My proposal for a global climate change system (The Earth Save System, or TESS) was nominated for the Earthshot Prize in 2021. This Python capstone project has been designed to include the basic functionality of the TESS system at the various stakeholder levels outlined. The home and community apps are accessible to patrons of participating libraries with internet access in communities around the world. Community, state or region, national, and global apps display daily air quality and CO2 emission counts in addition to climate change news important to all stakeholders. Administrative functions are included for leaders and policy makers including instant calling, messaging and conferencing. Links to a multitude of local, state, national and worldwide governmental, scientific, sustainable and climate-related databases, systems and other resources are also included at each stakeholder level (links included are suggestions for further development and not a comprehensive list).
The community app is customizable by community coordinators. For example, both boards and board posts can be added or deleted. The community coordinator loads and maintains resource databases for home and community apps with application links that are requested by or useful to residents and policy makers in their communities. All users are verified and added by the community library; community coordinators authorize one-time-passwords, update community news and share eco-friendly library events. State/region, national and global apps are customizable by their respective coordinators; coordinators load and maintain resource databases (indexed by administrative access codes) with system links that are requested, utilized or essential to inform and/or facilitate communication, cooperation, research, programs, initiatives and emergency responses. Coordinators also update daily climate change news and events that can be viewed by all users.
The prototype for my proposal (tess-project) is written using Python, Jinja2, Flask-SQLAlchemy and PostgreSQL. The system proposal, design and prototype are free to use in whole or in part. The system is designed to connect individuals, communities, scientists, advocates and policy makers with sustainable systems/initiatives/organizations (and each other) at home and around the world. Daily climate change news and CO2 emission counts/air quality indices by location(s) enable all to stay informed, participate, communicate, combine efforts and track progress so that as global citizens we can move the needle together!