Past, present and future - Oundle School

Water used in one minute

CLIENT

Oundle School

PURPOSE

To assist the environmental engagement of staff, pupils and others.

DESCRIPTION

Package including a report and 17 sketches.

Oundle School dates back to 1556 when Lord Mayor of London Sir William Laxton endowed and re-founded the original Oundle Grammar School, of which he was a former pupil.

Early in the 20th century, Oundle gained a reputation for science and engineering which has continued to this day with the development of SciTec, a major new science complex. As new and growing 21st century issues increasingly come to the fore, we were delighted to receive an enquiry about whether we could help with the engagement of staff, pupils and others to reduce environmental impacts and, potentially, utility bills too. This provided us with an opportunity to test how we could offer real value within the bounds of a limited budget.

Working with just five annual figures from the School – gas, electricity and water use, waste to landfill and the School population, we were able to provide a bespoke package. Our illustrated report Ways of seeing Oundle’s impact sets out calculations, reference sources, coefficients and assumptions, a compendium of facts, some surprising and memorable examples of energy equivalence and answers to a set of FAQs. Seventeen accurate volumetric sketches show emissions and water use over periods from a second to a year.

We got boarding house consumption of electricity down by 21% in March, and I am sure that a large part of that was through the visualisation, report and sketches.

Ian Clark, Oundle School

The materials have been used in a variety of ways in outreach, training for service providers, posters and in classes with changes in behaviour starting to be noticed straight away and helping Oundle School move forward on the path towards environmental sustainability.

Resource efficiency in Asia Pacific

CLIENT

United Nations Environment Programme

PURPOSE

To convey the scale and complexity of resource use in the Asia Pacific region at a conference of Environment Ministers and subsequently to other audiences.

DESCRIPTION

A high impact video and interactive web-tools to introduce and enable easy exploration of a database covering 26 Asia Pacific countries, 157 indicators and 40 years.

Image from film: water use per $USD of GDP for countries in Asia Pacific region

Image from film: Actual volume of water used in Thailand to generate one dollar of GDP

Image from film: Actual volume of biomass, fossil fuels, metals and minerals required to generate one dollar of GDP

Image from film: Asia Pacific participating countries

Image from film: participating organisations

How much natural resources are used to earn one dollar in developing countries in the Asia Pacific region? How do you effectively show water, metal and biomass usage rates across 26 Asian countries - and make it personal and real? What is the best way to visualise a range of environmental resource indicators ‘per GDP’ across countries?

These were some of the challenges set for us by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in a project undertaken in conjunction with our not-for-profit partner CarbonSense Foundation.

This video has taken our communications to a higher level, and improved our ability to cut across a crowded policy landscape to really help decision makers reflect on resource efficiency.

Janet Salem, UNEP, Bangkok

The brief from the UNEP Bangkok office was to design and create a short, high impact video to convey the scale and complexity of resource use in the Asia Pacific region. In addition a set of interactive web-tools is being provided to complement the film and allow easy exploration of the data.

The film is supporting a database of resource efficiency data covering 26 Asia Pacific countries, 157 indicators and 40 years (1970-2010). The indicators are designed to inform policy development in the region based on the principles of circular economy, sustainable consumption and production principles.*

Resource efficiency is crucial for sustainability but how do you make it real and meaningful at a national and a personal level? To bring such a huge subject up front and personal, we combined live action film introducing very real piles of materials on a table-top with national and regional resource use and impacts made tangible with CGI graphics. And uniquely this project allowed us to explore ways that our creative techniques could be combined with economic data.

Because of the complexity of data and fast-track time schedule the project was carried out in a highly collaborative way, with UNEP staff in Bangkok supporting our creative team throughout the scoping, design and production phases.

The film was used to launch the UNEP Report at a conference on 19th May 2015 attended by Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP, and Environment Ministers and policy makers from the Asia Pacific region.

See the UNEP webpage on project here

Finally - a very special thanks to Janet Salem of UNEP, Bangkok and our film presenter / narrator Patchari Raksawong.

*The database has been developed as a result of a three-year science-based consultative process mandated by countries in the region and coordinated by UNEP, the CSIRO and the Asia-Pacific Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption and Production (APRSCP), with support from the European Union's SWITCH-Asia Programme.

