Good World Games

"The Myth of Sustainable Meat"

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:53:35 -0400

Recent trends in agriculture, restaurants and “sustainable” farming have given eco-friendly meat lovers everywhere ways to continue enjoying their barbecues while preserving a guilt-free conscience.

In today’s New York Times, James E. McWilliams asks whether there in-fact is any way for there to be sustainable industrial agriculture with minimal cost to the environment and our health.

In his OpEd he expresses that the real environmental questions is not HOW do we produce animal products but “whether we should produce them at all”.

An article that is sure to inspire a heated debate.

Read it here.

Director James Cameron Completes Journey to the Ocean Floor

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:31:00 -0400

Blockbuster director James Cameron set a different kind of record on Monday by becoming the 1st person to reach the Challenger deep site (the deepest recess of the Mariana Trench) solo. While on his voyage 11 kilometers below the surface of the ocean, Cameron collected samples that will play a large role in helping us understand the biology of the deep water habitat.

It’s so exciting that there are still so many places in the world that we know very little about. Discoveries and missions like the one led by National Geographic and Mr. Cameron should inspire a whole new generation of scientists and researchers and that, is something that Avatar can’t claim!

Sharing research about new species makes us care, but does it also get them killed?

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:34:00 -0400

Innovation and discovery have always been a double edged sword. While our society and culture progress with new inventions, these same inventions can tend to create new problems. It’s a story as old as time. The printing press helped spread knowledge and educate the masses, but also provided a tool for propagandists. Nuclear energy has helped provide electric power to countless households without the need for fossil fuels, but has also allowed for the engineering of weapons of mass destruction. The list goes on.

In the 21st Century, the Internet has helped give everyone a voice; it has connected people and alerted them to injustices taking place halfway around the world, but it has also helped facilitate atrocities. In a recent article, the BBC has highlighted the dangers of sharing newly discovered species on the Internet. While we should rejoice in learning of wildlife discoveries, the article tells of a sordid twist of fate. Due to the rarity of many such species, writing about them can help them become objects of desire for limitless illegal wildlife collectors worldwide. While wildlife enthusiasts read of discoveries around the world, so do smugglers and traffickers.

This reality puts conversationists in a bind. It is difficult to raise money for new discoveries and conservation efforts without sharing findings but sharing findings can make their work more challenging. Some conservationists argue that listing species as endangered can seal their fate. The BBC article offers no solutions to the problem but we ask you: How would you solve this dilemma?

Read the BBC piece here.

Great video explaining how shark tags work. We are so excited...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:42:21 -0500

Great video explaining how shark tags work.

We are so excited to have been a part of this trip!

You can follow Berry the tiger shark here: http://rjd.miami.edu/learning-tools/follow-sharks/track-berry.html

Eleanor Phillips, Program Director, North Caribbean Program at...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:49:00 -0500

Eleanor Phillips, Program Director, North Caribbean Program at The Nature Conservancy, explains the importance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in The Bahamas.

MPAs, such as this one in the South Berry Islands, are exactly the sort of real world conservation efforts that our players are supporting by playing MyConservationPark.

Enjoy the video, hope you don’t get too sea sick :)

More from our trip to the South Berry Islands MPA! In this...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:53:55 -0500

More from our trip to the South Berry Islands MPA!

In this video, Neil Hammerschlag, PhD, leading Shark Tagging Scientist with R.J. Dunlap Marine Conservation Program at the University of Miami, talks about the severe threats facing tiger and great hammerhead sharks, their peculiar nature and the great challenges of shark research in the newly created MPA in the South Berry Islands, Bahamas.

Enjoy this clip of our team taking measurements and tagging a...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:49:34 -0500

Enjoy this clip of our team taking measurements and tagging a lemon shark while in the Bahamas

"Don't get off the shark!" and other valuable lessons from 5 wild days of MPA-surveying

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 10:46:00 -0500

"Don't get off the shark!" and other valuable lessons from 5 wild days of MPA-surveying:

Other than a hairy paddle-boarding excursion across the open ocean with the first man to have crossed the Bering Sea kitesurfing (see this p.s. it was my first time paddle-boarding), I made it back in one piece from the South Berry Islands where I joined The Nature Conservancy and Summit Series in surveying our newly minted MPA. It was a thrill to witness a sanctuary that our game players are helping to support!! There is so much to tell, but some key takeaways are:

1. Shark research is hard: trying to capture key data, take a biopsy, blood and a dorsal fin sample, as well as fix a satellite tag to a tiger shark in under 7 minutes while keeping it calm is, well, pretty challenging. As one friend on the trip put it, it’s like a Formula 1 pit stop and many things can go wrong.

2. Patience is a virtue: despite the University of Miami team having extensively chummed the waters the night before and throughout the day, sharks do not show up just like that. We spent several 8-9 hour days in a 25 foot tender surrounded by shark bait and were fortunate to have caught and released 3 sharks on one lucky day - and only 1 had a dorsal fin capable of supporting a satellite tag. Frankly, I think they were on to us.

