A Link Between Worlds: Gaming and Climate Change

Video games have been increasing in popularity as a form of entertainment for years.  With better technology come better graphics, more intricate storylines, and the ability to play with different people in remote locations around the world.  In the United States, 5 million gamers are spending more than 40 hours a week playing videogames.  Videogames are a great form of entertainment, but how do they benefit society?  The answer is in science. According to the American Psychological Association, videogames have shown to help increase the problem solving skills of the children who play them.   This unique skill set developed from playing videogames have contributed to numerous scientific finds.  In some cases, gamers have actually made more progress in different science fields than the professionals. For example,researchers had been working for thirteen years to discover a specific enzyme structure of a virus, and gamers had solved the structure in only 3 weeks. This kind of problem solving mindset has started to carry itself into the environmental field.  Henk Rogers, one of the founders of Tetris, has been taking his own steps towards making solar energy more accessible and innovative.  Rogers has recently announced his plan to open a new company, Blue Planet Energy Systems, to sell blue ion batteries for homes and businesses that run on solar energy. Through our work with Rovio in the creation of Angry Birds “Champions for Earth” we hope to further cultivate the connection between games and climate change.  As world leaders, activists and citizens gather during NYC Climate Week for the UN General Assembly, millions all over the world will be engaged climate conversation with the Champions for Earth 7-day Tournament beginning September 18, 2015.  The future leaders in environmental advocacy will be inspired by the message Earth Day Network sends through Angry Birds. Maurita Obermiller, Intern