. Collation of detailed case studies on a selection of projects to complement the semi-systematic review.
4. Structured interviews with users of citizen science and environmental monitoring data focussing on policy, in order to more fully understand how citizen science can fit into policy needs.
5. Review of technology in citizen science and an exploration of future opportunities.
Data Management for Urban Tree Monitoring – Software RequirementsGreenapps&web
The creation of this report was organized by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) and the USDA Forest Service Philadelphia Field Station to explore how technology could be used to support the longterm systematic monitoring of urban trees by trained professionals, student interns and volunteers; assist with tree planting and maintenance data processes; and enable data to be organized and shared between researchers and practitioners. Interviews with researchers and forestry practitioners led to the development of user stories demonstrating how various individuals would interact with a software tool designed for long-term urban forestry monitoring. The information gathered from the interviews also resulted in a list of related system requirements for an ideal software monitoring system. Using that list of requirements, an evaluation of eleven existing software platforms in three general categories (proprietary forestry software, proprietary non-forestry specific software, and free and open source software) was completed and options listed for expanding the software to meet the system requirements. Data model and data integration workflows for a software system that met the majority of the system requirements were outlined, and PHS served as a test case for how such a system might work for tree planting and monitoring. The report concludes with a series of recommendations regarding cost and tech support, establishing an open data standard, creating a central data repository, and balancing collaboration and leadership.
The Land- Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): mobile apps and collaboration...Greenapps&web
Jeffrey E. Herrick et al CC BY 4.0
Massive investments in climate change mitigation and adaptation are projected during coming decades. Many of these investments will seek to modify how land is managed. The return on both types of investments can be increased through an understanding of land potential: the potential of the land to support primary production and ecosystem services, and its resilience. A Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS) is being developed and implemented to provide individual users with point-based estimates of land potential based on the integration of simple, geo-tagged user inputs with cloud-based information and knowledge. This system will rely on mobile phones for knowledge and information exchange, and use cloud computing to integrate, interpret, and access relevant knowledge and information, including local knowledge about land with similar potential. The system will initially provide management options based on long-term land potential, which depends on climate, topography, and relatively static soil properties, such as soil texture, depth, and mineralogy. Future modules will provide more specific management information based on the status of relatively dynamic soil properties such as organic matter and nutrient content, and of weather. The paper includes a discussion of how this system can be used to help distinguish between meteorological and edaphic drought.
La nueva economía del siglo XXI: análisis de los impactos de la informática e...Greenapps&web
Adriana Margarita Porcelli, Adriana Norma Martínez / DOI: 10.12957/rqi.2015.20953
Los grandes avances tecnológicos producidos en las últimas décadas han generado profundos cambios sociales y organizativos en el ámbito de la información y las comunicaciones que inciden en nuestras vidas. La generalización en el uso de las computadoras, la proliferación de redes informáticas y el desarrollo de las nuevas tecnologías de la información y comunicación, denominadas TICS, cambiaron la manera de comunicarnos y transformaron la economía y la cultura para siempre, originando un sistema económico y social en el que la generación, procesamiento y distribución del conocimiento y la información son la principal fuente de la productividad, poder y prosperidad. La informática y la industria en general no han ahorrado esfuerzos para desarrollarse rápidamente, pero en la mayoría de los casos, a costa del deterioro ambiental. Sin embargo, las TICS pueden ser un aliado en la lucha contra el cambio climático a través de procesos denominados Tecnologías Verdes, que se inscriben en el concepto de economía verde como contexto del desarrollo sustentable, conforme al documento final de Río + 20. El presente trabajo detallará la incidencia de la informática en los diferentes ámbitos y describirá, en términos generales, cada uno de los métodos y productos informático ecológicos.
CORSA: An Open Solution for Social Oriented Real-time Ride SharingGreenapps&web
Simone Bonarrigo, Vincenza Carchiolo, Alessandro Longheu, Mark Philips Loria, Michele Malgeri and Giuseppe Mangioni
The combination of the interest in environmental questions on one hand and the massive use of web based social networks on the other recently led to a revival of carpooling. In particular, the exploitation of social networks promotes the information spreading for an effective service (e.g. reducing the lack of confidence among users) and endorses carpooling companies via viral marketing, finally acting as a basis for trust based users recommendation system In this work we outline CORSA, an open source solution for a real time ride sharing (RTRS) carpooling service that endorses the role of social networks by using them as a conveying scenario for the virtual credits reward mechanism CORSA is based on.
Wildlife in the cloud: A new approach for engaging stakeholders in wildlife m...Greenapps&web
Guillaume Chapron / CC BY 4.0
Research in wildlife management increasingly relies on quantitative population models. However, a remaining challenge is to have end-users, who are often alienated by mathematics, benefiting from this research. I propose a new approach, ‘wildlife in the cloud,’ to enable active learning by practitioners from cloud-based ecological models whose complexity remains invisible to the user. I argue that this concept carries the potential to overcome limitations of desktop-based software and allows new understandings of human-wildlife systems. This concept is illustrated by presenting an online decisionsupport tool for moose management in areas with predators in Sweden. The tool takes the form of a user-friendly cloud-app through which users can compare the effects of alternative management decisions, and may feed into adjustment of their hunting trategy. I explain how the dynamic nature of cloud-apps opens the door to different ways of learning, informed by ecological models that can benefit both users and researchers.
Deep learning for large scale biodiversity monitoringGreenapps&web
CC by David J. Klein, Matthew W. McKown & Bernie R. Tershy
Conservation Metrics, Inc.
Healthy ecosystems with intact biodiversity provide human societies with valuable services such as clean air and water, storm protection, tourism, medicine, food, and cultural resources. Protecting this natural capital is one of the great challenges of our era. Species extinction and ecological degradation steadily continues despite conservation funding of roughly U.S. $20 billion per year worldwide. Measurements of conservation outcomes are often uninformative, hindering iterative improvements and innovation in the field. There is cause for optimism, however, as recent technological advances in sensor networks, big data processing, and machine intelligence can provide affordable and effective measures of conservation outcomes. We present several working case studies using our system, which employs deep learning to empower biologists to analyze petabytes of sensor data from a network of remote microphones and cameras. This system, which is being used to monitor endangered species and ecosystems around the globe, has enabled an order of magnitude improvement in the cost effectiveness of such projects. This approach can be expanded to encompass a greater variety of sensor sources, such as drones, to monitor animal populations, habitat quality, and to actively deter wildlife from hazardous structures. We present a strategic vision for how data-driven approaches to conservation can drive iterative improvements through better information and outcomes-based funding mechanisms, ultimately enabling increasing returns on biodiversity investments.
On Data Quality Assurance and Conflation Entanglement in Crowdsourcing for En...Greenapps&web
Volunteer geographical information (VGI) either in the context of citizen science, active crowdsourcing and even passive crowdsourcing has been proven useful in various societal domains such as natural hazards, health status, disease epidemic and biological monitoring. Nonetheless, the variable degrees or unknown quality due to the crowdsourcing settings are still an obstacle for fully integrating these data sources in environmental studies and potentially in policy making. The data curation process in which a quality assurance (QA) is needed is often driven by the direct usability of the data collected within a data conflation process or data fusion (DCDF) combining the crowdsourced data into one view using potentially other data sources as well. Using two examples, namely land cover validation and inundation extent estimation, this paper discusses the close links between QA and DCDF in order to determine whether a disentanglement can be beneficial or not to a better understanding of the data curation process and to its methodology with respect to crowdsourcing data. Far from rejecting the usability quality criterion, the paper advocates for a decoupling of the QA process and the DCDF step as much as possible but still in integrating them within an approach analogous to a Bayesian paradigm.
