Last but not least: CNN collects Ecosphere tweets
Last year, CNN International launched the Ecosphere project in collaboration with the Berlin-based agency Heimat. The CNN Ecosphere visualizes the global discussion on the topics of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, and invites viewers worldwide to participate in the discussion on Rio+20 topics via Twitter.
Tweets with the hashtag #RIO20 create a digital ecosystem in real time, in which every #RIO20 tweet stimulates the growth of a tree. Each tree represents a specific topic within the discussion. The size, color and growth of the trees give users a fascinating insight into the discussion surrounding the conference.
The CNN Ecosphere project was launched last year as part of the UN World Climate Conference in Durban. By the end of the conference, the Ecosphere had already counted 227,000 tweets. The opinions and thoughts of Twitter users can be seen online in the Ecosphere. The Ecosphere is also part of the June edition of "Road to RioA Green City Journey". As part of the program, CNN went on a trip to Rio in the run-up to the conference and reported on sustainability projects from the United Arab Emirates, India, China, the USA and Mexico. In June, the program is dedicated to the topics of the UN Rio+20 conference.
For tweets to become part of the Ecosphere, they must contain the hashtag #RIO20. Tweets can be posted directly via the Tweetbox on Cnn-ecosphere.com are sent via Twitter.com or via any Twitter application - both on the computer and on mobile devices.
The Ecosphere trees
The Ecosphere collects thousands of tweets from all over the world and visualizes them in a unique animation: Tweets with the hashtag #Rio20 create a digital garden that becomes visible when the microsite is called up. Individual tweets are displayed by moving the mouse over the leaves of the trees. By clicking within the ecosphere, you can move around the 3D animation and zoom in on individual trees to see their content. You can also navigate through the Ecosphere by clicking in the menu at the bottom of the screen.
Trees grow when one or more people tweet about a specific topic with the hashtag #RIO20. Once the system has registered the hashtag #RIO20, it searches for further keywords in the tweet. The Ecosphere can identify up to five different keywords. If the tweet can be thematically assigned to a tree, it appears at this point in the Ecosphere. If the tweet does not relate to any of the existing topics, it appears as a seed on the surface of the Ecosphere. If other Twitter users then also pick up on this topic, a new plant grows from the seed. A total of up to 30 trees can exist in the Ecosphere at the same time, each representing a specific topic. The Ecosphere changes depending on the intensity of the discussion: If a topic is no longer discussed, the tree dies and makes room for a new topic. The growth of the trees is modeled on natural plant growth: Based on the content, an algorythm of the Ecosphere continuously calculates the height, circumference, color and shape of each tree, simulating organic plant growth.
The CNN Ecosphere Project is an initiative of CNN International. Advertising agency: Heimat, Berlin. Production: Stink Digital, London / New York. Digital design: Minivegas, Amsterdam.
