Visualizing Sustainable Solutions
A demonstration of the proposed
Silicon Valley SIMCenter
It’s no secret that our world is changing. Regardless of cause, we are faced with rising sea levels, record warming, water stress and disease migration. These changes cross state and national borders. If you are working on a solution for your region, it will help to get a bigger picture.
But where do you go to grapple with the most challenging issues of our time?
How can we visualize past trends and future projections so we can make smarter decisions quicker?
Our answer is the Silicon Valley SIMCenter. The SIMCenter is an immersive visualization facility that enables us to surround you in visual data, trends, graphics and GIS maps. With this data and global perspective, we offer business leaders, academics, investors and policy-makers ways to collaborate across disciplines, find best practices and implement actions before it is too late.
We invite you to join us for this exciting 4 day preview of the SIMCenter.
Dates: August 14-17 9:30am – 5:30pm each day
Location: Mitchell Park Community Center,
3700 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, CA
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Schedule: We focus on the Big Trends -- the Global, National and Local Drivers that affect us all. Each day is independent, unique and will focus on the following issues: |
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| * Monday Aug. 14 |
The Global Challenges: The Energy-Water nexus and Climate Change |
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| * Tuesday August 15 |
Regional Challenge: SF Bay Area Regional Issues: Energy, Water, Transit |
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| * Wednesday August 16 |
City of Palo Alto Challenge: Mobility: Financing Climate Neutral Cities |
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| * Thursday August 17 |
The Global Solutions: You solve the UN Sustainable Development Goals |
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Receptions: 6-8pm each evening |
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The Silicon Valley SIMCenter is a project of the Global Energy Network Institute. Originally proposed by visionary engineer Buckminster Fuller, both share the same mission to answer this important question:
“How do we make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone?”
Dymaxion™ Map is ©Buckminster Fuller institute
Who uses the SIMCenter?
City Planners, Business Leaders, Researchers and Academics, Strategic Thinkers, Sustainable Engineers, GIS Mappers, College Students and Concerned Citizens.
Your participation is critical.
Join us for all or part of this Silicon Valley SIMCenter Demo series
20% Early Bird Discount ends on August 1st. Register Today!
Event Fees:
Adult: (M, T, W, Th) $100/day
Corporate Participation:
$5,000 for 25 staff/day.
$10,000 Sponsorship with Reception
Space is limited to 50 people/day.
What to bring? Your laptop/device and a commitment to engage fully.
The Silicon Valley SIMCenter is a team project to find Partners and fund the full scale SIMCenter facility. The design comes from Buckminster Fuller’s concept within the Geodesic Dome Pavilion at the 1967 World’s Fair in Montreal.
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Why now? Because the issues are growing faster than our present tools and policies can handle. Many Big Trends are now driving our global condition and everyone is affected: |
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* Population growth (7.2 billion) and economic growth ($ 75T economy) |
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* Fossil fuel use (20X increase since 1950) and climate change (400ppm CO2) |
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* Deforestation (150 acres/minute) and biodiversity loss (now in the 6th global extinction) |
Each day, facilitators pose key questions on some challenging issues. Participants are given a few minutes to search online for visual/graphical information that addresses and clarifies the questions. We go quickly from table to table building the issue's story so that everyone understands the historical trends and the issue's current status.
In the afternoon, we move to solutions: best practices, proven options for nations, states and cities. Using the same process of find and present, we use a variety of visual tools to capture the best solutions of the day in one large visual for everyone to see — and add to what is displayed.
Join us at the Silicon Valley SIMCenter,
“Mission Control for Planet Earth.”
This project in cooperation with the Office of Sustainability
Mitchell Park Community Center. El Palo Alto Room
3700 Middlefield Rd. Palo Alto, CA 94303
Free Parking, Questions: 619-234-1088
The Global Solutions event is co-sponsored by:
City of Palo Alto Office of Sustainability
Silicon Valley SIMCenter
Global Energy Network Institute
The Silicon Valley SIMCenter, GENI, WRSC and this event are not associated with the World Game Institute or o.s.Earth,Inc.
DAY 1: August 14 (9:30am - 5:30pm)
The Global Challenges: Energy-Water Nexus and Climate Change
Do you think you could run the world better than our current world leaders?
Many of us are overwhelmed by the complexity and diversity of issues we face. The challenges are beyond any individual, company or nation. Where do we go to grapple with the most challenging problems of our time?
What’s needed is a place when we can come together – to better understand the interconnected nature of our world’s problems and solutions. A place where our best ideas are visualized, compared and prioritized.
What will you do? We work in teams, with fast-paced questions and multiple screens to present your findings. Some will develop GIS floor maps and mind map visualizations to see the roadblocks and create roadmaps.
Dymaxion™Map IS © Buckminster Fuller Institute
We have found that we all learn faster together – in a collaborative space where optimal solutions come from a diversity of expertise focused on finding answers. That’s the Silicon Valley SIMCenter.
Our SIMCenter mission is born from Buckminster Fuller’s life question:
"to make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone"
Spaces limited to 50 guests
Date: Monday August 14
Time: 9:30am – 5:30pm Lunch included
Location: Mitchell Park Community Center, Palo Alto
What is the outcome? You will literally “see” past trends and future projections.Some of these may scare you. Other future outcomes offer hope through seeing best practices around the world.
