06/20

Planet Forward using crowdsourcing to develop content and inspire

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Written by Amanda Janssen-Egan and Julie Pendergast

We know our planet is changing. Stories about global warming, population growth, natural disasters and its future impact on our planet, flood (no pun intended,) our TV programs, newspapers and magazines. We are exposed to these issues on a daily basis. Some of us take it seriously. Some of us don’t give it a second thought. PBS’s Planet Forward, a project of the Center for Innovative Media at The George Washington University, wants you to get involved, and they are offering fame in return.

Users can submit their ideas for community innovation for adapting to a future planet at http://planetforward.org/season/adaptation/, for a chance to be featured in one of Planet Forward’s many webisodes, on PBS’s Nightly Business Report, or in their Fall 2011 PBS Special on Smart Communities. Nominated ideas will be posted on the site, where users can vote on the winners. Do you have an idea to submit? Check out other’s recent ideas here.

Photo By, Loca Luna/Anna Gay

What a great example of using crowdsourcing to develop content, while at the same time spreading the word about a cause that affects us all. Not to mention inspiring community involvement. Have you given a second thought to how the changing planet is going to affect future generations? Is there anything in particular you do? Can you tell the difference in the environment between now and when you were a kid?

Sue Spaight

Really interesting, thanks for the post. What I love about this idea is that I think, for the most part, we feel helpless against the H-U-G-E out of control problem that is our systematic destruction of the planet and turn a blind eye. I read not long ago that we basically have about 7 years to get things under control before we are past the point of no return. How scary is that?!?! Anyway, if we CAN turn back, it’s probably not going to be one BIG idea that does it but millions of little ideas. Anything that fuels that is A-OK with me. One thing that I like less about this community example is the execution of it – it feels like it could be a little more accessible to the “common person”. Great stuff though!!!

http://twitter.com/addy_dren Andreana Drencheva

It always makes me sad when people say we are helpless as individuals to prevent what is happening to our planet. We all can do so much: from buying local products, to limiting our mindless consumption of anything and everything shiny, to being more careful with who and what we support, to educating ourselves about the consequences of our actions. We can vote with our money and the way we decide to spend it.