NZ 2050 Calculator: low carbon pathways tool

By Paul Young

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NZ $1,934 pledged


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This campaign was successful and closed on 20/02/2015 at 6:01 PM.

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About

NZ 2050 Calculator: Low Carbon Pathways Tool

Project 2015-02-04 14:39:30 +1300

I'm part of a passionate and enthusiastic team working to develop New Zealand's own 2050 Calculator: an interactive online tool for exploring how New Zealand can reduce carbon emissions and build a sustainable energy future.

The tool is based on the one developed by the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change - check out their full 2050 Calculator and simplified My2050 simulation. Several other countries - including Belgium, India, China and South Africa - have already adapted their own version. We want New Zealand to be next!

Progress so far

The 2050 Pathways project is already underway. Ten talented and dedicated students at Victoria University have been working on summer research scholarships since November to redesign sectors of the UK's model for NZ and find all the data we need. As the modelling team leader, I have been working closely with the students on this and it has been hugely inspiring watching their progress. They'll be wrapping up in a couple of weeks with their sectors hopefully completed to a stage ready for testing. There is more to be done but we hope to be able to launch v1.0 of the calculator around the middle of this year.

The 2050 Calculator International Conference

The Taiwanese Government and the UK DECC are co-hosting a conference in Taipei from Feb 10-12 to bring together teams from all countries that have developed / are developing their own 2050 Calculators. This is a vital opportunity to learn from other countries' approaches both in building their models and in stimulating public engagement. I'm going to represent the NZ project team and bring these learnings home. I've also arranged for a day following the conference with one of the UK's experts to validate the work we have done and help crack some tough issues we've encountered.

I'm all set to go this Sunday, but funding is the critical issue. I've tried multiple avenues and secured some support (thanks Port Nicholson Rotary!) but other sources we were counting on have fallen through, which is why I need to ask you to help. Right now I have flights to pay off and other expenses to cover while I'm there. I urgently need at least another $1500 to cover everything.

Can you chip in to help me cover the expenses for this trip?

The project overall is still in fundraising mode to cover significant other expenses (such as our students' salaries) which is why I need to raise funds for this trip separately. We would welcome any additional support towards the project.

Anything I raise above and beyond the costs of the trip will go towards other aspects of the 2050 Pathways project.

To be clear, I'm not getting paid at all for my involvement, which I estimate has involved at least 100 hours so far since things got going in earnest last October.

 

More about the 2050 Calculator and why we need it

Through my voluntary work over the last four years with Generation Zero - a youth-led organisation working towards a zero carbon New Zealand - I've seen how much we would benefit from a tool like this here. There's a frustrating lack of information about New Zealand's opportunities to cut our carbon pollution, and the sustainable energy and climate change debates are often dominated by rhetoric and claims, rather than evidence and hard numbers.

The 2050 Calculator will focus the conversation on solutions and stimulate well-informed debate. It synthesises a huge amount of technical information into an engaging and accessible tool, empowering anyone to explore New Zealand's options for a sustainable energy future, and design their own low carbon pathway for the country. And it is completely open source and transparent, allowing anyone to see all the assumptions and offer critique.

The project is a collaboration between multiple partners: the National Energy Research Institute (NERI), Victoria University, Generation Zero, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Comments

Updates 1

Thanks everyone!

16/03/2015 at 12:13 PM

Hi all you awesome pledgers. Thanks so much for supporting me and this project, I am so grateful. Attending the conference was a great opportunity and a real help to our project. Apologies for the delay, I will be sorting out everyone's rewards over the next few days!

    Pledgers 34

    Barry Coates
    12/02/2015 at 10:46am

    "It's a great project Paul. Thanks for your initiative and determination in doing it. Best wishes. Barry "

    Anonymous pledger
    12/02/2015 at 8:26am

    "What a fantastic project. Good luck in Taiwan."

    Vince Smart
    10/02/2015 at 1:41pm
    Anonymous pledger
    10/02/2015 at 1:30pm

    "Go Paul and the 2050 team!"

