Harnessing the power of gaming for climate awareness, Earthshot, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring climate action, has partnered with Tradewater, a leading B Corp and climate project developer. Together, they have launched Tradewater Earthshot Parkour, an innovative gaming experience on Fortnite designed to engage and educate players about the environmental hazards of orphaned gas wells and old refrigerant canisters.
In the new interactive Fortnite island, players race the clock, plugging wells and collecting canisters. The game teaches players about Tradewater’s ongoing initiatives to locate and neutralize some of the world’s most potent greenhouse gases, preventing their release into the atmosphere.
The United States alone harbors roughly one million orphaned and two million abandoned oil and gas wells, many of which are actively leaking methane, equivalent to the emissions of 1.7 million automobiles. Globally, around 18 gigatons of refrigerants, enough to fill 600 million 30 lb. canisters, pose a significant threat to our climate.
Since its inception in 2016, Tradewater has collaborated with organizations, governments, and individuals worldwide to locate, quantify and prevent the release of these greenhouse gases. Through this partnership with Earthshot, Tradewater hopes to educate, engage and inspire Gen Z gamers, while showcasing their efforts to prevent CO2 emissions.
Mark Bernstein, Co-founder of Earthshot, shared his vision for this unique initiative: “At Earthshot, we believe that educating the public about climate change can be fun and empowering. Tradewater Earthshot Parkour is one example of how gaming can be used as a tool to engage with new audiences and empower real-world action towards addressing climate change.”
Tim Brown, founder and CEO of Tradewater, emphasized the significance of this collaboration: “In just eight years, Tradewater has permanently prevented the release of 7.5 million tons of CO2e, the equivalent of over 14.2 million barrels of oil. We are thrilled to be able to sponsor this interactive gaming experience as part of our efforts to engage and educate the public in a fun way about a very serious issue.”
Other gamified educational tools, such as Minecraft’s sustainability city or the climate quest in Roblox, have shown similar success in engaging young audiences. However, Tradewater Earthshot Parkour stands out with its focus on real-world climate issues like orphaned wells and refrigerants.
Sean Kinghorn, Market Development Strategist at Tradewater, shared his personal experience with the game: “My kids and I had such a blast playing the island together and if it was boring, I would not have sparked the conversations we had about the important work I do at Tradewater. It’s a cool and innovative way to meet people where they’re at, especially young people. Not only does this game highlight the problems with leaking orphaned wells and refrigerants, but it shows that there are people in the real world actually doing something to stop it."
