The Real Costs
Michael Mandiberg, with consultation from P Timon McPhearson, and assistance from Carlo Montagnino, Evan Moran, Danielle Palladino, and Michele Rose
A Firefox plug-in that inserts emissions data into travel related e-commerce websites. Functioning a little bit like the nutritional information on food packaging, the website calculates the carbon emissions generated by a flight.
Creative Contribution
What was the significant innovation in approach or thinking behind the project/artwork? How can this be recognisably attributed to the involvement of creative practice?
The objective of the "Real Costs" is to increase awareness of the environmental impact of certain day to day choices in the life of the Internet user. It provides information to the consumer that is never otherwise made available via conventional airline websites such as Easyjet. "By presenting this environmental impact information in the place where decisions are being made, it aims to create an impact on the viewer, encourage a sense of individual agency, start ongoing discussions, and provide a set of alternatives and immediate actions. In the process the user/viewer might even consider transforming themselves from passive consumer to an engaged citizen.
The current version adds CO2 emissions information to airfare websites such as Orbitz.com, United.com, Delta.com, etc, and to car direction websites such as MapQuest.com and RandMcNally.com. " Michael Mandiberg (written response to this survey)
Collaboration
What were the disciplinary contributors to the project? What model of research / development was followed? What were factors leading to success / problems?
Michael Mandiberg is an artist, programmer, designer and educator. His work spans web applications about environmental impact, to conceptual performances about subjectivity, to laser cut lampshades for Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs.
Trained in photography and media art, Mandiberg has worked on a variety of projects of a collaborative nature, before evolving this project. Web has always been a significant part of his projects, as have finding alternative modes of consumerism.
Michael collaborated with P. Timon McPhearson a PhD Research Scientist at Columbia University, NY (Now at the New School) on insuring that the scientific basis was correct. They used a wiki to publish data and tried to create as much transparency as possible.
Michael describes his main "model of research" as "hacktivism, in the trajectory of the Yes Men, the Institute for Applied Autonomy, 01.org, and the Bureau of Inverse Technology." Michael Mandiberg (written response to this survey)
Values
What were the outcomes of the project? How were these disseminated to outside stakeholders? What models of value are implied by this project? What was the Impact of the work?
A Firefox plug-in that can be downloaded to any computer, anywhere in the world.
The work is distributed via a website, where the programme is available for download. This site has also been exhibited in a gallery situation in venues such as eyebeam.
The objective of the Real Costs is to increase awareness of the environmental impact of certain day-to-day choices in the life of the Internet user.
The programme visualizes data and information that would usually remain hidden- rendering it increasingly difficult for consumers to ignore the environmental impacts of their actions. However the means of distribution (website and exhibitions) mean that this programme requires the user to make a proactive choice to install the programme before it can be effective.
Links and Resources
http://therealcosts.com/
http://howmuchitcosts.us/
http://www.mandiberg.com/
