Environmental issues abound in today’s world and are routinely discussed and documented by the mainstream media. The online world, and the various trends encompassing this relatively new medium, has also kept up to date, proving itself a popular format in delivering knowledge and education.
Whereas television and radio have always been somewhat static and still remain so, the internet has continued to develop, with web 2.0 trends emerging as a viable option in continuing the fight for green issues.
Web 2.0 is all about interactivity, and campaigners are using this technology to reach out and revolutionize people’s attitudes to our blue planet.
One such website is Operation Renewable Energy or ORE. It was started by Matt Jones and Freeman LaFleur, two ambitious entrepreneurs from Colorado who saw the urgent need for a change in the way that we as people produce and consume energy. This realization lead them to embark on starting something larger than life, a movement of energy for the people, by the people.
ORE is not a utility company and is unlike any energy organization or movement to date. Their goal is to educate people about renewable energy and encourage them to take part in something bigger than themselves, while creating renewable energy for each other.
While ORE’s goals are ambitious, the two American entrepreneurs want to remind us all that we must act quickly as time is of the essence. ”Our global addiction to carbon based energy must come to an end. You can be a part of the biggest movement on earth! You have the power to end the addiction” say Jones and LaFleur.
In an interview with the two entrepreneurs they tell me about their choice of website. LaFleur wanted a social network because “we figured that it would be the easiest way to reach out to people interested in our projects and it would be a great way to communicate and engage with members”. The guys began their network on Ning but within a week switched over to SocialGO after reading about it through widgetlaboratory.com. According to Jones “we really felt that SocialGO was a better platform and had a lot of potential!”
The two started out by customizing their network using the network creator, followed by some basic CSS, Photoshop, and HTML. Jones mentioned that “CSS was our biggest tool in customizing our front page and the header although much of what we did was accomplished through the network creator itself.”
These guys have really highlighted, just how simple and yet effective SocialGO can be as a platform tailored to harness and connect with people, on such a worthwhile and contemporary issue.
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