ISPRS Annals of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Volume II-3/W5, 2015
Location Gathering: An Evaluation of Smartphone-Based Geographic Mobile Field...Greenapps&web
Mobile field spatial data collection is the act of gathering attribute data, including spatial position, about features in a study area. A common method of field data collection is to use a handheld computing device attached to a global navigation satellite system in which attribute data are directly inputted into a database table. The market for mobile data collection systems was formerly dominated by bulky positioning systems and highly specialized software. However, recent years have seen the emergence and widespread adoption of highly customizable and user-friendly mobile smartphones and tablets. In this research, smartphone devices and smartphone data collection applications were tested and compared to a conventional survey-grade field data collection system to compare the capabilities and possible use cases of each. The test consisted of an evaluation of the accuracy and precision of several mobile devices, followed by a usability analysis of several contemporary data collection applications for the Android operating system. The results of the experiment showed that mobile devices and applications are still less powerful than dedicated conventional data collection systems. However, the performance gap is shrinking over time. The use cases for mobile devices as data collection systems are currently limited to general use and small to mid-size projects, but future development promises expanding capability.
Modern cities have an increasingly vital role to play in finding new ways to protect the environment. Now urban decision makers can use the City Performance Tool (CyPT) by Siemens to select bespoke technologies that offer their own cities maximum environmental and economic benefits.
Citizen science in water quality monitoringGreenapps&web
Thesis by Ellen Minkman, Delft University of Technology 2015
This study develops guidelines for Dutch water authorities to create a water monitoring mobile crowd sensing through a smartphone app
Article by Dave Sammut. "Chemistry in Australia" magazine, August 2015
Riding on the ICT revolution, recruiting public help for research is on the rise, bringing benefits for both scientists and non-scientists
JMeter webinar - integration with InfluxDB and GrafanaRTTS
Watch this recorded webinar about real-time monitoring of application performance. See how to integrate Apache JMeter, the open-source leader in performance testing, with InfluxDB, the open-source time-series database, and Grafana, the open-source analytics and visualization application.
In this webinar, we will review the benefits of leveraging InfluxDB and Grafana when executing load tests and demonstrate how these tools are used to visualize performance metrics.
Length: 30 minutes
Session Overview
-------------------------------------------
During this webinar, we will cover the following topics while demonstrating the integrations of JMeter, InfluxDB and Grafana:
- What out-of-the-box solutions are available for real-time monitoring JMeter tests?
- What are the benefits of integrating InfluxDB and Grafana into the load testing stack?
- Which features are provided by Grafana?
- Demonstration of InfluxDB and Grafana using a practice web application
To view the webinar recording, go to:
https://www.rttsweb.com/jmeter-integration-webinar
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 3DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 3. In this session, we will cover desktop automation along with UI automation.
Topics covered:
UI automation Introduction,
UI automation Sample
Desktop automation flow
Pradeep Chinnala, Senior Consultant Automation Developer @WonderBotz and UiPath MVP
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Slack (or Teams) Automation for Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Soluti...Jeffrey Haguewood
Sidekick Solutions uses Bonterra Impact Management (fka Social Solutions Apricot) and automation solutions to integrate data for business workflows.
We believe integration and automation are essential to user experience and the promise of efficient work through technology. Automation is the critical ingredient to realizing that full vision. We develop integration products and services for Bonterra Case Management software to support the deployment of automations for a variety of use cases.
This video focuses on the notifications, alerts, and approval requests using Slack for Bonterra Impact Management. The solutions covered in this webinar can also be deployed for Microsoft Teams.
Interested in deploying notification automations for Bonterra Impact Management? Contact us at sales@sidekicksolutionsllc.com to discuss next steps.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
CarbonKit: a technological platform for personal carbon tracking
1. 1
CarbonKit:
a technological platform for personal carbon tracking
Laura Guzman†
, Stephen Makonin‡
, and Roger Alex Clapp†
†
Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University
‡
School of Engineering Science, Simon Fraser University
Email: {lguzmanf, smakonin, aclapp}@sfu.ca
Abstract:
Ubiquitous technology platforms have been created to track and improve health and fitness; similar
technologies can help individuals monitor and reduce their carbon footprints. This paper proposes CarbonKit – a
platform combining technology, markets, and incentives to empower and reward people for reducing their carbon
footprint. We argue that a goal-and-reward behavioral feedback loop can be combined with the Big Data available
from tracked activities, apps, and social media to make CarbonKit an integral part of individuals’ daily lives.
CarbonKit comprises five modules that link personal carbon tracking, health & fitness, social media, and
economic incentives. Protocols for safeguarding security, privacy and individuals’ control over their own data are
essential to the design of the CarbonKit. Initially CarbonKit would operate on a voluntary basis, but such a system
can also serve as part of a mandatory region-wide initiative. We use the example of the British Columbia to illustrate
the regulatory framework and participating stakeholders that would be required to support the CarbonKit in specific
jurisdictions.
Keywords: Behavioral change, Big Data, carbon footprint, personal carbon tracking, computational sustainability,
ubiquitous platform
1. Introduction
The 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change committed signatory
states to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, based on the premises that global warming was
a reality, and that anthropogenic emissions were the primary cause (UNFCCC, 1992). Despite the
agreement, from 1992 to 2015, global GHG emissions increased over 35 percent. Estimated
worldwide Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions for 2015 totalled nearly 35.7 billion metric tons (Jackson et
al., 2015). During this period, numerous policies have been proposed and some of them
implemented across jurisdictions worldwide, including carbon taxes, emissions trading systems,
and low carbon fuel standards, as well as advancing research and development of clean
technologies
2. 2
The 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris reached a non-binding agreement
committing 195 Nations to reduce their carbon output and to limit global warming to a maximum
of 1.5°C (UNFCCC, 2015). This paper begins from the premise that industry-focused policies
alone will not suffice to limit warming to 1.5°C: emissions reductions will be needed from
individuals and households as well as industry. A transition to sustainability will require changes
in consumer lifestyles as well as the development of new technologies (Köhlera et al., 2009; Axsen
et al., 2012; Grubb 2015). This paper argues that technology, markets and incentives can be
combined to incentivize and empower individuals’ actions to reduce GHG emissions.
