Billboard Carbon Counter

A large, real-time electronic display designed to provide a live feed of a city's carbon emissions from electricity, gas, and fuel usage.

Energy
Digital Display
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The Public Carbon Counter Billboard makes emissions data visible in a prominent public space, the project encourages both personal climate action and system-wide changes led by government initiatives.

Situated in a prominent public space in a major city like New York, the billboard would present continuously updated data on the city's total carbon output, making visible the collective impact of individual and systemic activities contributing to climate change.

By directly linking daily behavior—such as energy consumption, transportation choices, and heating systems—to real-time carbon emissions, the project aims to increase public awareness and drive climate action.

The primary goal of the Public Carbon Counter is to create a tangible connection between individual actions and the city's overall carbon footprint.

By making these numbers highly visible and accessible, the billboard will nudge citizens toward more sustainable behaviors, such as reducing energy use, opting for cleaner transport options, and conserving fuel.

The project also serves as a powerful advocacy tool for encouraging government-led, system-wide changes, offering a stark visual reminder of the importance of implementing large-scale climate solutions, such as renewable energy policies, improved public transportation, and building retrofitting for energy efficiency.

Using behavioral science principles, the billboard is designed to prompt reflection and social diffusion—where the visibility of carbon data influences not only individual behaviors but also wider societal and political discourse.

Paired with an interactive digital platform or app, the billboard could further engage the public by showing the impact of small changes in real time, offering tips on personal carbon reduction, and highlighting community efforts to lower emissions.

Psychology Techniques

Ambient Messaging

A signal or message displayed in the ambient environment such as on a wall or street where all passers-by can see it.

Community Scale Feedback

Publicly displayed data showing a community's collective environmental impact as a group.

Feedback Loop

A system that measures the environmental impact of an action and displays it with continuous feedback to the actor.

Novelty

An exciting and unusual experience helps to attract attention, build emotional resonance, and make information stick.