Earth Hero
Creator of the emissions-measuring application "Earth Hero"
Back in February 2023, Instagram recommended Earth Hero’s account to me among a lengthy list of environmental influencers. After some exploration of Earth Hero’s profile page, I was not only amazed by the inspirational cartoons they posted but also by an actual application they launched—a free application also named “Earth Hero”.
Earth Hero(the application) serves a variety of functions:
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It calculates the emissions of the user and compares that data with the local and global averages.
It allows the user to browse for climate-friendly actions they can conduct to reduce their emissions and improve their lives.
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It rewards the user for reductions in their emissions by offering “Earth points”.
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It provides explanations to the user emphasizing the importance of a green lifestyle and the threats of climate change.
Per Essen Stoknes has stated in his TED talk that one factor causing apocalypse fatigue on the topic of climate change is the mindset of “doom”. The term “doom” refers to the mindset of regarding climate change as totally irreversible and the future of Earth as utterly hopeless. Such beliefs trigger hopelessness among people as they believe that any effort to mitigate climate change is futile, leading to a lack of motivation for the people themselves to attempt any climate-friendly actions. Even worse, people may begin avoiding discussions about climate change in an attempt to avoid a situation that makes them feel fear and discomfort.
However, apps like Earth Hero works to reverse the “doom” mindset.
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-By stating blatantly to the user how their emissions compared to the local and global average, Earth Hero directly exposes to the user if their emissions have been “high” or “low” and ends the user’s state of avoidance of discussion on the topic of climate change.
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-By allowing users to browse for ways to reduce their emissions and giving the user “Earth points” every time they press the “achieved” button next to an action, Earth Hero is constantly giving users positive feedback—what Stoknes name as “signals”—for their efforts to reduce their emissions. Such constant feedback reminds the user that their efforts to reduce emissions are acknowledged and effective in mitigating climate change—as they see their emissions level decrease gradually—which then motivates the users to continue pressing for a more sustainable lifestyle.
Ben from the Earth Hero team said that most members of the Earth Hero team grew up conscious of the climate crisis, yet believing that adults and leaders have the problem of climate change under control. It was at particular moments that they realized the insufficient effort of authoritative figures in solving the climate crisis. The creation of the Earth Hero application is the best reflection of the Earth Hero team’s determination to actively solve the climate crisis and create an impact with their own hands. After all, it is still not too late to act on climate change and avoid the worst consequences.
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The Earth Hero team is composed of volunteers who invest their time and money into addressing climate change—a global crisis that they sincerely care about—without asking for a profit. As climate activists in a non-profit organization, the Earth Hero team could only power the continuation of their climate activist career by their determination to protect Earth. The decision to stay non-profit allows Earth Hero to stay laser focused on addressing climate change and accelerating the transition away from oil, gas, and coal. Yet, the Earth Hero team persisted in their initial goal to mitigate climate change, gave each other suggestions and assistance, and eventually succeeded in casting their influence by creating the Earth Hero application we see today used by people in 150+ countries.