... lbs of carbon saved by ... good people = annual load of ... americans.

ecoviz

World Offset was launched at the opening of the ecoAesthetics exhibition produced by <> TAG, a center for contemporary audio and visual art, based in the Hague and Amsterdam. In the gallery an Internet kiosk was placed next to a flatscreen monitor that displayed a larger version of the visualization at left.

The piece begins with no carbon offsets and all of the spinning disks are filled with devices that consume energy: hairdryers, cars, and airplanes. When the first 75,000 pounds of carbon are promised, a change occurs in the animation: trees replace hairdryers.

The initial goal of the animation was to offset at minimum 15,000 pounds of carbon, the amount that the average American consumes per year. The fact that so many real promises are required to offset the impact of one individual is in itself a demonstration of the enormous challenge of modifying human behavior to slow climate change. This initial goal of 15,000 lbs was met on March 22, 2008 during the exhibition opening.

Presently, more than half a million pounds of carbon must be offset to fully “green” the animation at left.