MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name

Here Today, Where Tomorrow?

One-line solution summary.

Using collective intelligence to improve the impact our daily actions on the environment: turning powerlessness into people power to tackle the 20% of polluters responsible for 80% of the crisis.

Elevator pitch

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What is your solution?

Here Today, Where Tomorrow? is a project calling upon us to make use of our people power to protect the future of our environment. Our guiding 'Lode/Northstar' quote: " There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth: #WeAreAllCrew . " - Marshall McLuhan

Using VR projections metaverse style, see what impact your daily actions based on the entities you at times inadvertently support (especially the ~20% responsible for ~80% of climate pollution) have both locally and globally. You can then find out how to lower your carbon footprint incrementally and compare with the wider community to improve carbon emissions for a better world overcoming powerless bottlenecks.

Its elements also consist of "My Footprint" tailored 'tracks' with short instructional-style videos (where possible supplemented with pre-existing content copyright permitting) that present simple changes they can make.

We are prototyping web & mobile application processes (primarily using JavaScript and C# respectively - the latter which ports to Android and iOS, with some use of native languages Java and Swift) to promote crucial changes.

What specific problem are you trying to solve?

The specific problem is that people feel powerless despite their influence on the causes at the core of the problem. The scale in my immediate community, albeit nationwide and of course worldwide, would be looking at a region with 213,805 inhabitants |(9,002,488 affected more broadly speaking in terms of city level) affected by the worst excesses of pollution. Factors such as lifestyle, car usage, and many more are contributing.

Consequences include buy are not limited to, using air pollution as an example:

In order to meet the target as per the COP Agreements, it is imperative for the biggest polluters to change faster but they of course state that they are serving therefore led by we the people.

If not, among many other crises, by 2030 air pollution will be the largest cause of preventable deaths globally (University of York via World Health Organisation).

“IN THE UK, [P.A] MORE THAN 20,000 DEATHS ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO AIR POLLUTION AND THE COST TO THE ECONOMY IS IN EXCESS OF £10 BILLION.”

Focus: Polluters and pollution as these are the most problematic from a cause and multiple order effect perspective

Scale: Worldwide, notably China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, USA, India, Mexico, Netherlands, the UK

Reach: Starting small by focusing on one community and a minor radius

Designing for community not users is the way forward.

AIMS

- Facilitate action by helping people be accountable to reducing their impact

- Provide important localised open data on energy efficiency, waste and recycling

- Make a difference by growing reach alongside careful evaluation of progress

OBJECTIVES

o Get individuals and communities to commit to personalised tracks that improve carbon footprints so they can act upon their potential to create change

o Engage with local government to track issues where information is lacking, so targeted uptake of pro-environment teaching initiatives would be beneficial

o Develop the project to become self-sustaining through either through affiliates for buying £2 VR headsets or assessing demand feasibility of supplying them

Research conducted at Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab has shown that virtual reality encourages changes in behaviour to lower carbon emissions. After learning further technical skills for gamification from Microsoft associates at an EU Horizons funded entrepreneurship bootcamp, I feel confident about the possibilities.

Who does your solution serve? In what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The target population is marginalised people, especially those in inner city areas who need more support to transform their lifestyles with limited resources given that it often costs more to be green. Collective intelligence in combining impact alongside joining buying power via this solution will address their needs.

In line with the previous section, they are underserved in many ways such ss how we need massive scale behavioural science driven change which may seriously but necessarily upend current lifestyles. However, we lack the resources to inspire such actions accordingly. Media such as Netflix's Don't Look Up and many others before it is a good trajectory point but we need more that is tailored, emotive, and invigorating with optimism.

Aforementioned research from the Stanford University VHIL proved that linking decisions to their effects changed people’s behaviour by making them more conscious of climate change. A researcher from the University of British Columbia presenting on "The Science of Getting People to Do Good," also highlighted that messaging was key: reminders of negative implications affect short term actions whereas positive emphasis has more long term consequences.

Originality wise, I believe innovation comes into play through the direct connection i.e. ‘when I choose not recycle, this is the landfill I contribute to…’, ‘each light left switched on without being in use means coal was burned for no reason...’ Self-reporting allows for a middle ground in that there is no guilt-trip or shaming but instead it emphasises personal responsibility. At Glasgow, the university has a programme called GUEST which collaborates with different bodies specialising in the environment. As well as its successes, we discussed the city’s challenges in terms of bringing the engagement directly into homes so as to align with governance level targets.

This is a condensed version of one of the example user journeys we have mapped out:

1. Discover then access site or app through acquisition channels

2. Engage with content that brings to life direct effects such as paper usage on trees

3. Make account to track commitment e.g. recycling/reusing/reducing waste, learning how to make their home more energy efficient, eating less meat, joining car-sharing schemes

What steps have you taken to understand the needs of the population you want to serve?

We have done research with potential users, engaging them in the design and development of your solution. We also volunteered and worked with multiple existing organizations working on this problem.

We shall continue collaborating with interested people e.g university makers society with the relevant experience to help. Risks wise, careful moderation policies are in place to ensure a safe space at all times for all stakeholders. I myself also have DBS certification.

I as the team lead interned for the United Nations during my gap year too, alongside winning 2 sustainable development awards: UNFCCC & World Bank Connect4Climate #1 Future World Sustainability Design.

https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/how-do-you-encourage-recycling

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/602528/to-save-the-planet-first-put-on-a-vr-headset/

http://hyperallergic.com/146018/can-virtually-destroying-the-environment-make-you-care-about-it

http://gadgets.ndtv.com/wearables/features/how-virtual-reality-is-being-used-to-alter-human-behaviour-in-the-real-world-1624656

Which aspects of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Taking action to combat climate change and its impacts (Sustainability)

Our solution's stage of development:

Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution—in other words, what have you accomplished to date?

It tackles these issues by encouraging more environmentally friendly behaviour via gamification in the form of emissions rating - updating the carbon footprint model. The ideal is of course getting it as low as possible.

When a less desirable choice is recorded through the straightforward tickbox system, an invitation arrives to watch a virtual reality video displaying how that manifests in the environment followed by suggested alternatives. Better ones elicit a lightly addictive progression sequence (a la Candy Crush) to reinforce improvement.

At the start, our YouTube channel will suffice as the mobile apps are designed to function with Google Cardboard. Early stage preparation is about ensuring the content provokes enough of a response, based on whether people intend then pledge to behave differently in future. Later on more interactivity shall be built into the HTWT application itself, taking care to keep things simple.

Where our solution team is headquartered or located:

London, UK

Team Lead:

Nyasha Duri