We propose a CarbonKit -- a combination of computing applications, information sources,
and incentives that would enable individuals to track and reduce their personal carbon emissions
and trade the rights to those emissions. It identifies economic, psychological and social incentives
for individual engagement and behavioral change with a technological platform and a coalition of
government agencies, private companies, and non-governmental organizations. The CarbonKit is
an integrated technology platform to enable carbon budgeting and personal accountability that can
be implemented with currently available technology. This paper first describes the technology
platform required for the CarbonKit, a model that should function in many jurisdictions. We then
explain how the CarbonKit would address the critical issues of privacy and security. Implementing
the CarbonKit, however, would require a network of multiple stakeholders, many of which are
based in specific jurisdictions and regions. Accordingly, the paper identifies a network of public
and private institutions whose core competencies and functions would be necessary for the
CarbonKit’s design, implementation and operation, using the Canadian province of British
Columbia (BC) as an exemplary jurisdiction.
2. Technology and Behavioral Change
Behavioral change is defined as a significant and consistent change in the ways that an
individual interacts with technologies, institutions and infrastructure. Behavioral change initially
requires conscious effort, but once institutionalized and habituated, the new behavior becomes
effortless, unconscious and durable over time (Clapp et al, 2016). Initiating behavioral change is
an uphill battle because individuals find changes to routine difficult and cognitively draining
(Guzman and Clapp, 2016). Habits are difficult to break because the formation of a new habit uses
cognitive energy, while maintaining an existing habit is a quick, automatic process (Ariely et al,
3. 3
2007). Nevertheless, some behaviors can be modified less through cognitive effort and more by
changes in the built environment in which individuals live – such as higher-density communities
or closer proximity to transit – or by providing smart technological solutions that not only reduce
the need of cognitive effort, but help improve social and environmental conditions for individuals.
For example, MobSens (Kanjo et al., 2009) is a technological platform that integrates a set of four
mobile sensing smart-phone-based applications that combine health, social, and environmental
monitoring and feedback at both individual and community levels.
The key to effective technology development towards sustainable behavior lies in the ease
of performing daily activities. The less cognitive energy and time an individual requires to perform
a task, the greater the potential to modify the way in which such activity is performed. How much
technology can influence behavior over the long term is an open research question in the field of
human-computer interaction (HCI). This paper argues that if technology is ubiquitous and
feedback is readily available, then its influence on behavior is greater (Makonin et al., 2012),
particularly if the feedback is compelling and creates a sense of or a call to action (Makonin et al.,
2013a ; Makonin et al., 2013). Caution is noted (Makonin et al., 2013b), as technology becomes
more pervasive, there is a natural tendency to have that technology may decisions for us. These
designs can often be wrong caution frustration and a lack of confidence in technology. Technology
needs to enhance the ability for users to make smarter decisions and not take control. For instance,
Makonin (2014) has shown how computing technology can change the understanding of energy
consumption without investing in expensive technology such as sensors. Technology should also
be available and accessible to all no matter their socioeconomic situation, otherwise only the
wealthy would be able to modify their behaviour and lifestyle (Makonin et al., 2014).
Identifying barriers to behavioral change is essential for the development of technology to
mitigate climate change. Gifford (2011) identified 30 psychological barriers to changing
environmental behavior. The three most significant barriers were conflicting goals, perceived lack
of efficacy and social comparison. Humans are social being who compare themselves to others to
better understand who they are, how they fit in the community, and what behavior is appropriate
in specific interactions (Festinger, 1954; Conner and Norman, 1995; Guimond, 2006). Seeing
peers discount the threat of climate change can have a powerful effect on people, discouraging
4. 4
them from acting as well; conversely, social comparison with peers who have reduced their carbon
footprint can be a powerful motivator.
Related barriers to be considered in technology design are the human focus on tangible
risks and the potential for information overload. Individuals are hardwired to respond to immediate
risks, and to discount future or distant risks (Cabinet Office and Behavioral Insights Team 2011;
Shome & Marx 2009). Behavioral change requires a major cognitive effort usually given to urgent
or engaging matters, and most people change their behavior only if important aspects of their daily
lives are affected. If a software application for carbon tracking and reduction is also linked to short-
term human concerns and goals, it is more likely to promote long-term change. Such concerns
include health, sports, money, and social recognition and cohesion: together they form a holistic
set of significant motivations in everyday life, and should be linked to long-term reductions in
GHG emissions (Guzman and Clapp, 2016). An example of this kind of approach is the Norfolk
Island Carbon Health Evaluation (NICHE) discussed in more detail in Section 4.
Behavioral change can be promoted through default options, social proofing, gamification,
and incentives. Faced with a choice, individuals often choose the default or automatic behavior: if
a green choice is the default option, and the more carbon-intensive choice requires an opt-out
action, people will be more likely to choose the green option (Shome & Marx 2009; Gifford 2014;
Gunster 2013). Social proofing takes advantage of social norms, when an individual looks to others
for appropriate behavior to imitate. The more people who exhibit an behavior, the more likely an
observer is to model that behavior. If individuals believe that their friends, neighbours or
coworkers have adopted a behavior, they are more likely to do the same (Naumof, 2013). Showing
people when and how their neighbours (or circle of influence) are “doing the right thing” can
promote a desired behavior. Communication of desired behaviors and the reasons for them work
best through channels that have already proven to influence people, such as social networks and
new media.
Gamification techniques aim to take advantage of people’s desires for achievement, status,
self-expression, altruism, and closure. Gamification strategies reward players who achieve goals.
Rewards include points, badges, levels and virtual currency (Huotari & Hamari, 2012): successful
games are based around discovery and accomplishment (Voll, 2014). Fitbit, Fitsby and My Fitness
5. 5
Pal are examples of applications designed to improve health and fitness that use social networks
to facilitate the connection and competition among participants.
3. The CarbonKit
The CarbonKit is a ubiquitous platform that integrates web-based and smart-phone
supporting applications, including carbon footprint monitoring, budgeting, and reduction, as well
as health improvement and money-saving. Figure 1 depicts the links between personal carbon
tracking and more immediate concerns to promote individual engagement and collective action
towards climate change mitigation and the achievement of personal and social goals, including
health, recreation, household economy, and social recognition and cohesion.
Figure 1. The CarbonKit
Economic
Savings
Health &
Fitness
Social
Recognition &
Gamification
Carbon
Calculator/
Energy
Efficiency
Intelligence
CarbonKit
Dashboard &
Incentives
6. 6
The CarbonKit is modeled on Apple’s HomeKit, HealthKit, and ResearchKit. HomeKit
(2015) provides a platform for users to control and communicate with devices and accessions that
are part the user’s home (e.g., lighting control). HealthKit (2015) allows for the sharing of health
and fitness services and data (e.g., step counter). ResearchKit (2015) provides an open-source
platform for medical research to use data collected from HealthKit. These applications do not have
developer kits, which are synonymous with having to buy a fixed piece of hardware or a set of
programming libraries — in essence developing a stand-alone products or services whose
integration would be left to a third party or the end users.
A Kit is much more than that: it is a broadly available and open platform for the integration
of complex relationships between various stakeholders. The proposed CarbonKit would provide a
ubiquitous platform that supports application and device developers, service providers, and
government regulators in the common goal of enabling individuals to monitor and reduce their
carbon footprints (Figure 2).
