Greenhouse gas counter on big LED board misses mark

June 21, 2009 by Dave Haynes

As spotted on Gizmodo, relayed from Treehugger.

Here’s an interesting idea for a compelling digital billboard in New York that tries hard but misses the mark.

Sponsored by Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management group and driven by propeller-heads at MIT, the big board at Penn Station shows how carbom emissions are growing at an alarming rate globally.

It’s a riff on what others have done showing national debt counters that have a whole bunch of commas in them and are meant to rattle people. But as is noted on the Treehugger blog, there is a problem.

It’s just a really big number that people will struggle to relate to. What does that mean??? It begs for visuals.

I’m not sure what that visual is, but this is a well-intended and valid effort, but probably won’t have any real short or lasting impact on the psyche.