| |
|
The Incubator's design expertise, technical skill and commitment to sustainability dovetailed at the Pop!Tech project. Andrew Zolli commissioned the Incubator to illustrate carbon offsetting. The Incubator illustrated the amount of CO2 produced by each attendee's transportation to and from the conference and by the conference as a whole.
A carbon offset zeros out all or part of the carbon dioxide emissions of a party or activity, by either reducing those emissions or absorbing them by another party. This reduces net greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of combating global climate change. Offsetting an activity's emissions makes that activity "carbon neutral". Individuals, businesses and governments from a variety of organizations, for as little as $0.10 per ton of carbon dioxide sequestered, can purchase carbon offsets.
The Pop!Tech Institute purchased offsets for twice the energy required to produce the 2006 conference and transport all the participants, making the event a net carbon negative activity.
The Incubator worked with Bob Freling CEO of the Solar Electrical Lighting Fund (SELF) that provides solar power to people in poverty and Michele Bowman, Managing Director of Global Foresight Associates. Together, we produced two experiences to educate the conference community about carbon offsetting:
First we calculated the estimated the amount of gas and electricity required to transport and maintain at the conference. Each person's estimate was printed on his or her nametag without explanation. Then, we designed a carbon emissions calculator to further explain the concept and were on hand to discuss and explain carbon offsetting as talk about the mysterious numbers on the nametags began to spread.
|
|
Entrepreneur Teams
SMIT
Thrive
Domestic Aesthetic
One Earth
New York City Water Tower Furniture
Consultancy Projects
Lab On A Chip
Cooper Hewitt Workshops
Pop!Tech
The Dumpster Project
|
| |
|
Finally, a performance by Pop!Tech curator, Andrew Zolli accompanied an animation that the Incubator created to depict amounts of carbon emissions in cubic feet. This three-dimensional visual device quantified facts and figures that would otherwise be difficult to comprehend.
The conference is an engaging blend of mind-expanding presentations on a huge variety of subjects, musical performances, short films, demonstrations, and other one-of-a-kind surprises. Over the course of three days, every part of the mind is engaged. The Pop!Tech network also works because it is so eclectic — it includes visionaries from many disciplines, as well as corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, global participants, educators and even students. For the past decade, Pop!Tech has been building and inspiring just such a community of committed change-agents. It is an open and grounded dialog between people on both the giving and receiving end of change and the Incubator is proud to play a part in this year's presentation.
|
|
Download Quicktime Movie (22 MB)
|