Figure 2. The CarbonKit (Ubiquitous Platform)
Objective and Operation of the CarbonKit
The CarbonKit envisions a continual process of individual learning and self-improvement,
at first to track and eventually to reduce personal carbon emissions. The CarbonKit platform can
be represented as a behavioral change feedback loop [DiClemente et al., 2001; Mehen, 2011] as
depicted in Figure 3. Successive actions over time would aim to reduce personal carbon emissions,
relative to either past emissions or a mandated value. Individuals’ goals are likely to vary, and can
be reset as their needs and preferences change over time.
App & Device
Developers
Service
Providers
Governments
& Regulators
CarbonKit
7. 7
Figure 3 shows the sequence of stages (motivate, track, inform, adjust, reward), with
examples of each. As with most feedback loops used for behavior change, a person starts with a
motivation and a clearly measurable goal (Goetz, 2011). Such motivations could be internal, such
as altruism, saving money, or health and fitness, or external, such as community, friends, and
family, or a combination. The CarbonKit platform can track progress toward the goals through
personal identification technologies such as carbon card or government-issued ID like a driver’s
licence. For individuals with smart-phones, near-field communication (NFC) apps could be used
for greater security (Jamshed, 2015), and social media could be used to compare an individual’s
progress to friends and family (Richter et al., 2015).
Figure 3. The CarbonKit Loop
M
OTIVATE
TRA
CK
INFORM
ADJUST
REWARD
Principle
Community
Health/Fitness
Saving Money
Carbon Card
Drivers Licence
Smart Phone
Social Media
Clout/Influence
Ecco Currency
Reward Points
Services Personal Profile
Dashboard
Mobile App
Web Services
Lifestyle Choices
Balance Budget
Alternatives
Conservation
Start
8. 8
The feedback loop closes when rewards motivate individuals to establish new goals or expand
current ones. Small initial changes increase individuals’ comfort level, creating a new normal that
allows for bigger changes over time.
4. CarbonKit’s Technology Platform
Technology has the capacity to make the complex simple by integrating solutions to
apparently unrelated problems in a single technology platform on which many applications can
run. Through the CarbonKit dashboard, a user can access all available services; other linked
applications vary from notification pop-ups, context menu integration, or access to any application
from within anywhere on a mobile device or computer.
Surveys suggest that the best way to deliver a new program or application is through a
smart-phone (Guzman, 2015). For example, about two-thirds of British Columbians owned a
smart-phone in 2013. In an online poll, more than one-quarter of respondents aged 18 to 34 said
that they cannot live without a smart phone (Vancouver Sun-Digital Life, 2013). It follows that a
personal carbon tracking system, or any climate change program designed for individuals, should
be implemented as a smart-phone app. Many smart-phone applications already help people to
modify their behaviors. Smart-phone applications offer important advantages:
• Portability: Can be accessed from any computer that can connect to the Internet.
• Mobility: A dashboard app works with diverse mobile devices (e.g., Blackberry, iPhone, or
Android smart-phones).
• Collaboration: Individuals can access their data privately, and choose what to share with other
people.
Using an electronic card in addition to a smart-phone facilitates the provision of combined
incentives to encourage not only environmentally sustainable behaviors, but also best practices in
health care and transportation systems, among others. Users that do not have access to the
CarbonKit web-based application could still benefit from the program using the CarbonCard and
receiving quarterly or monthly paper statements of account.
9. 9
CarbonKit Modules
The CarbonKit would consist of five main modules:
1. Personal Carbon Tracking
2. Health & Fitness
3. Money Saving Tools
4. Social Media
5. Incentives
The first three modules enable users to set goals for: 1) reducing carbon footprint and energy
consumption; 2) improving health & fitness; and 3) saving money and adjusting to a budget. Each
module will also provide tools to facilitate decision making, tracking and measuring progress
toward all goals. The fourth module will make use of gamification and social influence to promote
actions towards goals achievement and to compare progress with peers. The fifth module will
manage carbon allowances and incentives obtained through the various CarbonKit applications.
Both allowance and incentives will be converted into an alternative currency called Earned Carbon
Coin (ECCO, see Section 6 on CarbonKit incentives for further information). ECCOs would be
accessed through this fifth module of the application or alternatively through the carbon card and
a Personal Identification Number (PIN).
Each module would have a consistent application programming interface (API) that would
allow it to integrate any number of services or applications. The use of a consistent API also future-
proofs the platform to allow for new services and applications to be integrated as they are
conceived and developed, thus extending the functionality of the platform. Each jurisdiction where
CarbonKit is implemented may require different services and applications based on local and
federal policies.
The CarbonKit Dashboard
The CarbonKit platform would allow individuals to track their progress through a personal
dashboard (Figure 4) accessible through a mobile app on a smart-phone or tablet. The CarbonKit
dashboard provides a consolidated view of multiple data sources to support decision-making. It
could also correlate the different sources of data to determine how one action or option could have
10. 10
an impact on any selected indicator or group of indicators. The dashboard would display indicators
for carbon footprint, health and fitness level, economic savings, social recognition/influence and
incentives earned.
As they reach goals, individuals are informed by earning badges that should further
motivate them (Antin and Churchill, 2011). What information is displayed most prominently
depends on the individual’s personal profile. The dashboard should also allow users to select their
favourite interface or app in every module.
Figure 4. The CarbonKit Dashboard
The integration of data from various sources is crucial in the design of the CarbonKit. For
example, turning the TV off when nobody is watching would result in energy savings, carbon
Carrier 12:00 PM
CarbonKit Dashboard
ECCO 720 Carbon Balance 5,234
You have reached your daily walking goal of
10,000 steps!
Taking the bus to work has saved you 53
carbon points. Traveling by car this could have
cost you $22.56 (incl. gas, insurance, and
maintenance costs).
$
health/fitness +12%
social influence -3%
Set how aggressive you want to meet your goal targets:
(to increase your targets slide right)
Your last tweet has been retweeted 6 time and
is favoured 30 time.
Turning down the thermostat while away by
1℃ has saved you $4.60 today.
$
Direct Savings Since You Started $42,345.90
11. 11
reduction, economic savings, social recognition and rewards. Car-sharing or riding a bike to work
would result in carbon reduction, economic savings, health and fitness improvement, social
recognition and rewards.
Allowing individuals to track their progress is essential to behavioral change as it allows
individual make adjustments if their goals are not being achieved. The CarbonKit can suggest
alternatives based on the goals of the individual and estimate the time and effort needed to achieve
a particular goal. Overly ambitious goals can lead to failure and discouragement. Establishing
achievable initial goals at first, and raising them later increasing them, is central to the CarbonKit
platform.
After some adjustments, individuals will achieve their goals and earn rewards. Altruistic
rewards might include carbon credits that can be applied toward the individual’s goals (e.g., air
travel) or donated to a charity. Alternatively, individuals might collect reward points or eco-
currency that would go toward the purchase of low-emission products or services. The CarbonKit
platform could also connect consumers with businesses offering such products or services.
Protecting Security and Privacy in the CarbonKit
Security and privacy are vital concerns in the initial design of the CarbonKit platform.
Although security and privacy are separate topics, they are inextricably linked. The topic of
security focuses on communication and authentication between the technological pieces of the
CarbonKit platform, while privacy concerns the individual users of the CarbonKit and how and by
whom their information is stored and accessed. Both security and privacy address the concerns of
system and data integrity and the prevention of system intrusion, data exploitation, and unwanted
data analysis (Makonin et al 2014).
