Amazon Flameforest

Kiran Majid

Our rainforests are the oldest living ecosystems, holding more than half of the world’s plant and animal species. These forests are home to a large portion of the world’s biodiversity, found nowhere else on Earth. Tropical rainforests filled with wildlife are being burned, bulldozed, and cleared to make room for monoculture crops and livestock. In 2018, “12 million hectares of tree cover” were lost, being the “fourth-highest annual loss since record-keeping began in 2001” [1]

The reason behind these devastating fires is the illegal and legal clearing fires by farmers and ranchers in the region, who are supported by corporations seeking profits. This demonstrates a terrifying trend as the world pushes towards an environmental breaking point through deforestation. The facts of climate change are discouraging when considering the direction our planet is trending. The deforestation of the Amazon has become an international crisis, prompting warnings from scientists that the largest rainforest in the world is reaching a tipping point. Historically, it has been difficult to motivate people to react to problems such as these because it exists outside the everyday lives of many. However, the responsibility for solving major societal problems is on individuals, the individual as well as corporations, and governments at large. It is important to recognize that people have a responsibility to demand their government make climate change a priority.

 One way to tackle this problem is to pivot make the topic of the topic of climate change by making it interactive, educational, and engaging through the act of play. Video games are shown to engage players, while also informing them on the narratives they participate in. By creating a socially impactful video game, where the narrative is based around real scenarios, it is easier to educate players on real world topics. This approach is further supported by Don Norman’s theory on emotional design. [2] This theory asserts if a designer creates an experience playing off the emotions of viewers, it will impact them more, and encouraging real-world action. This action will be evident as the player relates more through experiences they have when playing the game.

[1] Weisse, Mikaela, and Elizabeth Dow Goldman. “The World Lost A BELGIUM-SIZED Area of Primary Rainforests Last Year.” World Resources Institute, Accessed April 25, 2019. https://www.wri.org/insights/world-lost-belgium-sized-area-primary-rainforests-last-year.

[2] Norman Donald A. “Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things.” New York, NY: Basic Books, n.d.