PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM

Design Brief

BACKGROUND.

Human-induced climate Global climate change is apparent across a wide range of recent observations. Humans have raised Earth’s greenhouse gas concentration by 48% since industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since 2005, this has accelerated by 91%. Emissions from driving, home heating, and transportation have made the planet 1˚C warmer than it should be. This change is significant, and has already caused real impacts.

Recent climate disasters have brought national attention to the effects that climate change has on human lives. The recent power failure in Texas, caused by a polar vortex, caused heat, food, and water shortages for 4.5 million Texans. The power grid in that region was unprepared for such extreme temperatures. In the end, 151 lives were lost in Texas. Last year’s wildfires in California and Australia further demonstrate the immense human and ecological toll taken by the changing conditions on Earth. Hotter and drier conditions burned much more area than usual, and encroached on civilization. Over 10,000 homes and structures in California were damaged or destroyed by fire. Climate is affecting the livability of all areas on Earth, beyond the coasts. These recent events demonstrate the imperative to recognize these global trends as serious threats, and adapt through action at all levels of society.

This is what 1˚C of warming looks like. We’re already on track to double that by 2050, which is only 29 years away. These impacts will only worsen if we don’t do anything. Reducing carbon emissions will significantly lessen climate related disasters. Doing so will also provide more time to invest in infrastructure that is resilient to extreme weather, sea level rise, droughts, and poverty.

This public works studio program aims to reduce carbon emissions globally over the next 10 years in order to preserve a planet that can provide nutrition, clean water, and secure shelter for the growing communities across Earth by engaging people in new, eco-friendly behaviors.

Learn More About The Problem:

• The Effects of Climate Change - NASA
• Impacts of 1.5°C of Global Warming on Natural and Human Systems
• Climate Change - MIT
• Changing Conditions Threaten Respiratory Health
• Humans in rural China take over pollination duties from diminished bee populations

• Dying Planet or Not. American's won't stop eating beef
• Implications of a Climate-Changed Atmosphere on Cool-Climate Viticulture

PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM INTENT

Help 8 Billion people reduce their carbon footprint by 2030.

The intent of this program is to Help 8 Billion people reduce their carbon footprint, waste, and consumption of fossil fuels over a 10 year period. We will do this by accelerating the adoption of eco-friendly behaviors, routines and technologies that slow global warming by designing a healthy relationship between humans, technology, and earth.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

• Help people calculate their carbon footprint and suggest eco-friendly  home, dining, driving routines.
• Enable people to compare transit options by price and ecological impact.
• Accelerate the adoption of smart home energy saving tech through individualized automation services.

• Increase renewable electricity generation globally from 26.2% (as of 2018) to 100%
• Increase food supply resilience by increasing consumption of alternative protein sources
• Encourage the adoption of eco-friendly routines by providing an interactive path to action and individual contributions in near real time.

Human-Centered Design Goals

1. Mimi, a student, can build and view her carbon footprint profile and explore multiple paths to lower her environmental impact in 2 mins or less.

2. Andy, a new homeowner, can assess his energy usage and compare energy efficient upgrades that lower his monthly energy expenses and carbon footprint.

3. Andy, a user of a coal based energy grid. can find a new energy efficient way to heat his home, increasing independence from the energy grid.

4. Nidhi, a young mother, can get product recommendations for her home from brands that are eco and child safe by default.

5. Louis, a foodie, can discover eco-friendly recipes and GRA (Green Restaurant Association) rated restaurants that suit his diet, location and likes.

6. Allesha, an urban commuter, can get the most convenient eco-friendly routes to her destinations.

7. John, a rural family farm owner, can view or hear his local communities carbon goals and track his contribution towards those goals with 1 tap or voice command.

8. Martha, a homeowner can retrofit her home with solar panels and prevent a power outages in her city in 5 days or less

DESIGN ACTIVITIES

1. Design and develop EarthSpeaks iOS app with CO2 dashboard (Your Carbon Picture)
2. Design and develop an Ai powered bot that personifies Earth to help individuals track and lower their carbon footprints.
3. Use Alexa skills kit to build an EarthSpeaks bot skill, accessible to all alexa devices.
4. Louis, a foodie, can discover eco recipes and GRA rated restaurants that suit his diet, location and likes.
5. Design and develop a web page for EarthSpeaks that demonstrates capabilities, data sources, FAQs, mirrors iOS app functionality, and features the EarthSpeaks bot.
6. Expand the bot to social media messaging services.
7. Deploy a targeted Marketing Campaign

DESIGN DELIVERABLES

1. A cross platform bot, EarthSpeaks, accessible via webpage, iOS & Android apps, FB messenger, Twitter, and Alexa Devices.
   
2. EarthSpeaks Design System: Library of components, parametric assets and guidelines on how to design EarthSpeaks services.
3. Consumer facing web page featuring the EarthSpeaks bot
4. EarthSpeaks open source APIs and documentation e.g. recipes and product choices
5. A marketing campaign that targets consumers, and demonstrates value added.

Make A Donation.

Help the Design By Us Design Corps raise $3 Million in order to design a Web3, Ai powered platform that enables 8 Billion humans to reduce their carbon footprints, waste, and consumption of fossil fuels over a 10 year period. 

All proceeds donated to fund this Studio Program ensures Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math and Design apprentices receive a living wage for their work, technology platforms remain open-source, secure and private by design.

MAKE A DONATION