3. Once you do capture and secure a shark, don’t get off until Neil tells you to: Capturing a shark is like few things I’ve experienced before and you grow deeply concerned about the welfare of the animal. Trying to fasten a satellite tag on the dorsal fin of a tiger shark while straddling its back is tricky - don’t lose your concentration! There’s a lot going on of course and a large team hopping madly around the stern of a not very big boat as the UM scientists shout out commands to us all. But with all the commotion sometimes a few instructions get lost in the shuffle, e.g. “Don’t get off the shark!” I commend Dr. Neil Hammerschlag and his team including Austin, Virginia and Curt for how they are pushing the boundaries of shark research and involving people from all walks of life in the experience in an effort to protect these awesome creatures.

Hats off again to Thayer Walker at Summit Series for bringing together such an interesting group of people on such short notice for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Amazing.

-Gregory

Need to know: Good World Games (TSN)

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:03:00 -0500

February, 2012

This has been translated from the original Portuguese. To read the original article please click here.

Combining gaming and social causes has turned out to be a very effective way to engage players on Facebook and a great way to raise funds for philanthropic causes. Last year, Zynga raised money through some of their games to benefit victims of the earthquakes in Japan and Haiti. Today, we are seeing increasing use of social games for philanthropic initiatives.

The startup Good World Games is developing games for Facebook whose sole objective it is to combine the power of humanitarian causes with the virality of social gaming. Their first game is called MyConservationPark and it aims to have players protect animals from human and environmental threats while creating a sustainable habitat with diverse fauna and flora.

There are two game modes for players to choose from. In Play mode, new challenges appear continuously and players must overcome them to save and protect their endangered species. In this mode, ecosystem and hero health directly affect the players’ performance and ability to deal with these challenges.

In Decorate mode players can create a biodiverse environment for their species by adding animals, trees, water, food, sheds and other elements. In this mode players can purchase rangers, native species, watchtowers and even insects.

All in-game purchases of virtual items in MyConservationPark directly benefit Good World Games’ charity partners with 15% of revenue donated to selected causes. Each park benefits a different non-profit partner. Some project partners are: the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Sea Shepherd, WildAid and Orangutan Outreach. Players are able to see what percentage of revenue has been donated to each non-profit.

Photo from the field! Tiger Shark Pup caught in the Bahamian MPA...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:20:11 -0500

Photo from the field! Tiger Shark Pup caught in the Bahamian MPA getting some measurements taken prior to being released back in to the ocean.

Good World Games at Sea

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:47:05 -0500

Today, I will be leaving on a wild expedition to the Bahamas organized by Thayer Walker and Natalie Spilger of Summit Series to survey a Marine Protected Area in the South Berry Islands we are helping to support. Should be an amazing adventure! With our oceans under increasing threat, the creation of such MPAs is becoming more than critical to ensure sustainable fishing and protect top predators, namely sharks. A major reason we started Good World Games was to find an effective way to drive awareness of the planet’s perils - games offer a really powerful platform to get people to pay attention and take immediate action to protect people and the planet. We love our oceans and desperately want to protect all life in them. Our support for MPAs such as this helps us achieve one of our main goals at Good World Games: Transparent, Real World Results through Virtual World Actions.

Big, big thanks to The Nature Conservancy and Summit Series (their post on it) , along with Kristofor Lofgren of Bamboo Sushi, Tim Ferriss, Edward Norton and Shauna Robertson who have stepped up to raise money and support for this initiative. Our friends at the University of Miami will be leading shark-tagging for research on the trip. I’m still looking around for those shark-proof pants they told us to bring, but hope I can help anyway. And leading IMAX filmmakers MacGillivray Freeman will be shooting for their next film OneWorldOneOcean.org. (Watch the trailer)

-Gregory Sukornyk

Good World Games CEO

Why should we care about shark finning? Great explanation from...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:08:38 -0500

Why should we care about shark finning?

Great explanation from WildAid

Pew: More Than Half Of Adults Used Cell Phones In Stores For Purchasing Decisions During The Holidays

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:38:00 -0500

Pew: More Than Half Of Adults Used Cell Phones In Stores For Purchasing Decisions During The Holidays:

With our increasing dependence on cell phones, it’s a wonder we ever did anything without them. Such a fairly new invention has become the most basic of utilities while more recently also taking its place as a main source of entertainment. It shouldn’t be too long before we are able to carry our phones as methods of payment (already in use at Starbucks) and as keys to our homes and vehicles. And just when they were perfecting the man-purse…

Which countries really, really love Facebook?

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:28:46 -0500

Which countries really, really love Facebook?

2011 Time Lapses: Best Nature Videos of 2011 (via HuffPo) What...

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:05:33 -0500

2011 Time Lapses: Best Nature Videos of 2011 (via HuffPo)

What an amazing planet!

We highly suggest you watch all of 2011’s best time lapse videos by clicking here.

