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(123) Carbon Bond: Teaching Youth about Carbon Capture and Storage using Internet Games
Andrea Feldpausch, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Tarla Rai Peterson, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Session: Poster
In 1988 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created to investigate climate change. Their conclusion: the earth’s climate was changing at a rapid rate unaccounted for by historical fluctuations. In February of this year, the IPCC released a new report that stated with 90% certainty that global warming is due to human activities and that effects are already visible as fewer cold days, hotter nights, heat waves, floods and heavy rains, droughts, and an increase in hurricane and tropical storm strength (most notably in the Atlantic Ocean).
In 2002, the Department of Energy created joint government-industry partnerships to develop carbon sequestering technologies to address the issue of climate change. As part of their mission, the partnerships are responsible for creating and distributing public outreach materials discussing the topics of climate change, carbon capture and storage, and the respective technologies. In addition to more traditional forms of outreach (i.e. pamphlets, newsletters, press releases, and websites), the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration is developing an internet game geared toward teaching youth about the storage of carbon dioxide in rock formations also referred to as geologic sequestration.
The main character, Carbon Bond (a.k.a. OOC), is on a mission to save the planet by capturing as many rogue CO2 molecules as possible and putting them safely behind bars (or down an injection well). In order to win the game, players must help Carbon Bond capture CO2 molecules trying to flee from a factory, transport and store them without their escape, while at the same time earning carbon credits (how else is he to afford all his expensive gadgets?). The goal of this game is not only to teach youth about the technology, but also about climate change and the difficulties we face in managing the problem.
Andrea Feldpausch
Texas A&M University
214 Old Heep Building 2258 TAMU
College Station, TX, 77843-2258, USA
Phone: 979-458-0727
Fax: 979-845-4096
E-mail: feld36@tamu.edu