Deforestation, immigrants and consumism
Devoloping an application that helps both reduce forced immigration (caused by deforestation), and moderate excessive consumerism.
- The "flying rivers" or "aerial rivers" are atmospheric watercourses (coming from the Amazon Rainforest) responsible for the balance and distribution of rainfall throughout the Brazilian territory (mainly in the southeast region of the country). This region represents 10.9% of the territory of all Brazil and is the most populous in the nation (about 42% of the inhabitants). Due to the exorbitant deforestation of the Amazon, the tendency is that the southeast region will become a desert in the near future, consequently causing a forced immigration of the inhabitants of this region.
- In addition, another major problem is consumerism, responsible for affecting the lives of up to 8% of the world's population (approximately 632,000,000 people). The trend is that the number of those affected will get even worse in the coming generations, causing consequences for nature and also for the lifestyle of the entire human society.
Therefore, the problems that I intend to co-relate and solve in a single solution are: intense immigration flow, deforestation of the largest forest in the world, and excessive consumerism.
My solution is an app that each person can enter banking information (for example, how much they spend each month and how much of that they intend to decrease). Then the app will stipulate a goal, i.e. a maximum amount of money that the person can spend each month, in order to prevent them from going overboard with unnecessary purchases. The "reward" for reaching this goal is that for every $100.00 spent, a tree is planted (which can be either in the Amazon or in the Southeast state itself). In this way, the intention is that people reduce consumerism and increase reforestation with a single, simple solution.
The target population is worldwide (even the "flying rivers" problem affects other places as well, due to the extent of the Amazon Rainforest and the immigrants that will leave the southeast region if the desert is not stopped in time.)
Currently, the Brazilian government has not taken any position to prevent the deforestation of the Amazon and the immigration that will be accompanied by the lack of the "flying rivers".
As for the problem of consumerism, some countries may even have found some solutions, but none of them can be applied easily and effectively in all countries.
The solution I have found is intended to impact as many people and as many places as it can reach.
First of all, I live in southeastern Brazil, so if it becomes a desert here, I will have to become an immigrant and find a new home to live in. Furthermore, the city in which I live is cut by a river and in my daily life the consequences that the lack of trees can cause to a river (whether they are on land or "flying") are clear to see.
As for consumerism, I did a school project about how this act is increasingly brought about by us, tending always to get worse and worse.
I have not done a research with users, volunteered, worked, or engaged users in the design and development, but I used my life experiences and concern for my country/my nation, my state, and the world itself.
- Taking action to combat climate change and its impacts (Sustainability)
- Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea.
It solves more than one problem at the same time and it is expected to change a whole human habit and a ambiental problem that affects the whole world by reaching every person that intend to change (not only a bad habit, but also a climate problem).
Via social media I wish people from the whole world to know my solution/app and understand how much impact it could cause by a simple action coming from them.
My solution is based on the creation of a free application that is accessible to everyone via their cell phones.
Currently the project is just an idea, so no one person.
In the future the intention is to help the southeast as a whole and at least 0.5% of consumer people.
Currently I have no knowledge of how an application is created nor how much would be spent in the process. But if the product were to be launched, I believe that the biggest difficulty would be if people did not sympathize with the cause and did not adhere to the idea.
None.
My product is an app that has the purpose of connecting national and world problems by helping the general population in relation to consumerism and at the same time fighting against the desertification of southeastern Brazil and the deforestation of the Amazon.
It would be developed by technologist experts and would be disseminated through instagram pages to reach more and more people.
Through donations and selling products or services.