Transcript Promoting Community-Led Action Green Energy with

Promoting Community-led Action on Green Energy
with Visual Media
Stephen R.J. Sheppard, PhD., ASLA
Accelerating Climate Action on Green Energy
Building Sustainable Communities, Kelowna, 27 November 2013
Beyond energy literacy: We also need
a‘social license’and community engagement
• Weak public awareness of
energy/climate change links
• Active opposition to unfamiliar
‘green’ solutions
• Individual action inadequate to
retrofit whole neighbourhoods
A role for visual media solutions?
Revealing the invisible
and the future consequences of our choices
Best practice visual learning tools:
• Educational/informative/clear
• Personal and relevant
• Credible
• Vivid and compelling
Credit: ethos-uk.com. Source: “Visualizing Renewable Energy in
the Landscape of 2050”. ©The Countryside Agency.
Explaining carbon emissions
Information Visualization: Modified Sankey Diagrams
Nicole Hipp Miller, CALP
Sponsor: REIBC/REFBC
Explaining carbon emissions
Information Visualization: Modified Sankey Diagrams
Nicole Hipp Miller, CALP
Sponsor: REIBC/REFBC
Rory Tooke, UBC + District of North Vancouver
Biomass capacity mapping, Northshore:
Biomass
production
capacity (Northshore)
Conceptual
geovisualization
D. Flanders, CALP
Explaining biomass district energy
& urban forestry/design options
BC CLEAR PROJECT
Visualizations: Erick Villagomez, CALP
Sponsor: BC Hydro
Semi-realistic photo-visualization
Jon Laurenz, CALP
Local food
market
Live / work
development
Smaller, efficient
cars
Stormwater
drainage swale
60% reduction in
home energy
consumption
Community
gardening
Multifamily
suites
Passive solar
conservatory
Increased public
transit
Electric
commuter
vehicles
Participant rating of visualization
benefits in Kimberley public meeting
Respondents n=38, valid n=38
Mean: 4.370,
Standard Deviation 1.051
Over 30 adaptation measures adopted in the final Plan
Thermal Imaging (+ social and economic incentives)
motivates community-led neighbourhood retrofits
Eagle Island, BC 2011
Source: Goodhew, Pahl et al., 2010
29/30 energy audits. Most
retrofitted their homes. Started
Cool Neighbourhoods
movement.
Source: Cote et al., 2013, Draft PICS White Paper on thermal imaging &
community-led action
http://guidetocommunityenergy.com
Neptis Foundation/Metro Vancouver/PICS/Vancouver Foundation
Case Study 1:
City of Richmond
Visualization/energy modelling: K. Wang, Elements Lab; R. Tooke, IRSS/CALP
Illustrated stories about community energy
Regional energy assessment and local scenarios
iWISE online tools (Interactive Web-Interface for Sustainable Energy)
Messages
• Visuals can be more
compelling and explanatory
• Pictures with numbers
particularly convincing
• Systematic delivery by
embedding within
stories/scenarios and
hands-on engagement
processes
BC Hydro Decision Theatre, UBC
Visualization: A. Pilon, CIRS
Resources are
available to help
Recent book:
•
Reviews various visual
tools/processes
• Code of Ethics for
visualization
www.routledge.com/books/d
etails/9781844078202/
Public workshop tonight on
DIY Visual Tools for
Visualizing Climate
Change in your own
Backyard: 7- 9pm here
Sneak preview of our
new climate change
videogame!