Several design considerations can prevent system intrusion and data exploitation.
Communication between apps, service providers, and the CarbonKit platform must be encrypted
(Transport Layer Security, 2015), and the development of the CarbonKit platform must follow
secure coding practices (OWASP Foundation, 2010). The encryption of stored data must also be
implemented in a way that is individual-based (Goyal et al., 2006) so that individuals’ data is
further protected from persons with inside access to the CarbonKit platform.
12. 12
Public acceptability of policies requiring the use of technology requires safeguards against
privacy transgression. If government (e.g., tax collection agencies) has access to multiple sources
of data from individuals and these data can be correlated (unwanted data analysis), people would
fear the negative consequences of these intrusions. To ensure success and public acceptability of
the CarbonKit platform, it is vital to guarantee users control over any use or disclosure of their
personal information. For instance, in BC, this is regulated by sections 26 (c) and 33 of the
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
The CarbonKit platform should store only service connection information and the user
carbon balance, preferences, progress, and goals. Data collected by participating service providers
about any one individual must stay within the service provider’s system and not be stored on the
CarbonKit platform. Additionally, personal information should only be disclosed to the specific
government agency or private service provider (e.g., Fitbit), and accessed on a need-to-know basis
– records should not be shared across agencies or individual apps. A lack of compliance with
carbon reduction goals could not constitute a failure to meet fiscal or other personal obligations,
unless it is required by law.
To further guard privacy, an individual’s private data, such as credit card numbers and other
forms of identification, should be stored on the individual’s mobile device or in the wallet (if it is
a physical card). Such forms of identification should be used only to authenticate the individual
using the system. Once authenticated, individuals are tracked and data stored based on a unique
profile ID. Mobile device such as smart-phones with near-field communication apps are a more
secure way to authenticate and store transactions within the CarbonKit platform (Mehen, 2011).
5. Early Lessons from the NICHE Project
The Norfolk Island Carbon Health Evaluation (NICHE) project is a multi-disciplinary
study examining links between individuals’ health and carbon footprints in the Australian territory
of Norfolk Island. The study’s main objective is to assess whether personal carbon allowances can
simultaneously help reduce individuals’ carbon footprints and improve their health. The project
included a personal carbon consumption web application, and a survey to establish a baseline for
health indicators and attitudes to climate change and personal carbon trading (Hendry et al., 2015).
In 2013 NICHE began more direct intervention: participants were offered AUD 200 to complete a
13. 13
new survey after reviewing their carbon usage. The intervention staged finished in 2015, and data
from before and after the intervention are being analyzed and compared (Gary Webb, personal
communication, 2016).
The web-based NICHE Personal Carbon Trading System tracked carbon emissions from
products and services for all NICHE project participants. All of the sales outlets (e.g., gasoline
stations) participating in the NICHE project used a Point of Sale terminal to record purchases by
NICHE participants. The terminals synchronized the data collected with a central database on a
web server. Norfolk Island utility companies provided data on electricity and gas consumption to
a web-based database. Database software calculated GHG emissions generated by fossil fuel and
energy consumption. Participants could view their emissions and other personal data on a
personalized website.
The Point of Sale terminals used an application on an android tablet to record purchases
via a unique NICHE ID card and key ring. When participants made purchases, their cards were
scanned using the tablet’s camera, and each purchase was registered to their account. The custom
Android POS application was programmed using the Android Java API. The application used a
self-contained embeddable Sqlite database to store the sales data, which was periodically
synchronised with the central database server (Hendry, 2014).
Like the NICHE project, the CarbonKit would use a proprietary web-based system to track
carbon emissions vs. allocated allowances, including:
• A web enabled Point of Sale system at each sales location (e.g., gasoline stations)
• A central database
• A system administration website
• A participant’s website (i.e., the customized CarbonKit dashboard)
Unlike the NICHE Project, the CarbonKit would require the use of an electronic card rather than
a barcode, connecting directly to the Point of Sale System without a barcode reader.
14. 14
6. CarbonKit Incentives
In both scenarios, regardless of whether the CarbonKit is voluntary or mandatory, a number
of allowances conferring the right to emit one kg of CO2e will be given to individuals for free.
These allowances would be accessible through the CarbonKit dashboard or electronic card. When
exchanged or traded, these allowances could be converted to Earned Carbon Coins (ECCOs), an
alternative currency which would have a monetary value determined by the market or by an
established fixed or floor price. Individuals could also buy additional allowances through the same
card or app. Amonthly statement would show the ECCOs balance and through the use on an online
payment system (e.g., PayPal) or through Point of Sale Systems at Gasoline Stations, users could
buy or sell ECCOs.
Initially the CarbonKit would operate on a voluntary basis for personal carbon tracking,
offering incentives but no penalties other than losing access to incentives. In subsequent stages,
however, the CarbonKit should be able to support more ambitious designs for personal carbon
allowances and trading, where individuals whose emissions exceeded their allocation would buy
ECCOs from those who reduced their emissions below the allocated level.
People might elect to participate in a voluntary program for many reasons, including:
• To obtain exemptions, free allowances or tax rebates;
• To obtain economic benefits from carbon footprint reductions;
• To comply at an early stage with a system that might be mandatory in the future;
• Interest in the technological features of the system;
• Interest in pursuing goals parallel to carbon footprint reduction, such as health or
fitness improvement; and
• Influence by other individuals.
For those individuals who opt into the system, a minimum period of 3 years is
recommended as the time required to incorporate the learnings from the pilot program into the
design of any mandatory program. The 3-5 years period recommendation is based on market
transformation research establishing that performance incentives must allow sufficient time–in
15. 15
some cases several years–for the market effects to occur (Eto, 1996; York, 1999). In a mandatory
program, payments for energy consumption, travel tickets, or gasoline that exceeded the carbon
allowance would not be possible without a CarbonKit account number or electronic card. Penalties
for lack of payment could result in the inability to buy products and services regulated under the
system, with exceptions granted in specific cases, such as vulnerable groups. In a voluntary system,
incentives are also required to motivate individuals to track their emissions.
We envision three types of incentives for the CarbonKit:
1) Opting-in to voluntary carbon tracking: A direct tax rebate combined with in-kind incentives
and discounts could improve public acceptability of both voluntary and mandatory programs.
Examples of in-kind incentives include: smart-phones to opt into the program and a paid limited
monthly usage in exchange of carbon tracking; wireless physical activity trackers; energy
efficiency kits; intelligent home monitors; vouchers for home retrofitting; and passes to health
programs, as benefits linked to carbon tracking.
2) Achieving milestones: The design of this incentive varies depending on whether personal
carbon tracking is voluntary or mandatory. Governments could finance this type of incentives from
the reduction of operational cost in areas like health, energy conservation or transportation, or from
the revenue of selling extra allowances to those individuals who exceeded their quota. Private
sponsorship can be an option to fund special campaign incentives.