“Philosophers have talked for centuries about building a new world. Today, we are meeting to discuss building peace. My conclusion is that to build a new world – to build peace – we must literally build it.” —Walter Hickel, former Governor of Alaska, US Secretary of Interior
“The SIMCenter has been the most immersive learning environment I have ever taught within. Computers on cafe tables, projectors in the air and open space to move around and engage in a group ... an impressive model for learning.” —Kevin Popovic, ideahaus
The Global Challenge is co-sponsored by:
* City of Palo Alto Sustainability Department
* Silicon Valley SIMCenter
* Global Energy Network Institute
The Silicon Valley SIMCenter, WRSC, GENI and this event are not associated with the World Game Institute or o.s.Earth,Inc
DAY 2: August 15 (9:30am-5:30pm)
San Francisco Bay Area Sustainability: Energy, Water and Transportation
Visualizing today’s problems and tomorrows solutions
Our quality of life is at risk
We live in one of the most regionally diverse, densely populated and economically wealthy regions in the world. Yet our water is imported across multiple fault lines, our freeways are clogged and sea level rise is projected to flood airports, highways, homes and critical habitats.
With increased warming we are already experiencing extended droughts, 100 year floods and devastating fires.
Sustainable development is essential but not sufficient – resiliency planning is now required.
Join us in this design planning process
* Tuesday August 15, 9:30am – 5:30pm
* Mitchell Park Community Center, Palo Alto
We will use on-line regional planning resources, GIS mapping and subject matter experts to visualize our present condition.
You will help us define the optimal scenarios for 2050 and 2100, and begin our roadmaps.
The challenge for our business leaders and policy makers is to make the transition before regional growth and climate consequences overwhelm us.
This demonstration of the SIMCenter process will use Geodesign concepts: using design technologies for planning the built and natural environments in an integrated process; including project conceptualization, analysis, design specification, stakeholder participation and collaboration, design creation, simulation, and evaluation.
If you love our home, this event is for you
DAY 3: August 16 (9:30am - 5:30pm)
Mobility Solutions: Financing Climate Neutral Cities
City of Palo Alto Sustainability Department invites you to join us.
The City of Palo Alto leads our state and the world in addressing climate change and local solutions. The easy actions are being done. But some challenges are beyond any city border, and require a broader view of what’s possible.
* What are other leading cities and regions doing?
* What technologies are making solutions viable today and the near future?
The City has undertaken a wide range of initiatives to improve the sustainability performance of both government operations and the community at large - including approving a Sustainability and Climate Action Plan - and offers a wide variety of programs that may help you take action to enhance your own sustainability efforts.
Please join us to explore two of the most vexing challenges we face in our region. Bring your laptop, ideas, best practices, trends and technologies that will help Palo Alto, Silicon Valley and cities everywhere.
Issue 1: How can we make it more convenient for anyone, anywhere to not have to get into a car and drive?
We spend hours in traffic gridlock, wasting time and energy and our lives. How can we reduce VMT, gas usage and be more productive as a society?
Issue 2: How can we finance climate neutral cities?
Good ideas need social support and funding. Cities have limited budgets and must make priorities. How can we finance our climate action agenda that’s equitable and gets the job done?
Date/Time: Wed. August 16, 9:30am-5:30pm
Location: Mitchell Park Comm. Center, Palo Alto
| Every city is developing a Climate Action Plan – yet geography makes each city unique in its risk and response. Some have achieved 100% clean energy already. |
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DAY 4: August 17 (9:30am - 5:30pm)
The Global Solutions – making the world work for everyone
Do you think you could run the world better than our current world leaders?
Here’s your chance to understand, visualize, compare and solve the new U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2000 the United Nations developed seven Millennium Development Goals for 2015. Some were reached but many lagged due to multiple causes. In a renewal of global commitment and cooperation the UN community launched the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030... to elevate all people to a decent living standard while sustaining our environment.
What will we do? Bring your laptop/device. There are solutions at all levels: global, regional and local. How do we know where we get the most bang for the buck? Which solutions will really move the needle? What are the metrics to know if we have accomplished the task?
What’s the outcome? You will see opportunities for yourself, your company, city and state to shift policies, give up on old methods, synergize solutions and invest in new technologies.
The Silicon Valley SIMCenter is designed to visualize sustainable solutions to global and local problems so we make informed choices quicker. Our mission is born from Buckminster Fuller’s goal:
"to make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological damage or disadvantage to anyone"
Spaces limited to 50 guests
Date: Thursday August 17
Time: 9:30am – 5:30pm Lunch included
Location: Mitchell Park Community Center, Palo Alto
The Sustainable Development Goals officially known as “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” is a set of 17 Global Goals with 169 targets between them.
“There is no ‘Plan B’ because we do not have a ‘Planet B.’ We have to work and galvanize our action.”
— Former UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon
The Global Solutions event is co-sponsored by:
* City of Palo Alto Sustainability Department
* Silicon Valley SIMCenter
* Global Energy Network Institute
The SV SIMCenter, WRSC, GENI and this event are not associated with the World Game Institute or o.s.Earth,Inc.
DAY 5-7: August 18-19-20
Business Development/Sponsorship Meetings
Schedule your appointment with the SV SIMCenter Executive/Technical Team.