Congressman takes virtual, virtuous road to Bali

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact re Rep. Markey’s comments: Ana Unruh Cohen +62 (0) 811 1986282 Contact re “Virtual Bali,” Second Life, video clips: Jeffrey Allen +62 (0) 887 3913975 Senior U.S. Politician Brings Opposing U.S. Viewpoint to Bali via Virtual Avatar Chairman Pushes for U.S. Climate Action Abroad, Energy Bill in DC BALI/WASHINGTON (December 12, 2007) – U.S. Congressman Edward J. Markey (Democrat-Massachusetts) took an alternate—and virtually carbon-free—route to Bali, Indonesia this morning, as he offered the United Nations climate summit a vision of U.S. climate policy that is strongly critical of the Bush administration. “It is important that the international community -- with the full participation of the United States—use the Bali conference to establish a clear roadmap for future action. But drawing a clear roadmap is difficult if the biggest emitter of global warming pollution—the United States—won't cooperate,” Rep. Markey said in an address transmitted live to the UN conference hall using the 3-D interactive Internet platform Second Life. “Everyone knows that an effective roadmap must have a clear destination. But the Bush administration continues to oppose any specific binding targets for emissions reductions. Dozens of representatives of the Bush administration are in Bali—all carrying instructions to say 'No' to real progress,” Markey continued, adding: “that is why it is important for Bali and the world to hear other American voices—voices advocating a new direction for the United States.” Rep. Markey, who is Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, addressed the Bali conference from his office in Washington by using a virtual likeness of himself—known as an “avatar”—to lay out the current political movement towards climate action in America, and how the Bush administration is still standing in the way of real progress. “I had to stay here in Washington to pass a clean energy bill that will make a down payment on the global warming cuts needed to save the planet,” said Rep. Markey, explaining why he chose to address the conference virtually. “But it was critical to show the leaders gathered in Bali that they have partners here in America who are deeply concerned about solving global warming and re-engaging the United States on the global stage.” Congress is currently considering an energy bill that would raise fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020 (through language first authored by Markey in the House), and increase the use of renewable electricity like wind and solar and renewable fuels like ethanol in the United States. If all portions of the bill were passed and signed by the president, it would reduce up to 35 percent of the projected heat-trapping emissions that must be cut to save the planet, by 2030. Rep. Markey’s avatar is not an exact replica of the Congressman, but rather a virtual representation of him that uses exaggerated features to describe the person, a common practice for the medium. Wearing a headset to broadcast the speech as it happens into Second Life, Rep. Markey addressed the crowd from a virtual Bali stage provided by OneWorld.net, as part of its OneClimate initiative to facilitate discussions and action on climate change. "By choosing not to fly to Bali, Congressman Markey is walking the walk," said Jeffrey Allen, producer of OneWorld.net's ‘Virtual Bali’ series. "He's demonstrating that by thinking outside the box and making creative use of technologies, individual citizens and government leaders alike can take strong action against climate change. Congressman Markey is modeling what OneWorld has always believed—that by opening new communications channels, the Internet can and should be an agent of human rights and sustainable development.” In addition to transmitting Rep. Markey’s address to participants at the UN conference, the OneWorld.net team is facilitating daily discussions between Internet users around the world and participants who have elected to be present in person at the Bali summit. OneWorld.net's team of just two in Bali but many more back in London and Washington are enabling citizens all over the world to interact with these participants—live—in an embryonic new form of democratic communication that allows an ever-widening range of people to engage with key political processes, without having to be formally included by conference organizers or being able to afford the cash or the carbon to fly. As Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunication and the Internet along with his Select Committee chairmanship, Rep. Markey has a strong belief in the power of technology and the Internet to solve the world’s greatest challenges. “Meeting the climate challenge is a global problem, one that will require an exchange of ideas from people in all corners of the world. Technology platforms like Second Life and OneClimate’s Island shrinks our global community so we can connect on serious issues like global warming,” said Rep. Markey. His speech will be replayed all week at the conference, demonstrating an extremely low-carbon way to encourage stronger U.S. government support for climate action. The full speech will also be available on the Select Committee’s Web site, globalwarming.house.gov, with clips and commentary available on OneClimate.net “This is my first foray into Second Life, but it will not be my last,” Markey told the avatars packing the house this morning. About OneClimate: OneClimate.net is OneWorld.net's social networking platform dedicated to facilitating discussions and surfacing ideas about climate change. It has been called the "Climate Facebook." The OneClimate archipelago in Second Life is an extension of that platform where regular people can learn about climate change and meet others interested and involved in the issue. According to Climate Care, a UK-based company that tracks travel-related carbon dioxide, a single individual flying from Washington, DC to Bali, Indonesia, would be responsible for the emission of 5.36 tons of carbon dioxide as a result of the 20,381-mile round-trip flight. About OneWorld.net OneWorld.net was founded by award-winning BBC journalist Peter Armstrong and Sri Lankan refugee and journalist Anuradha Vittachi in 1995 with the goal of harnessing the democratic potential of the Internet for human rights and sustainable development. About Second Life: Second Life is a 3-D virtual world entirely created by its users, called Residents. Since opening to the public in 2003, it has grown explosively and today is inhabited by over 11 million Residents, who create their own avatars, homes, and participate in an economic system that supports millions of transactions every month.

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