New Media helping save the planet one avatar at a time

I thought I'd write this blog in honor of Earth Day (which was yesterday). I was watching CNN on campus when they brouhg up a website called Earthday Network. The site helps people to think of new ways to help save the earth and informs about what activities are going on to support these ideas. One interesting thing on the site though is their Earth Day Network Footprint Calculator.
The calculator has you create an avatar, just like many games found online. After doing so you answer a series of questions including; how much meat per week do you eat? how often do you fly? how big is your house? do you carpool? etc. After answering all the questions the game calculates how many earth's would be needed if everyone on the planet lived exactly the same way you did.
After doing this myself I found that it would take 3-5 Earth's to have enough resources for everyone. After it gives you tips based on your answers at how you could better change your habits to help the environment.
I think it's really interesting how new media allows groups like Earthday Network to create an interactive game with avatars which allows people to feel like they are really involved. I think this is a great way to get a message across to people who would otherwise have ignored the site.
I think becoming a more eco-friendly country is an important thing to do. If sites like Earthday Network keep trying to find way to engage people in more ways than lectures, phamplets and boring reading materials I think more people would get involved. It's all about engaging the person and letting them realized just how big an impact they do have on the planet.
The site is: www.eathday.net/footprint/flash.html