We would love to have your input or comments. If you can make this work or run with it, it's yours. If think there's a better way to do this, tell us & we'll publish it. This is very open-source & collaborative. So far, 5 CCC members have worked on this idea. If you know of anyone who would be interested in using this idea, please let them know.Below is a concept-sketch for a travel mapping website (like Mapquest or Google Maps), that would calculate:
1. Your trip cost (using your zip code for fuel cost - a one time entry).
2. Your trip emissions (using car model & fuel grade - a one time entry).
3. AND give you locally available mass transit alternatives.
Also, (this is debatable) if you consistently saved emissions by making informed decisions (read use of mass transit, bike routes, hybrid/electric cars), it would give you “green points” which you could redeem to buy sustainable products. These decisions would be recorded on a system similar to the "smart trip" card in Washington DC.
The premise is that armed with such pertinent & quantifiable data, people are more likely to be conscious of their impact on the environment & their wallets.
Allowing consumers to quantify environmental impact through user interface design.
More than government and institutions, it is people who have become motivated to act upon climate change. Consumers are pushing industries to produce more eco friendly products.
Many continue to plant trees, recycle trash, use public transport & conserve resources in ways that are possible for them. Yet how many people are aware of the environmental impact their actions (positive or negative) have in terms of hard numbers?
The CCC is currently working on ideas in the realm of transportation & indoors climate control through which it believes that people - not just regulatory bodies - will truly be able to control climate change.
The ideas currently on the boards are both practical & very marketable due their fungibility. They are in simple terms - “grafts” on existing technologies. We believe that resources already exist through which these ideas could be implemented in a short period of time should the appropriate individuals or organizations take them on.
GreenTravel- is a conceptual website layout based on existing road & travel mapping models not unlike Mapquest or Google Maps.
GreenTravel allows travelers to plug in the make/type of vehicle with fuel grade they intend to use along with the start & destination addresses. The search results show (in close approximate numbers) the amount of emissions generated for a specific mode of transportation they use (say an SUV, hybrid or public transit). The website also allows them to explore more sustainable alternatives for travel (such as ride-shares, bikes & buses locally available). Apart from providing users real emission numbers through inbuilt algorithms on which to base their travel decisions, the website would also allow them to tap into an existing infrastructure of sustainable travel practices.
The website would also be a place for certified green products to advertise themselves & perhaps offer “green rewards” to users who consistently make less polluting travel decisions.
Why “GreenTravel”?
Next to the building industry, the transportation industry is the next biggest polluter. A solution similar to this website (or an adaptation of it) could stand to make a significant impact on climate change by influencing the travel decisions of millions of commuters many of whom are already using existing travel mapping websites.
Who stands to gain from “GreenTravel” ?
First and foremost – the community. Secondly, websites such as Google Maps, Mapquest & others could gain substantially by making design tweaks on their existing websites to accommodate green/sustainable travel alternatives.
New info that might be needed for the website:
1. A database of makes/types of cars available
2. A database of different fuel grades available and costs of such based on local zip code.
3. A database/algorithms of average emissions produced by specific car sizes/models & fuels grades combined together.
4. A way for people to validate their “green points” & for them to redeem them.
Websites which could use this approach:
Labels: CCC, control climate change, emissions, environmental impact, green innovation, green inventions, green technology, green travel, quantify impact, sustainable travel
