What Can You Promise Mother Nature?

I chanced upon this website called World Offset. It is site that advocates no 'greenwashing' and calls for pledges from people all over the world to reduce their carbon emission. World Offset was originally launched at the 'ecoAesthetics' exhibition produced by <>TAG, a center for contemporary audio and visual Art in Hague and Amsterdam.

World Offset started with eco-visualization - "a creative practice of making numeric environmental data visible and understandable through imaging, sound or animation." Internet kiosks were setup in the gallery, together with a monitor showing an animation (spinning disk) of carbon emitters: hairdryers, cars and airplanes. Using a somewhat similar concept in this website, amazingly, once a total of 75,000 pounds of carbon were promised by the gallery tourists; the animation transforms and trees replace the hairdryers.

As part of World Offset's goal to raise awareness on carbon offsetting, they emphasize real measures on climate change mitigation.

"Real carbon offset is the process of reducing the net carbon emissions of an individual by their own actions, not by buying something."

In the website itself whoever visits it is asked to make a 'PROMISE' in the different aspects of their lives to reduce their carbon emissions: eating habits (i.e. eat a vegetarian diet for x number of days) , drinking habits (i.e. use reusable cups for x number of days), means of transportation (i.e. use of public transportation for x number of days), home (i.e. replace x number of incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs), work (i.e. unplug office equipment not in use for x number of days), etc. Once a commitment has been made, an estimated amount of carbon emissions saved is shown if that visitor were to keep her promises. As a pledge, these promises will be "saved," it's optional to place personal information like name and email address but country is required because another feature of the website shows a world map of countries with the most pledges to reduce carbon emission. An updated list of 'GOODPEOPLE' shows people all over the planet who promised to reduce x number of carbon emissions. So far, the Philippines seems to show a lot of concerned netizens.

Furthermore, the website also talks about the 'FUTILITY' dragged on by the unsustainable promotion of nonstop consumption and proposes its curtailment with the 'NECESSITY' urged on by climate change.

I am making my commitment, not to World Offset, but to myself, Mother Nature and to everyone living in the present and hoping for the future. I think World Offset is a clever way to raise awareness and draw accountability from people on helping out in the environmental crisis we are in but the pledges should not stop after a number of clicks. It is only the beginning. The importance and urgency we place on the only planet that we live in will determine what action we take on our promise.