3) In exchange for actions that benefit others: This category enables individuals who can neither
reduce their emissions nor buy extra allowances to contribute in other ways, including participation
in carpooling programs, hours deposited in a green time bank, and volunteer activities promoted
by municipalities. This solution can be compared to the concept of offsets in a cap-and trade
scheme, since it offers an option to help reduce the emissions of other individuals. However, it
would have significant differences – it promotes the sense of community, and allowances could be
obtained only through personal action, not through payment to third persons.
These incentives would be also converted into Earned Carbon Coins (ECCOs). As such,
there could be two types of ECCOs: 1) those that could be used for compliance and traded and 2)
those that could only be traded or converted to incentives in specie.
16. 16
7. Stakeholders and Applications for a CarbonKit in British Columbia
The CarbonKit as a conceptual model can be developed in many jurisdictions worldwide.
However, in order to explain more specific requirements such as the regulatory environment and
the applications for each module of the CarbonKit, this section identifies the stakeholders and
institutions required to implement a CarbonKit in British Columbia, Canada. A stakeholder
network is understood as a group of private and public institutions which collaborate in the design,
implementation and operation of a program or project (Affolderbach et al 2012). A coalition effort
allows multiple stakeholders working together to achieve a common benefit. One of the main
challenges faced by a personal carbon trading is the complexity of designing and operating a new
system. The key benefit of building a coalition is that the expertise, technology and infrastructure
needed to develop a personal carbon tracking system are already the core businesses of institutions
such as loyalty management companies, payment processors, software developers, social media,
and health and fitness providers. The point of decision-making, where prompts and behavior-
change shaping can be most effective, is often located at a business, such as a grocery store,
gasoline station or car dealership. In devising policies and technologies to promote behavioral
change, governments often pursue public-private partnerships to enlist help from a broad range of
stakeholders.
The following sections and figure 5 provide an overview of those institutions, their
competencies, and the unique roles they play in the CarbonKit. Examples are drawn from British
Columbia (BC), but a similar stakeholder network could be identified and constructed for
numerous other jurisdictions and countries.
17. 17
Figure 5. The CarbonKit Stakeholder Network
Provincial and Local Governments
Government always plays a leading role in carbon pricing policies. CarbonKit would
require the participation of various government institutions working together with the private
sector. In the specific case of BC, some of the core government players would be: the Ministry of
Environment as the main authority with the capacity to legislate the implementation of personal
carbon trading; the Ministry of Health to collaborate in the implementation of health and fitness
improvement goals and to link existing programs and budget with a carbon policy (e.g., My Health,
My Community initiative); the Ministry of Technology, Innovation and Citizen Services could
collaborate and sponsor the development of the CarbonKit platform and dashboard; the Ministry
of Finance would lead in the implementation of a new source of fiscal revenue through the sale of
carbon allowances, as well as the correspondent budget to provide incentives. The Ministry of
Finance could also promote the calculation of a carbon footprint when filing annual tax
Coalition Platform
Loyalty
Management
Corporate
Sponsors
Health &
Fitness
Services
App
Developers
Accounting
& Tax
Services
Social
Media
CarbonKit
Carbon Footprint & Energy Usage
Health & Fitness Money Savings
Social Influence
Rewards & Incentives
Set Goals
Provincial
& Local
Governments
Utilities
Payment
Processors
Cleantech
Developers
18. 18
declarations. This could serve as a strategy to encourage participation in a pilot program (e.g.,
people could get an extra tax refund if they sign up to participate in a voluntary CarbonKit).
Participation at the local government level is also key in this proposal. In an initial phase
of CarbonKit, it would be essential for the provincial government to partner with one or more
municipalities to implement pilot projects. Many local governments have already several policies
in place that could easily be linked or promoted under the umbrella of an enhanced personal carbon
trading system (e.g. City of Vancouver Greenest City 2020 Action Plan, City of Surrey Sustainability
Charter).
Utilities
Utilities accumulate data about behavioral change. Energy savings have been required and
promoted in BC since the early 1980’s, long before climate change became a policy concern. BC
has set energy efficiency targets to meet 66% of all new demand for electricity through
conservation, and to achieve a 20% reduction in household energy consumption by 2020 (BC
Hydro, 2013). Examples of energy companies and programs that could be integrated in the
CarbonKit in British Columbia are:
1) LiveSmart BC offers homeowners incentives and rebates for energy-saving equipment. The
program is administered by the province along with BC Hydro and FortisBC.
2) Power Smart is a BC Hydro program offering incentives for customers to invest in conservation
and efficiency and providing information on energy use by similar households. People are assumed
to be more likely to change their behavior if they receive feedback on their performance compared
with that of their peers (BC Hydro, 2016).
3) FortisBC PowerSense provides incentives and advice on energy-efficient technologies.
Loyalty Management Companies
Loyalty management companies provide computational technology and technological
platforms to run a variety of incentive-based programs. Companies who could participate in a BC
system include: Loyalty One, which operates Air Miles, and AIMIA which operates Aeroplan.
Although many of their activities encourage further consumption, these companies also have
19. 19
expertise in designing and operating sustainable consumption programs – for examples, Air Miles
for Social Change and Nectar Savvy Families. Social Change Rewards are UK-based and offer
points-based incentives that enable public sector agencies to reward citizens for choosing healthy
and environmentally responsible choices.
Payment Processors
A payment processor is a service company that enables merchants (e.g., gas stations) to
receive payment for goods and services from various channels such as credit cards, debit cards and
loyalty cards for banks and loyalty management companies. A payment processor is the single
point of contact for banks and credit services (e.g., VISA, MasterCard, American Express,
Discover, INTERAC Direct Payment) and all Point of Sale solutions (Moneris, 2016). Within a
few seconds, payment processors validate and check the customer's card to prevent fraudulent
purchases. Upon (un)successful completion of the transaction the merchant in notified.
Social Media
Social media facilitate both access to information and comparison with others, which are
important drivers to achieve behavioral change. Companies such as Facebook, Twitter or Klout
have revolutionized the world of communication, marketing and social interaction. Younger
generations have become dependent on social media to interact, and social media are increasingly
perceived as more trustworthy sources of information and knowledge than traditional channels
such as TV, radio and newspapers (Fraustino, 2012). In many cases, they can be more effective
communications tools than websites or print materials. As a result, social media can be effective
instruments to promote values like sustainability and social responsibility.
Social media offer platforms for two-way communication, which can provide feedback for
governments and private companies, who can gather information from listening to what their
customers want. Existing applications to reduce personal carbon footprints have been already
developed and delivered through Facebook. For example, My Sollars is a Switzerland-based
program that offers web/mobile gamified apps for individuals to calculate, monitor and reduce
their carbon footprints, and for companies to engage with consumers by sponsoring the rewards
that individuals get for their efforts toward carbon reduction.
20. 20
Health & Fitness Applications Providers
Several studies have confirmed the benefits of keeping track of the food people eat and the
physical activity they do. Many successful weight management programs suggest that participants
keep a food diary and/or an activity log. Smart-phones can provide a vast amount of information
to facilitate such a task, from precise calorie calculations to GPS services that can calculate exactly
how much distance was covered on a long run. Also, the act of using a smart-phone and launching
an app that tracks food intake or total exercise can serve as a reminder to stay the course.
