Digital Earth

Star shot by Derek Thomson on Unsplash copy

The rapid development of tech and digital tools has come at a great cost to our earth and yet is often pitched as the solution to climate and many other environmental issues. However, digital developments can make a significant impact if they are made sustainably and contribute effectively to large-scale change.

Digital Earth carves out a way for our digital future to avoid further resource exploitation and to enable genuine impact, where tech and data are developed and implemented in alignment with our planet, for our planet.

Digital Earth is being rolled out from greater Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand – a city built on innovation and with great readiness for change. Working in conjuction with Smart Cities Council Aotearoa & Australia, local agencies and businesses, this project is starting to gain considerable momentum.  We welcome people interested in a large-scale digital project that will drive environmental change to get in contact.

Are you a digital company that would like to get involved? Can you help us get there through an investment/donation?

What’s coming next?

We are in the first stages but here are the areas we are concentrating on first:

Co-building an open-source environmental data plan + infrastructure to provide the information we need to transform a region (Greater Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand).

Curation and analysis of multiple sources of environmental data (public, not-for-profit and commercial sources) to establish at a regional level the current state of ecosystems and harm, and set the benchmark for environmental action and change.  Going well beyond data as a source for mitigation of changing climate and environments, this work will look at the opportunities to redress, nurture and protect, and track positive change.

Advising on how digital twins can contribute to environmental change.

Providing environmental change direction and advice, particularly in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia, and bringing together key stakeholders so that digital twins can be developed to decrease their footprint and maximise their impact.  Digital twins can go well beyond mitigating or preparing for environmental disasters such as flooding, they can help transform urban and rural landscapes so that our communities and ecosystems flourish for generations to come.

On the horizon…

We are looking for partners to help put in place Tech to Connect, key tools to show what is possible in our future – creating virtual inspiration for reality implementation. 

Do you know of tech and digital companies that have tools to create a new grounded vision for our future, where the environment is not exploited but rather respected and recognised by us as a living being?  Or artists and designers who can bring to life earthly visions of urban and rural landscapes – like solarpunk with soul? We want people to connect virtually so they can connect in reality – a place where people aren’t escaping but rather seeing the possibilities for their unique contributions and effective action.  Please get in contact if you can help.

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