Karl Burkart writer for MNN.com gave this lecture at ECREA, the European conference on media & communications research. It explores the possibility that the internet may (somewhat ironically) have the solution for our greatest environmental challenge -- disconnection from both our positive and negative impacts on nature

1. 0
Can the new internet save the planet?
ENVIRONMENTALISM
2.0
“It’s amazing what one seed can grow.”
Proposal: Launch ‘08

2. 3 questions must be asked first…
1
Can we use the internet to catalyze massive
1 social change?
What is the fundamental environmental
2 challenge that faces us today?
How can the new internet be leveraged to
3 overcome this challenge?

3. 1st question…
2
How can the new internet be leveraged to
Can we use thechallenge? catalyze massive
overcome this internet to
1 social change?

4. 1st question…
Obama impressions:
3
How can the new internet be leveraged to
overcome this challenge?
The Obama campaign leveraged hundreds of
1 internet tools to create a new base.

5. 1st answer…
4
YES
WE CAN.
• inform
• inspire
• activate
• propagate
How can the new internet be leveraged to
overcome this challenge?
Obama was the first president elected by the
1 Internet.

6. 2nd question…
5
CO2?
Co2? Oil? Deforestation? Water?
How can the new internet be leveraged to
overcome this challenge?
What is the greatest environmental
2 challenge facing us today?

7. 2nd question…
6
2 the banana, or rather …

8. 2nd question…
7
2 the primate who first threw the banana…

9. 2nd question…
8
2 whose brain subsequently evolved…

10. 2nd question…
9
2 without the ability to comprehend ”waste.”

11. 2nd question…
10
Dr. Henrik Karl-Robert calls this the…
PERCEPTUAL GAP

12. 2nd answer…
11
So we need a new brain.

13. The internet is the new brain.
12
Kevin Kelly :
• 5% global energy
• 100 billion clicks
• 55 trillion links
• 1 quad transistors
• equivalent storage
This brain is
doubling in
power every
two years.

14. 3rd question…
13
How will the
new internet
overcome the
perceptual
gap?
Radically new methods of creating and
3 distributing content …

15. 3rd question…
14
rich media: photo video
visualizations: 2d 3d
interactivity: 1-way 2-way (MMP)
3 and the redefinition of content itself.

16. 3rd question…
15
media media media
push media blogosphere crowdsourcing
3 2000 2008 2012

17. 3rd question…
16
TV vs. Internet Social Media
3 Growth Patterns : 2008

18. 3rd question…
17
Survey of 200+
environmental
websites &
applications to
reveal 4 critical
functions:
INFORMATION redefinition of content
…and the INSPIRATION ACTIVATION itself.
PROPAGATION

19. The solution part 1
18
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Embeddable content widgets : news feeds

20. The solution part 1
19
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Embeddable content widgets : tips

21. The solution part 1
20
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Rich media galleries : ARC’s “virtual zoo”

22. The solution part 1
21
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Integrated video lets you play on arrival.

23. The solution part 1
22
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
2d data maps visualize impacts.

24. The solution part 1
23
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Interactive data maps visualize group
progress: Yahoo Green

25. The solution part 1
24
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
3d data maps enable a new understanding
the state of the planet : Google Earth

26. The solution part 1
25
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Impact calculators : LOL, WWF, CarbonFund

27. The solution part 1
26
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Friendly feedback calculator : the EVO Tree

28. The solution part 1
27
INFORMATION
• rich media
• visualizations
• interactivity
Interactive learning : National Geographic

29. The solution part 2
28
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
UGM TV: Current, Greentube & RiverWired

30. The solution part 2
29
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Live casting from the African bush : Eco TV

31. The solution part 2
30
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Real-life Success Stories : Trees for the
Future

32. The solution part 2
31
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Campaign for Arbor Day : Treeless Squirrel

33. The solution part 2
32
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
A friendly, quirky guide : Green Thing

34. The solution part 2
33
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Timberland puts you in the forest.

35. The solution part 2
34
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
BMW celebrates innovation and the wind.

36. The solution part 2
35
INSPIRATION
• real
• funny
• cool
Solving for “cool” -- G Living

37. The solution part 3
36
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Earn “greenage” points : Creative Citizen

38. The solution part 3
37
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Put your pledges on video : The Big Ask

39. The solution part 3
38
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : recycling

40. The solution part 3
39
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : shopping

41. The solution part 3
40
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : junk mail

42. The solution part 3
41
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Hyper-local utilities : commuting

43. The solution part 3
42
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Kiva turns charity into media experience.

44. The solution part 3
43
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
CI’s call-to-action is visualized thru sights
and sounds of your personal forest.

45. The solution part 3
44
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Integrated social network membership

46. The solution part 3
45
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Aggregator for nonprofit membership :
Tactics of Hope

47. The solution part 3
46
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Competition-based CO2 reduction

48. The solution part 3
47
ACTIVATION
• pledge
• act
• give
• join
• play
Lottery-based CO2 reduction

49. The solution part 4
48
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
1-step email send & bookmark posting

50. The solution part 4
49
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
1-step social network posting and…

51. The solution part 4
50
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
1-step widget embed: 400,000+ views

52. The solution part 4
51
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
An estimated $35 million was raised
through virtual gifting on Facebook.

53. The solution part 4
52
PROPOGATION
• email blast
• bookmarklet
• social network
• widget & app
• virtual gifts
• virtual $$
Virtual currencies will create micro-
economies, building online identity.

54. Bio
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Holding a Master's degree in Architecture, KARL BURKART brings
together an expertise in creating quot;online spacequot; with a passion for
technology, pop culture and the environment. He was a leader in the
green building movement, creating the Greenmatrix – an award-
winning web tool used by architects and clients such as Kaiser
Permanente to develop their sustainable design initiatives. Recently,
he developed the content for EVO.com, a vertically integrated green
lifestyle site featuring the quot;EVO Treequot; - a gamelike app that tracks a
user's quot;greennessquot; based on a series of questions and user behaviors.
He is active in the Facebook development community, and created the
newsworthy Voozoo application for Paramount Studios. Karl’s goal is
to leverage new social media tools to empower and enrich people’s
lives by giving them access to great, interactive content with a special
focus on environmental and cause issues. Karl has his own blog
Greendig.net and is a technology blogger at MNN.