What makes mobile apps successful in promoting fitness and health is that people typically
have their smart-phones them with them at all times. Examples of widely available fitness apps
are: Fitbit, Map My Fitness, and My Fitness Pal. Many of these applications monitor the app user
by counting calories, recording exercise and weight, along with other metrics (including heart rate,
glucose levels, sleep, and blood pressure). Many of these applications also use gamification to
motivate people to reach a desired goal for exercising.
App Developers
In the fall of 2010, the BC Government organized an Apps for Climate Action Contest. The
goal of this contest was to create that raised awareness of climate change and inspired action to
reduce carbon pollution by using data gathered for the web and the mobile devices a users used.
Eight private companies also sponsored the contest, among them SAP Canada, Microsoft Canada,
Analytic Design Group and TELUS. Winners included: Green Money: a personal offset calculator
for the money and time people invest in environmental savings; VELO which uses gamification to
continually monitor and compare GHG emissions of their users (organizations and individuals);
MathTappers Carbon Choices is an app that helps students understand how their personal choices
impact their GHG emissions.
Our recommendation for CarbonKit third-party applications would be to follow the same
model, inviting software developers to participate. Leading companies in information technology,
such as Microsoft or SAP, could be invited to sponsor the new contest. Some of the 2010 winner
apps could also serve as components of the dashboard. Section 6.3 of this study describes in further
detail an initial conceptual framework for a dashboard.
21. 21
Taxes and Accounting
Vancouver-based EcoTaxFile is an accounting firm focused on environmental
sustainability, recognizing that the information collected to complete a tax return often overlaps
with that required for carbon footprint monitoring. EcoTaxFile provides accountants with the tools
to educate and advise their clients on how carbon footprint reduction can also save money. At the
same time that clients take an annual snapshot of their financial wellbeing when they file their
taxes, they could also get a picture of their environmental impact or carbon footprint.
With the carbon calculator on the EcoTaxFile website, people need only the information
that is already required to file taxes. Once the tax return is complete, people receive an eco-report
with advice on how to live a greener life. EcoTax File is a local example of how accounting services
providers could serve as an effective channel to engage individuals in reducing GHG emissions
while saving money.
Table 1. The CarbonKit Applications
Program /
application
Carbon
footprint
Health and
fitness
Money
saving
Social
influence
Incentives
BC LiveSmart
Program
√ √ √ √
BC Hydro Power
Smart Program
√ √ √ √
FortisBC-
PowerSense
√ √ √
O-Power √ √ √
Neuri.o √ √ √
Ecoisme √ √ √
Fitbit √ √
HealthKit √ √
Fitsby √
Map by Fitness √
22. 22
Facebook √
Twitter √
Klout √ √
Mint √ √
EcoTaxFile √ √ √
Time Banking √ √ √
Social Change
Rewards
√ √
Airmiles for Social
Change
√ √
Cleantech Developers
BC based energy intelligence companies such as Neuri.o try to engage homeowners to
reduced energy consumption by reporting the house's energy consumption in real-time. Using a
WiFi power sensor and a cloud service with some smart pattern detection algorithms, this company
offers a device and software that monitor home’s electricity and report what the share of the energy
used by different appliances. Ecoisme is a similar solution that provides a friendly dashboard for
energy usage. They use non-intrusive load monitoring and spectrum analysis to check their energy
efficiency of each appliance and suggest the best ways to save energy.
Table 1 gives examples of existing products and services that could be integrated in the
CarbonKit modules. CarbonKit modules do not require all the listed applications to be effective.
Nevertheless, a detailed technical evaluation is needed to determine the best apps for integration.
The CarbonKit dashboard should allow users to select their favorite interface or app in each
module. Many of the suggested apps in Table 1 are already in worldwide use (e.g., Facebook) or
could be tailored to specific jurisdictions.
23. 23
Each module has different objectives in different areas of human concern (i.e., environment,
health, economy, society). Some of the suggested apps are repeated or could be repeated because
they could influence change in more than one area (e.g., O-Power and or the BC Hydro Power
Smart application can help to reduce electricity consumption, but also to save money and facilitate
social comparison). This reflects the synergy that achieving improvement in one area (e.g.,
environment) has in other areas (e.g., health & fitness).
8. Conclusion
This paper explores how technology when combined with markets and incentives might
empower and reward individuals’ efforts to reduce GHG emissions and their carbon footprint. It
proposed a CarbonKit -- a combination of information sources, computing applications and
incentives that would help individuals track and reduce their personal carbon emissions. The
CarbonKit is a ubiquitous technology platform that can be implemented with currently available
technology to enable individual carbon budgeting and accountability. It combines a goal-and-
reward behavioral feedback loop with the Big Data available from tracked activities, apps and
social media. Because of the danger of information theft or compromise, privacy and security are
fundamental considerations of the CarbonKit design. It leverages widespread popular knowledge
of and experience with smart-phone apps and dashboards to track and share their experience within
their chosen social circles, and links the long-term and generational benefits of climate change
mitigation with near-term personal benefits including health, fitness, economic rewards and social
recognition.
Initially the CarbonKit would operate only on a voluntary basis for personal carbon
tracking, offering positive incentives but no penalties other than losing access to further incentives.
Nevertheless, the CarbonKit should be able to support more ambitious designs for individual
engagement and accountability, including individual carbon allowances and personal carbon
trading, where individuals whose emissions exceeded their allocation would buy ECCOs from
those who reduced their emissions below their allocated level.
Ultimately, personal carbon tracking can promote climate change mitigation to the degree
that it promotes individual awareness and results in imagination, engagement and behavioral
modification. The CarbonKit super application proposed in this paper uses existing technology
24. 24
and platforms, identifies recognizable stakeholder institutions, and entails modest, jurisdiction-
specific regulations and safeguards for the protection of privacy and confidentiality.
9. References
1. Affolderbach J, Clapp A and Hayter R 2012 Environmental bargaining and boundary organizations:
Remapping British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest Annals of the Association of American Geographers
102(6), 1391-1408
2. Antin, J., & Churchill, E. F. (2011). Badges in social media: A social psychological perspective. In CHI 2011
Gamification Workshop Proceedings (Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2011).
3. Ariely, D., Bracha, A., and Meier, S., 2007, Doing Good or Doing Well? Image Motivation and Monetary
Incentives in Behaving Prosocially [available at
http://people.duke.edu/~dandan/Papers/Other/doingGoodOrWell.pdf].
4. Axsen, J., et al. (2012). ‘Lifestyle practices and pro-environmental technology’, Ecological Economics, 82, 64–
74.
5. BC Hydro-Power Smart. (2016). Track your electricity use. Available at:
https://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/residential/tools-and-calculators/track-your-electricity-use.html
6. Cabinet Office and Behavioural Insights Team. (2011). ‘Behaviour change and energy use: behavioural
insights team paper’ Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-change-and-energy-
use-behavioural-insights-team-paper
7. Clapp, A., Hayter, R., Affolderbach, J., and Guzman, L. (2016). Institutional Thickening and Innovation:
Reflections on the Remapping of the Great Bear Rainforest. Transactions of the Institute of British
Geographers
8. Conner, M., & Norman, P. (1995). Predicting Health Behaviour: Research and Practice with Social Cognition
Models. Buckingham: Open University Press.
