New social networking space OneClimate.net is opening a virtual window on the UN’s forthcoming climate conference, allowing people around the world to participate in the event without emitting carbon through flying.

The Virtual Bali conference will take place in Second Life on December 3-14 parallel to the UN’s Cop 13 summit, and people around the world are encouraged to attend. All participants need to take part is access to a computer and a broadband Internet connection.

“OneClimate.net is a mass collaboration space dedicated to global citizens gathering and distributing solutions to climate change,” says Anuradha Vittachi, co-founder of OneWorld and instigator of its climate initiative.

“It will come into its own during the UN Climate Summit, when we will open a virtual window on events in Bali for anyone in the world who can access Second Life. But unlike its Real Life equivalent – and appropriately for a climate change conference – Virtual Bali will enable its participants to avoid flight-generated carbon emissions.”

OneWorld is known for innovating media platforms for eradicating poverty – like OneWorld.net, the world’s first portal on global justice. Vittachi points out that climate change is set to be the greatest creator of poverty and suffering the world has ever known, undermining the good work done by development workers for decades. “There can be no global justice,” she says, “without climate justice. Do we really want to be the generation that ended life as we know it for hundreds of millions of people?”

OneClimate.net is supported by Cisco Systems. Adrian Godfrey, Director of Corporate Affairs at Cisco, says: “We are delighted to be supporting Virtual Bali as a global initiative that brings together Cisco’s commitment to tackle climate change and to utilising the power of the human network to make a difference.”

OneClimate.net links directly through to OneClimate Island, built by OneWorld within the 3D virtual world of Second Life. Since opening to the public in June 2003, Second Life has grown explosively and today includes 100 universities, including Harvard and Edinburgh.

OneClimate Island was soft-launched by OneWorld on 16 September 2006. “OneWorld was the first NGO to use Second Life for dealing with serious global justice issues, as well as creating its first space devoted solely to tackling climate change,” says Peter Armstrong, OneWorld co-founder and Innovations Director.


To find out more about Virtual Bali and the link to the OneClimate Island, go to: www.oneclimate.net