An important part of this project was the creation of an interactive web-tool (see above) allowing policymakers to explore the database in detail in an intuitive way. We created a 'heat map' that allows comparison between a wide range of economic indicators for different countries. Mousing over the countries reveals the actual data.

Carbon Visuals has shown us different techniques to visualize data in a way that can resonate on a meaningful human level, while still giving us creative space for collaboration. We had a lot of fun with the team and it's been a really wonderful partnership.

Janet Salem, UNEP, Bangkok

The case for Carbon Capture & Storage

CLIENT

World Business Council for Sustainable Development

PURPOSE

To engage world leaders, industry experts, campaigners and scientists at the UN Climate Summit, New York, September 2014 and to catalyse and inform conversations about reducing carbon emissions.

DESCRIPTION

Film showing actual quantities of global fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions, and the part that carbon capture and storage can play in limiting global climate change to 2 degrees.

Among all of the documents, reports and images being released around the UN summit, we hope that this film will stand out and benefit all participants, as well as anyone who watches it around the world.

Peter Bakker President, WBCSD

A coal pile buries the UN General Assembly, gas races down 42nd Street and then New York is lost under a blue mountain. These dramatic CGI scenes, depicting actual quantities, create an immersive journey that brings home the scale of global carbon emissions and fossil fuel consumption.

This dynamic four-minute film, being launched at the UN Climate Change Summit in New York September 2014, shows the part that carbon capture and storage can play in limiting global climate change to 2 degrees.

Commissioned by WBCSD and produced by Carbon Visuals, the animation is being shown to world leaders, industry experts, campaigners and scientists at the Summit to help catalyse and inform conversations about reducing carbon emissions.

Key messages of the film:

• use of renewables is increasing
• but energy use is rising faster
• fossil fuel use is increasing not decreasing
• if carbon stored in fossil fuel reserves is burnt we exceed 2 degrees warming by 2055
• carbon capture & storage (CCS) is an essential part of the 2 degrees solution

Technical note
The volumes of coal, oil, gas and CO2 shown in the film are accurate volumes based on best available data. A detailed Technical Data Methodology document has been produced to accompany the film. This shows all data sources, assumptions on future global renewable and non-renewable energy requirements and the potential of carbon capture and storage technology.

See the Methodology Document for more details

In 2012 we added over 39 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. That’s 1,237 metric tons a second. 

It is like a ‘bubble’ of carbon dioxide gas 108 metres across entering the atmosphere every second of every day. We could fill a volume the size of the UN Secretariat Building with our carbon dioxide emissions in less than half a second. We could fill it 133 times a minute.

The pile of one metric ton spheres in the film, which represents one day’s emissions, is 3.7 km high (2.3 miles) and 7.4 km across (4.6 miles).

The world gets through a lot of fossil fuels:

• 7,896.4 million metric tons of coal a year (21.6 million metric tons per day, 250 metric tons per second)

• 91,330,895 barrels of oil per day (168 m3 per second)

• 3,347.63 billion m3 of natural gas per year (9.2 km3 per day, 106,082 m3 per second)

This film tries to make those numbers physically meaningful – to make the quantities real; more than ‘just numbers’.

The coal we use each day would form a pile 192 metres high and 546 metres across. We could fill a volume the size of the UN Secretariat Building with coal every 17 minutes.   At the rate we use oil, we could fill an Olympic swimming pool every 15 seconds.

This would fill a volume the size of the UN Secretariat Building with oil every 30 minutes.

The rate at which we use natural gas is equivalent to gas travelling along a pipe with an internal diameter of 60 metres at hurricane speeds (135 km/h / 84 mph). We could fill a volume the size of the UN Secretariat Building with natural gas in under 3 seconds.

We use a cubic kilometre of gas every 2 hours 37 minutes and a cubic mile of the stuff every 10 hours 54 minutes.

A set of shorter clips has also been released, featuring some of the most impactful scenes of the main film. These are intended for use by everyone, from industry through to educators and campaigners. Get in touch if you would like hi-res versions.

Main film and extract films can be viewed on YouTube:

Whole film

Fossil Fuels Extract

Carbon Dioxide Extract

Natural Gas Extract

Oil Extract

Coal Extract

All images are available under Creative Commons licence to download on our Flickr page

See blog background story.