This is one of our favorites…

Socially Dedicated Diversions... Thanks TrendHunter!

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:40:00 -0500

Socially Dedicated Diversions... Thanks TrendHunter!:

Good World Games Aims to Make a Difference Giving Through Fun

Founded in 2010, Good World Games is a software company dedicated to creating games for good. The first product created is called MyConservationPark, which is a virtual wildlife game that incorporates endangered species and habitats into its narrative. The game supports the non-profit partners of Good World Games which includes The Dian Fossey Gorilla fund, WildAid and Sea Shepherd.

“We believe in the power of for-profit companies to drive innovation and we also believe in the power of our non-profit partners to stir the passions of our community of players,” Good World Games states in their mission statement in true social business fashion.

Top Ten Discoveries of 2011

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:50:52 -0500

Top Ten Discoveries of 2011:

So many cool discoveries were made this year. Check out this Top 10 list from National Geographic and learn more about this year’s coolest finds.

Habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, viruses and parasitic mites,...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:16:05 -0500

Habitat loss, pesticide poisoning, viruses and parasitic mites, any or all of which may be behind the mysterious syndrome called colony collapse disorder, have taken their toll on the domesticated bees, leaving farmers increasingly dependent on native bees. But they, too, are suffering from the effects of pesticides, disease and changes in land use. For the full article, click the image.

Review of MyConservationPark in Green Teacher Magazine

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:45:21 -0500

Review of MyConservationPark in Green Teacher Magazine:

Many students spend vast amounts of time on social media and gaming, often raising the ire of parents and educators. For those tied to Facebook, Good World Games offers a welcome alternative to the ‘mindless’ games children often play on the site. The My Conservation Park Facebook game (better suited for students’ spare time than in class, of course) allows players to learn about ecological interdependence and biodiversity, while supporting conservation efforts. Players manage a wildlife conservation park for endangered animals––they must create and maintain suitable habitat by introducing plants and animals, eliminating threats such as poachers, hiring park rangers and even tranquilizing animals for tagging. each plant or animal has a life cycle and needs to be tended to daily Players use “conservation cash” to buy the things they need to sustain their parks. This virtual currency is either purchased with real money (adults will need to assist here) or earned through interaction with advertisers. 15% of what players spend in the game goes to partnering wildlife conservation organizations. -– (JHayes)

take-nothing-but-photos: Markets drive conservation in...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 11:10:40 -0500

take-nothing-but-photos:

Markets drive conservation in Central Africa

Certification has shown that commercial forestry can co-exist with conservation objectives in the Congo Basin, according to conclusions reached at an international seminar “Forest management as a tool for cooperation and rural development in Central Africa”, organized yesterday in Madrid by WWF/Global Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs of Spain.

Many studies show that best practices, such as certified forests, can contribute to the conservation of key species and the integrity of ecosystems, although there is still room for improvement to ensure that certified forests always reach the best conservation standards.

“Growth in certification is the best social, economic and environmental option for the development of forestry across the region. It offers a transparent model that drives improvements in standards and addresses key issues through a multi-stakeholder process. As such, certification of forests in the Congo Basin should at least treble within the next five years to reach 15 million hectares,” said George White, Head of GFTN.

Much has been achieved since the first seminar that took place in 2006. Certification has grown in the Congo Basin from around 41,000 hectares in 2006 to almost 5.2 million hectares today. That’s the equivalent expansion in size from the South Atlantic island of Saint Helena (41,000 ha) to a nation roughly the size of Costa Rica (5.11 million ha).

In recent years, legislative processes both in the Congo Basin and Europe to combat illegal trade of forest products also started to change the market landscape, increasing focus on legality in the region and boosting public procurement in favour of legal and certified forest products.

Yet many challenges still remain. Felix Romero, Head of Forest Programme, WWF Spain: “Strong market signals to increase the demand for FSC, or at least for “legal timber, are even more important as they were in 2006. The market remains an important driver and is a key condition for both legality and certification. But market demand within Europe generally, and in Spain specifically, needs to further increase. There is a need for more private sector involvement and more international cooperation in responsible forest management and trade. “

The Congo Basin is the second largest tropical forest after the Amazon, representing 180 million hectares – more than 15% of all the worldwide tropical forests . As a main consumer and second biggest European importer of African tropical wood, Spain has a major trading relationship with Congo Basin forest industries, with the volume of timber trade between Spain and the Congo Basin reaching 0.8 million m³ per year. That’s a volume a few stories shorter than the 102-story Empire State building, which measures in at just over 1 million cubic meters.

The event was opened with a speech by Mr. Henri Djombo, Minister of Sustainable Development, Forestry Economy and the Environment of the Republic of Congo, Ms. Yolanda Kakabadse, President of WWF International and Ms. Felicidad Montero Pleite, Under-secretary of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs of Spain. Interventions were made, amongst others, by the German Development Bank, the Central African Forest Commission, the London Zoological Society and the Interafrican Forest Industries Association.