I Went Low-Fi To Tell The Story Of High Definition Carbon Emissions For Earth Day
In human history, we’ve never streamed, zoomed, and scrolled more than right now. With 10 million metric tons of CO2 per year created by YouTube alone, it represents a rapidly growing energy footprint.
Cue ‘Earth Definition’, a film that shines a light on the scale of carbon emissions caused by online streaming. The initiative asks online video streamers to change their streaming settings from HD down to SD and save 75% of their streaming energy and carbon.
When I heard the Earth Definition idea it grabbed me immediately. It’s so simple; stream at SD and reduce your energy draw and carbon output. Straight off the bat, I knew this film needed a low-fi style. I drew inspiration from early 3D wireframe games like Combat Zone that I remember playing as a kid at our local arcade. I felt that giving the film a naive prototype line-art style would give viewers that sense of optimism you get when an idea is cool and new. It’s the start of something, of asking less of our pixels for the sake of the planet.
Earth Definition
Earth Definition – Beach dude
Earth Definition – Skater girl
Earth Definition – Video server
Earth Definition – Pixel station
Earth Definition – Filling up with HD
Earth Definition – Pixel car
Earth Definition – Phone emissions
Earth Definition – Phone emissions 2
Earth Definition – HD invaders
Earth Definition – Cute cat video
Earth Definition – Beach dude and crab
Here is one problem, I have with this (I won't say "THE" problem, but one): I prefer text over video. This way I can get the information into my head faster. And I prefer my info pure, without all the private life/opinion BS that the Uploader feels the need to tell, while I am looking for a tiny bit of info. Also I am a bit sound-sensible. Thats why I prefer to videos with a lot of text overlay, that I can watch on mute, maybe with subtitles. Let's take a cooking recipe for example, so we all got the same picture. In SD, you cant read the text. Even in 720 it's often hard. You DO see a difference. Maybe not with cat videos, but as soon as you need to see/read smaller details you see and need, HD. TLDR: Make your text overlays bigger or put them in the description. Thank you
So then if you need HD to read text, you should switch up to HD. But by defaulting to SD, HD becomes an option you need if necessary as opposed to energy expensive default. In short, let’s have a system that lets us use the extra energy and carbon of HD if we need it, but defaults to SD for all those who don’t
Load More Replies... Here is one problem, I have with this (I won't say "THE" problem, but one): I prefer text over video. This way I can get the information into my head faster. And I prefer my info pure, without all the private life/opinion BS that the Uploader feels the need to tell, while I am looking for a tiny bit of info. Also I am a bit sound-sensible. Thats why I prefer to videos with a lot of text overlay, that I can watch on mute, maybe with subtitles. Let's take a cooking recipe for example, so we all got the same picture. In SD, you cant read the text. Even in 720 it's often hard. You DO see a difference. Maybe not with cat videos, but as soon as you need to see/read smaller details you see and need, HD. TLDR: Make your text overlays bigger or put them in the description. Thank you
So then if you need HD to read text, you should switch up to HD. But by defaulting to SD, HD becomes an option you need if necessary as opposed to energy expensive default. In short, let’s have a system that lets us use the extra energy and carbon of HD if we need it, but defaults to SD for all those who don’t
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