Markey Addresses Bali Climate Conference in Second Life Using Virtual Avatar
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: 202-225-4081 or 202-285-7040
Rep. Markey Addresses Bali Climate Conference in Second Life Using Virtual Avatar
Chairman Pushes for U.S. Climate Action Abroad, Energy Bill Here in DC
WASHINGTON/THE INTERNET (December 11, 2007) -- Confronted with a need to be both in Washington to push a clean energy bill through Congress and halfway around the world in Bali, Indonesia to address the United Nations climate summit, today Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) will turn to the virtual reality community called Second Life.
Tonight at 8:30 p.m.ET here in Washington, DC, Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, will address the Bali conference by using a virtual likeness of himself—known as an “avatar”. Chairman Markey will lay out the current political movement towards climate action here in America, and how the Bush administration is making no progress, whether real or virtual, in combating the looming problems.
“I had to stay here in Washington to pass a clean energy bill that will make a down payment on the global warming cuts needed to save the planet,” said Rep. Markey. “But it was critical to show the leaders gathered in Bali that they have partners here in America who are deeply concerned about solving global warming and re-engaging the United States on the global stage.”
Congress is currently considering an energy bill that would raise fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, which Rep. Markey championed in the House, and increase the use of renewable electricity like wind and solar and renewable fuels like ethanol here in the United States. If all portions of the bill were passed and signed by the president, it would, by 2030, reduce up to 35 percent of the projected heat-trapping emissions that must be cut to save the planet.
Wearing a headset to broadcast the speech in real time into Second Life, Rep. Markey will address the crowd from OneClimate’s virtual Bali stage. OneClimate is a social networking platform dedicated to facilitating discussions and surfacing ideas about climate change and is under the umbrella of OneWorld.net, an international town hall created to facilitate open discussion of pressing issues.
“By choosing not to fly to Bali, Congressman Markey is walking the walk,” said Jeffrey Allen, producer of OneWorld.net's Virtual Bali series. “He's demonstrating that by thinking outside the box and making use of technologies, individual citizens and government leaders alike can take strong action against climate change. Congressman Markey is modeling what OneWorld has always believed--that by opening new communications channels, the Internet can and should be an agent of human rights and sustainable development.”
As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunication and the Internet along with his Select Committee chairmanship, Rep. Markey has a strong belief in the power of technology and the Internet to solve the world’s greatest challenges.
“Meeting the climate challenge is a global problem, one that will require an exchange of ideas from people in all corners of the world. Technology platforms like Second Life and OneClimate’s Island shrink our global community so we can have real-time discussions on serious issues like global warming,” said Rep. Markey.
Rep. Markey’s speech will be replayed all week at the conference, demonstrating an extremely low carbon way to encourage stronger U.S. government support for climate action. The full speech will also be available afterwards on the Select Committee’s website, globalwarming.house.gov
WHO: Edward Markey's Avatar, Virtual Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
WHAT: Address to UN Bali Climate Change Conference in Second Life
WHERE: The Internet, from One Climate Island,
http://slurl.com/secondlife/OneWorld%20Meetings/145/104/2/?title=Virtual%20Bali
or http://slurl.com/secondlife/OneClimate/128/128/26/?img=http%3A//www.oneclimate.net/wp-content/pix/CopMeeting.jpg&title=Welcome
or on the Web at: www.oneclimate.net/virtualbali
After the speech, video will also be available at globalwarming.house.gov
WHEN: US: Tuesday, Dec. 11 - 8:30 pm EST
Bali: Wednesday, Dec. 12 - 9:30 am
Replayed in Bali on demand Wed., Thurs., and Fri. at the OneWorld UK stand
About OneClimate:
OneClimate.net is OneWorld.net's social networking platform dedicated to facilitating discussions and surfacing ideas about climate change. It has been called the "Climate Facebook." The OneClimate archipelago in Second Life is an extension of that platform where regular people can learn about climate change and meet others interested and involved in the issue. According to Climate Care, a UK-based company that tracks travel-related carbon dioxide, a single individual flying from Washington, DC to Bali, Indonesia, would be responsible for the emission of 5.36 tons of carbon dioxide as a result of the 20,381-mile round-trip flight.
About Second Life:
Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its users, called Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by over 11 million Residents, who create their own avatars, homes, and participate in an economic system that supports millions of transactions every month.
# # #
The Select Committee was active during the 110th and 111th Congresses. This is an archived version of the website, to ensure that the public has ongoing access to the Select Committee record. This website, including external links, will not be updated after Jan. 3rd, 2010.
del.icio.us
Digg this
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Print This Page