jen

2. Place it:

Samasara is a virtual world, which resides in a universe of data that can be accessed by many. Its inhabitants are virtual representations of their human counterparts on Earth. The purpose of this world is to create a visualization of human impact on the planet Earth. Though I imagine this to be a somewhat over-exaggerated visualization of current environmental issues, I would like to use real-world data and actions of humans to create an environment in a constant state of change.

Boundaries:
The personal boundaries of the inhabitants of Samsara are malleable. Change to the boundaries is based on the daily activities and ecological footprint of the inhabitants. As their ecological footprint expands, so too do the boundaries. It is beneficial to keep ones space small. Counter to how many people live in westernized regions of Earth, where bigger is often associated with better, one will be penalized for destruction to the flora and fauna of their environment. The goal is to reach a balance between normal/unavoidable use of resources (transportations, food, other goods) and good deeds that will offset some of the damage done to Samsara as part of everyday existence.

3. Define your audience:
This project will be most effective if experienced by a group of people who frequently visit the world and contribute to its existence. It will be a second person experience in which the participant will be considered individually, but also as a larger community who must work together to keep the planet healthy. Each participant will have agency and the decisions they make and resources they use will directly affect the world they live in, both virtual and real.

Resources:
An Inconvenient Truth: http://climatecrisis.org/
TerraPass: http://www.terrapass.com/index.html
Worldmapper: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=315
Ecological footprint: measure of human impact on nature; human consumption of natural resources with the planets ecological capacity to regenerate them