TIME TRAVEL ON THE INTERNET - USERS JOIN FIGHT TO SAVE THE CLIMATE
London, 20 May 97
Time travel will be coming to the Internet from 21st May 1997, through the Greenpeace UK web site.
By entering the Atlantic Frontier site, users automatically find themselves in a Survival Capsule which transports them to the year 2050. In this future world they discover what the result of unchecked climate change will be.
Their first sight will be a view of Stonehenge on a desertified Salisbury Plain. The image is viewed through the window of the capsule's 3-D console. From here users can access "future" video news and information about dramatic changes to the climate in the year 2050.
Users can then travel back to the present where the site functions as a virtual campaign HQ designed to help an army of time travellers avert a future environmental catastrophe. Users can watch video briefings by campaigners, contact activists, sign on-line petitions, access detailed campaign and scientific information and read the latest press releases from the actual Greenpeace HQ. There will also be regular updates from the ship the MV Greenpeace, which is currently patrolling the Atlantic Frontier area.
The site is designed to support a Greenpeace campaign to prevent further climate change by addressing its cause, the burning of fossil fuels. The Atlantic Frontier is an area of ocean to the West of the Shetlands where new oil is now being explored and developed.
This oil, once extracted, will contribute to reserves of fossil fuel already so large that less than a quarter can be burnt without causing dangerous climate change. Greenpeace argues that the fight to preserve the climate must begin by halting these new oil developments and by beginning a phase out of fossil fuels.
The innovative new site has been developed by Knowhaus, the company which produces all Greenpeace UK's internet material. Jim Sweet of the company said, "Greenpeace's message is that action today can prevent serious changes to the climate in the future. The time machine incorporates this core message into the design of the web site and demonstrates that catastrophic climate change in not inevitable."
Time travel on the internet/2 John Sauven of Greenpeace said, "The internet plays a crucial role in getting our message out to the public and gaining their support.
We shall be using the medium more than ever before in this campaign and users can be part of it in a way which was not previously possible".
The new web site features innovative internet technologies to deliver high-speed graphics and streaming video via a standard telephone link to the Internet.
Also new on the Greenpeace International site is a virtual, 3D version of the environmental organisation's flagship the Rainbow Warrior.
The 3D model is built to scale from the Warrior's original plans using the internet VR language VRML 2. It allows access to information in video, audio, photo and text and allows users to come aboard and take the helm. It represents the first serious venture by an international organisation into the new 3D internet medium and users can explore the ship including direct access to the famous Greenpeace inflatable boats seen in many of the organisation's direct actions.
Technical Notes The address of the Atlantic Frontier Web Site is http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/atlantic (no public access until 21st May).
The site uses Macromedia Flash 2 to deliver fast active graphics and Progressive Network's RealPlayer to deliver streaming audio and video.
However, these are not required to view the site they are enhancements.
The Virtual Reality Rainbow Warrior (Version 1) is at http://www.greenpeace.org/vrml
It may be quicker for UK users to access it via http://www.knowhaus.com/vrmlrw.
To view the site you require Netscape 3 (or above) and a VRML 2 plug in. We recommend the SGI Cosmo Player although Live 3D also works.
For further information please contact the Greenpeace Press Office: on 0171-865 8255/6/7 or Jim Sweet at Knowhaus on 0171 721 7636