Putting on a virtual reality headset can transport you to faraway lands. But it can also give you a sense of how your own community may change as the climate warms.
Khalil: “When you see something in an immersive environment that no other technology can replicate, it hits you inside.”
Juliano Calil is the founder of Virtual Planet Technologies. The company works with cities and nonprofits to develop interactive VR films depicting sea level rise and other climate impacts.
In Santa Cruz, California, where the company is headquartered, his team created a VR experience that shows how coastal erosion, extreme storms, and moderate sea level rise can lead to severe flooding.
Viewers can get a 360-degree view of beaches and streets disappearing underwater.
Khalil: “But more importantly, we can also show them some solutions and what we can do about it.”
People can see how building sea walls or planting dunes can limit flooding, and can switch between different versions of the future city.
Kalil said surveys of residents who have tried the VR experience show it helps raise awareness of risks to the community and the protective measures that can be taken.
Report source: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media
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