    NZ 2050 Calculator: Low Carbon Pathways Tool

    Project 2015-02-04 14:39:30 +1300

    I'm part of a passionate and enthusiastic team working to develop New Zealand's own 2050 Calculator: an interactive online tool for exploring how New Zealand can reduce carbon emissions and build a sustainable energy future.

    The tool is based on the one developed by the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change - check out their full 2050 Calculator and simplified My2050 simulation. Several other countries - including Belgium, India, China and South Africa - have already adapted their own version. We want New Zealand to be next!

    Progress so far

    The 2050 Pathways project is already underway. Ten talented and dedicated students at Victoria University have been working on summer research scholarships since November to redesign sectors of the UK's model for NZ and find all the data we need. As the modelling team leader, I have been working closely with the students on this and it has been hugely inspiring watching their progress. They'll be wrapping up in a couple of weeks with their sectors hopefully completed to a stage ready for testing. There is more to be done but we hope to be able to launch v1.0 of the calculator around the middle of this year.

    The 2050 Calculator International Conference

    The Taiwanese Government and the UK DECC are co-hosting a conference in Taipei from Feb 10-12 to bring together teams from all countries that have developed / are developing their own 2050 Calculators. This is a vital opportunity to learn from other countries' approaches both in building their models and in stimulating public engagement. I'm going to represent the NZ project team and bring these learnings home. I've also arranged for a day following the conference with one of the UK's experts to validate the work we have done and help crack some tough issues we've encountered.

    I'm all set to go this Sunday, but funding is the critical issue. I've tried multiple avenues and secured some support (thanks Port Nicholson Rotary!) but other sources we were counting on have fallen through, which is why I need to ask you to help. Right now I have flights to pay off and other expenses to cover while I'm there. I urgently need at least another $1500 to cover everything.

    Can you chip in to help me cover the expenses for this trip?

    The project overall is still in fundraising mode to cover significant other expenses (such as our students' salaries) which is why I need to raise funds for this trip separately. We would welcome any additional support towards the project.

    Anything I raise above and beyond the costs of the trip will go towards other aspects of the 2050 Pathways project.

    To be clear, I'm not getting paid at all for my involvement, which I estimate has involved at least 100 hours so far since things got going in earnest last October.

     

    More about the 2050 Calculator and why we need it

    Through my voluntary work over the last four years with Generation Zero - a youth-led organisation working towards a zero carbon New Zealand - I've seen how much we would benefit from a tool like this here. There's a frustrating lack of information about New Zealand's opportunities to cut our carbon pollution, and the sustainable energy and climate change debates are often dominated by rhetoric and claims, rather than evidence and hard numbers.

    The 2050 Calculator will focus the conversation on solutions and stimulate well-informed debate. It synthesises a huge amount of technical information into an engaging and accessible tool, empowering anyone to explore New Zealand's options for a sustainable energy future, and design their own low carbon pathway for the country. And it is completely open source and transparent, allowing anyone to see all the assumptions and offer critique.

    The project is a collaboration between multiple partners: the National Energy Research Institute (NERI), Victoria University, Generation Zero, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) and the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

    Comments

    Thanks everyone!

    16/03/2015 at 12:13 PM

    Hi all you awesome pledgers. Thanks so much for supporting me and this project, I am so grateful. Attending the conference was a great opportunity and a real help to our project. Apologies for the delay, I will be sorting out everyone's rewards over the next few days!

      Barry Coates
      12/02/2015 at 10:46am

      "It's a great project Paul. Thanks for your initiative and determination in doing it. Best wishes. Barry "

      Anonymous pledger
      12/02/2015 at 8:26am

      "What a fantastic project. Good luck in Taiwan."

      Vince Smart
      10/02/2015 at 1:41pm
      Anonymous pledger
      10/02/2015 at 1:30pm

      "Go Paul and the 2050 team!"

      This campaign was successful and got its funding on 20/02/2015 at 6:01 PM.