NHM sustainability engagement

Waterhouse Building, Natural History Museum

CLIENT

Natural History Museum

PURPOSE

To plan sustainability communications and engagement.

DESCRIPTION

Attitudinal research, energy control map, segmentation, engagement guidance and reports.

In Spring 2014 we were invited to work with the Natural History Museum on internal sustainability engagement. As with other great museums, integrating modern systems into heritage buildings and maintaining the conditions required for precious collections provide particular challenges for energy managers.

A decade previously, our founding partner CarbonSense was instrumental in the formation of the Museums and Galleries Energy and Carbon Forum which brought together managers of energy and estates from around the UK to share best practice. CarbonSense also contributed to the formulation of an Invest to Save project - the 1851 Estate Carbon Reduction Plan - and thereafter seconded a Low Carbon Manager to the Natural History Museum for two years. Subsequently, Carbon Visuals has provided a range of innovative visuals for this project and also for some of the individual partner institutions including Imperial College and the Royal College of Music.

While judicious investment in infrastructure can deliver improvements, a key to sustained progress on emissions is to also engage everyone in working together towards a low carbon future. We advised NHM on taking a strategic and evolutionary approach over a number of years. We started by conducting informal interviews with selected personnel throughout the organisation and developing a fresh, upbeat and non-technical approach to internal communication on sustainability.

Working closely with the Energy Manager, we used a unique process of energy control mapping based on assessing the extent to which employees and others can control or influence energy use and emissions, and as a precursor to setting levels of ambition accordingly. Case study areas were identified with employee profiling and segmentation. A set of desired outcomes was developed and trialled with the Environmental Group – a cross-Museum managers group charged with ensuring engagement within their own areas.

The Museum has subsequently embarked on the development of an Energy and Sustainability Strategy, including communication and stakeholder engagement, to establish a clearer focus on taking this work forward.

Carbon Visuals brings a powerful analytical approach to sustainability engagement that can be of great help in preparing internal communications, ensuring that issues can be addressed, costs and benefits assessed and a campaign launched on a sound footing.

Declan Rajasingam, Energy Manager, Natural History Museum

Visualising the carbon footprint of all US power stations

We are keen to find existing carbon emission data sets that would benefit from the Carbon Visuals treatment. So when CEO Antony Turner was invited to participate in an “Energy Data Jam” at Google's New York offices in July 2012 he was quick to accept as the aim of the event was to “…brainstorm how publicly available US datasets might be put to use in the continuing transition to a clean energy future.”

One set that we thought would benefit from ‘becoming visible’ was the eGRID data collated by the US EPA. This gives annual generation and environmental characteristics of all large electric power generators in the US.

A view showing the actual annual volume of CO2 produced by power stations around Chicago.

Emissions from power stations have been grouped by category and placed in order of size, making the biggest ever bar-chart in the process. The bases of the columns have dimensions 2,578 x 2,578 feet.

A view from Florida with 574 x 574 feet columns.

Narrower volumes do not give such a clear sense of volume, but they have the advantage of indicating the distribution of power stations more clearly.

The base of the 2,578 feet wide bar-chart as seen from Berkeley

By using our Google Earth Visualiser tool we are able to create images for any location in the US that show nearby power stations and associated data.

If you would like to explore this data using Google Earth you can download the KMZ file here.

Showing the emissions of power stations in this way is experimental, and a first step. We would welcome ideas and proposals on how this could be developed.

If you have collaboration or funding ideas please contact Carbon Visuals CEO Antony Turner.

Barts NHS Trust Estates Strategy

Barts Health NHS Trust was formed in 2012. It is the largest in the country with multiple sites and major projects planned and underway. For presentation of the Estate Strategy we created 3D models and a map=based animation that showed, in simplified form, development and other planned changes over a five-year period, together with data for water, gas and electricity usage.

We also provided a set of images for use in other presentation formats and media.

Illustrating carbon reduction potential for South Kensington 1851 Estate

Contributions to 2009/10 emissions from individual institutions.

Contributions to 2009/10 emissions from individual institutions.

Adoption of the Carbon Reduction Masterplan will prevent 2,303,047 tonnes of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere between now and 2050.