9. DiClemente, C. C., Marinilli, A. S., Singh, M., & Bellino, L. E. (2001). The role of feedback in the process of
health behavior change. American Journal of Health Behavior, 25(3), 217–227.
10. Festinger, L., 1954, ‘Social Comparison Processes’, Human Relations 7, 117–140.
11. Fraustino et al. (2012). Social Media Use during Disasters: A Review of the Knowledge Base and Gaps. Final
Report to Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security. College Park
12. Gifford, R., 2011, ‘The Dragons of Inaction: Psychological Barriers That Limit Climate Change Mitigation and
Adaptation’, American Psychologist 66, 4, 290–302.
13. Gifford, R., (2014). ‘Environmental Psychology Matters’. Annual Review of Psychology 65, 541-579
14. Goetz, T. (2011). Harnessing the power of feedback loops. Wired magazine, 19(07).
15. Goyal, V., Pandey, O., Sahai, A., & Waters, B. (2006, October). Attribute-based encryption for fine-grained
access control of encrypted data. In Proceedings of the 13th ACM conference on Computer and
communications security (pp. 89–98). ACM.
16. Grubb, M., 2015, ‘Climate Economics: The High Road’. Nature 520, 614–615.
17. Guimond, Serge. (2006). Social Comparison and Social Psychology: Understanding Cognition, Intergroup
Relations, and Culture. Cambridge University Press
18. Guzman, L. I. & A. Clapp (2016): Applying personal carbon trading: a proposed ‘Carbon, Health and Savings
System’ for British Columbia, Canada, Climate Policy, DOI: 10.1080/14693062.2016.1152947
19. “HealthKit”. (2015). Available at: https://developer.apple.com/healthkit/ (Last Accessed Nov 29, 2015)
20. Hendry, A. (2014). ‘Factors affecting the intention to use a personal carbon trading system’. Southern Cross
University ePublications@SCU. Available at:
http://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=theses
21. Hendry, A. et al. (2015). ´Influences on intentions to use a personal carbon trading system (NICHE - The
Norfolk Island Carbon Health Evaluation Project)’, The International Technology Management Review 5, 2,
105-116.
22. “HomeKit”. (2015). Available at: https://developer.apple.com/homekit/ (Last Accessed Nov 29, 2015).
23. Huotari, K., and Hamari, J., 2012, Defining Gamification - A Service Marketing Perspective [available at
http://www.hiit.fi/u/hamari/Defining_Gamification-A_Service_Marketing_Perspective.pdf].
25. 25
24. Jackson, R. B., Canadell, J. G., Le Quéré, C., Andrew, R. M., Korsbakken, J. I., Peters, G. P., & Nakicenovic,
N. (2015). Reaching peak emissions. Nature Climate Change.
25. Jamshed, U. (2015). 10 Myths About Mobile Payments, NFC Payments and Mobile Wallets. quartile.com.
Available online: http://www.quertime.com/article/10-myths-about-mobile-payments-nfc-payments-and-
mobile-wallets/ [Access on Nov 2, 2015].
26. Köhlera, Jonathan, Lorraine Whitmarshb, Björn Nykvistc, Michel Schilperoordd, Noam Bergmane, Alex
Haxeltineb. (2009). A transitions model for sustainable mobility Ecological Economics, Volume 68, Issue 12,
15 October 2009, Pages 2985–2995
27. Makonin, Stephen, Maryam H. Kashani, Lyn Bartram. (2012). The Affect of Lifestyle Factors on Eco-
Visualization Design. Proceedings of Computer Graphics International (CGI).
28. Makonin, Stephen, Fred Popowich, TaeJin Moon, Bob Gill. (2013 a). Inspiring Energy Conservation Through
Open Source Power Monitoring and In-Home Display. Proceedings of the IEEE Power and Energy Society
General Meeting, 2013.
29. Makonin, Stephen, Philippe Pasquier, Lyn Bartram. Elements of Consumption: An abstract visualization of
household consumption. Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Smart Graphics, LNSC
6815:194–198, 2011.
30. Makonin, Stephen, Lyn Bartram, Fred Popowich. (2013 b). A Smarter Smart Home: Case Studies of Ambient
Intelligence. IEEE Pervasive Computing, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 58–66
31. Makonin, S., Popowich, F., Bajic, I. V., Gill, B., and Bartram, L. (2015). Exploiting hmm sparsity to perform
online real-time nonintrusive load monitoring. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, vol. PP, no. 99, pp. 1–11.
32. Makonin, Stephen, Laura Guzman Flores, Robyn Gill, Roger Alex Clapp, Lyn Bartram, Bob Gill. (2014). A
Consumer Bill of Rights for Energy Conservation. In Proceedings of the IEEE Canada International
Humanitarian Technology Conference (IHTC), 2014.
33. Mehen, L. (2011). Feedback loops are changing health behavior. quartile.comhttp://opensource.com. Available
online: http://opensource.com/health/11/8/feedback-loops-are-changing-health-behavior [Access on Nov 2,
2015].
34. Moneris (2016). ‘Technology Partners’. Available at: https://www.moneris.com/en/Partners-
Developers/Technology%20Partners
35. Naumof, Nick. (2013). ‘How Do We Judge (absolute) Values... Everything Is Relative’ Available at:
http://naumof.blogspot.ca/2013/01/everything-is-relative.html?goback=.gde_2621605_member_201130005
36. OWASP Foundation, The. (2010). OWASP Secure Coding Practices Quick Reference Guide, Version 2.0.
Available online: https://www.owasp.org/images/0/08/OWASP_SCP_Quick_Reference_Guide_v2.pdf
37. “ResearchKit for Developers”. (2015). Available at: https://developer.apple.com/researchkit/ (Last Accessed
Nov 29, 2015)
38. Richter, G., Raban, D. R., & Rafaeli, S. (2015). Studying Gamification: The Effect of Rewards and Incentives
on Motivation. In Gamification in education and business (pp. 21–46). Springer International Publishing.
39. Shove, E., 2010. Beyond the ABC: climate change policy and theories of social change. Environment and
Planning A 42, 1273–1285.
40. Shome, D. and Marx, S., 2009, The Psychology of Climate Change Communication a Guide for Scientists,
Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public Center for Research on Environmental
Decisions, New York, Columbia University [available at
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/_/pdf/CRED_Psychology_Climate_Change_Communication.pdf].
41. Transport Layer Security. (2015, November 2). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:40,
November 2, 2015, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Transport_Layer_Security&oldid=688667450
42. York, Dan. (1999). Discussion and Critique of Market Transformation Challenges and Perspectives. Energy
Center of Wisconsin. Retrieved on April 11th
, 2014 from: http://www.ecw.org/prod/186-1.pdf
43. Vancouver Sun-Digital Life, 2013, Are you Addicted to your Smartphone? BC Survey Finds Smartphone
Ownership Has Doubled, Seen as a Necessity by Many [available at
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/07/09/are-you-addicted-to-your-smartphone-bc-survey-finds-smartphone-
ownership-has-doubled-seen-as-a-necessity-by-many/].