Targets for emission reductions 2020, 2030 & 2050

CLIENT

Natural History Museum, Science Museum, V&A, Imperial College and Royal Albert Hall

PURPOSE

To illustrate the carbon reduction potential for the South Kensington 1851 Estate.

DESCRIPTION

Striking image set, to illustrate the Carbon Reduction Masterplan launched by the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.

Carbon Visuals has created a set of striking images to illustrate the carbon reduction potential for the South Kensington 1851 Estate. Organisations involved include the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Imperial College, the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal College of Music and the Royal College of Arts.

These prestigious institutions came together in 2005 to embark on an inspirational long-term carbon reduction plan. Phase One involved laying the foundations and creating a realistic strategy. The Masterplan, launched in November 2011, marks the conclusion of that phase and the commencement of its realisation.

Carbon Visuals aided communication amongst the parties and with external stakeholders by creating striking imagese at various stages of the project.

Creating a computer generated model of the Estate enabled a wide range of different images to be created - wide angle, close-up, aerial and ground level.

To see the context in which the images were used feel free to download the PDF of the overview brochure.

Carbon footprint of 40,000 UK public buildings

The 'carbon canyons' of the city of London. Each tower represents the annual carbon footprint (2009/10) of a public building.

Clicking on the block reveals the Energy Certificate data.

A wider angle view of the carbon footprint of London's public buildings based on floor area

Big Ben in London surrounded by the 'carbon canyons'. Inset: Display Energy Certificate for HM Treasury

Carbon visuals specialises in providing a ‘feel’ for carbon data. Initially we focused on single statistics and small data-sets. Now we can use the same techniques to provide a sense of scale for tens of thousands of carbon footprints at the same time.

With a grant from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board we have been exploring real-time visualisation and the visualisation of large data-sets. One of the results is an interactive visualisation of the carbon footprint of every public building in England and Wales – 40 thousand of them!

http://uk-energy-ratings.carbonvisuals.com/ The visualisation works in any browser that can run the Google Earth plugin but because the dataset is large, the plugin may perform sluggishly on slow computers.

Or open in desktop version of Google Earth: http://uk-energy-ratings.carbonvisuals.com/kml/uk-emissions.kml

The visualisation uses a database of UK Display Energy Certificates – the energy ratings that all public buildings must display. Once we had geocoded these we displayed the buildings’ carbon footprint in 3D in Google Earth as actual volumes of carbon dioxide gas at the location of the building itself.

We can display the daily footprint as well as the annual footprint because a day’s emissions are sometimes easier to relate to activity. We can also display the footprint with reference to the floor-area of the building itself. Wide short footprints indicate buildings with smaller emissions per square metre than narrow tall footprints.

This application uses data obtained from the Department for Communities and Local Government by the Centre for Sustainable Energy.www.cse.org.uk/pages/resources/open-data

The visualisation works in a number of ways. It allows comparison with other comparable buildings at the same time as providing a sense of scale of emissions from buildings as a whole. Most importantly, it uses the world itself as part of its own explanation. Our familiarity with the real world – with buildings we work in and cities we travel through – is an underused resource in data visualisation. With Google Earth we can put that experience to work.

We can use the same techniques for any geocoded emissions data and create visualisations that can be explored interactively in Google Earth on the desktop or the web. We can also create stand-alone fly-through animations that present the data efficiently to any non-technical audience.

Bird's eye view of Westminster

The carbon footprint of the UK potato

CLIENT

ADAS

PURPOSE

To illustrate their capability to help farmers manage and reduce emissions.

DESCRIPTION

Film that combines live action and animation to explore the carbon footprint of the UK potato at personal and farm scales.

ADAS, the land and farming consultancy, wanted to compliment the earlier film that we made to illustrate emissions, sequestration & stored carbon on upland farms in the Peak District National Park. This time they were keen to illustrate their capabilities in helping mainstream farmers manage and reduce their carbon emissions.

The film explores the carbon footprint of the UK potato at the personal scale, as well as carbon saving potential at the farm scale.

More info from ADAS Carbon Management Team

To see all our work for ADAS, click here.

Carbon Visuals is keen to explore the use of film for helping everyone better understand carbon emissions from everyday activities. Please contact us if you have ideas.