This article highlights and explains the important role of climate and environmental in Imagine Earth. Our simulation game visualizes the conflict of economic growth and sustainability by putting the fate of a globalized society in the hands of the player.
[h3]Air and soil pollution[/h3]
Every building causes exhaust fumes and also soil pollution during operation. This spreads over the surrounding fields. Over time high ground pollution reduces the general fertility of a field which is bad for trees and for farming. A too high density of industrial factories or fossil power plants causes such a high level of local pollution that it contaminates the soil. This makes complex and costly cleaning necessary in order to be able to use the fields again. Every building can be equipped with extensions that either increase its efficiency or its sustainability. These extensions fit the content of the respective technologies and address various of their positive and negative aspects.
[h3]Global emission balance[/h3]
The balance of emissions plays a crucial role in Imagine Earth. The different corporations that operate on a planet have different levels of emissions of CO² and other greenhouse gases. They are collectively referred to as emissions and when this balance becomes negative on a global scale, exceeding the level that the planet can compensate for as an ecosystem (land, ocean and forests), the greenhouse effect occurs, causing global warming with catastrophic consequences.
[h3]Contamination and the consequences[/h3]
Soil pollution lowers the quality of life in neighboring cities, reduces farm productivity and, in severe cases, attacks infrastructure. This can cause crop failures and disease outbreaks and make entire areas unusable. There are oil spills, chemical and nuclear contamination, among others. All contaminations have a different half-life.
[h3]Emission compensation[/h3]
If a company operates in a particularly polluting manner and relies primarily on fossil fuels rather than sustainable production methods, it must pay its competitors compensation for emissions, otherwise ecological management would not be competitive.
[h3]Quality of Life[/h3]
The quality of life in cities plays a decisive role. It declines with insufficient supply of energy, goods and food, but also with pollution and dirty industries in the surrounding areas. Forests and coasts on the other hand increase the quality of life, which is linked to how well the population can grow and flourish. An intact environment therefore has a direct influence on the level of tax revenues and is therefore also of decisive economic interest.
[h3]Global warming[/h3]
Global warming is causing the polar ice caps to melt and the sea level to rise. In addition, local temperatures change and the probability of natural disasters increases. Forest fires, desert formations, tornadoes and storms occur more frequently.
[h3]Exploitation of limited resources[/h3]
Large deposits of oil, coal, gas and uranium promise a cheap and rich yield of energy and raw materials. In a competitive economic system, it can be tempting to rely on the use of these fossil resources as they allow for faster and cheaper expansion. However, as the game progresses, the reserves in the settlement area of a corporation will be depleted and the more dependent it is at that point, the more difficult it will be to restructure supply and, accordingly, to ensure competitiveness. Ultimately, the restructuring must succeed at the latest before a climate catastrophe makes the planet uninhabitable in the final analysis…
[h3]Biomes and forests[/h3]
The land mass and the height of the terrain are in relation to the amount of polar ice that exists. When the poles melt due to global warming, the precious coastal areas are flooded. The world simulation in Imagine Earth distinguishes eight essential biomes. The vegetation has different characteristics in terms of compensation for air pollution and resilience to soil pollution.
[h3]The World Congress[/h3]
The World Congress is a democratic body with wide-ranging powers, to which each faction on the planet sends a representative. The factions have voting rights in the congress that correspond to their share in the galactic population. In the voting process, they decide on taxes and subsidies, funds for projects, penalties for rule breakers, and emergency aid. In addition, a representative of the United Space Nations USN is always present.
[h3]Proposal round[/h3]
At the beginning of a session of the congress, each delegation can propose new resolutions, which are then voted on. When resolutions are passed they apply to all factions.
You can see who benefits from your resolutions, as well as who stands to lose out. This data will help you make calculated political decisions.
[h3]Voting round[/h3]
Once the proposals submitted by the delegations are ready for voting, each faction pursues its own interests. The symbols on the representatives indicate whether they are more likely to vote in favor of or against a bill. Voting behavior is also influenced by a faction’s agenda, strategic advantages and by loyalty in alliances. However, nothing is certain until the final vote is counted. Diplomatic tensions abound!
[h3]World status[/h3]
This screen is always accessible and provides an overview of the state of the planet. Here you can see how different global trends develop in relation to each other.
[h3]Intention of the game[/h3]
Imagine Earth puts the player in the position of a global economic player. He has to build up and supply his civilization, produce and trade goods into space and compete against other corporations. In order to preserve quality of life for his inhabitants and to avoid a global climate crisis, he has to find a balance between growth and sustainability.
Imagine Earth focuses on the conflict between globalization and global warming. Corporations that compete economically will have to work together at a certain point to maintain the environment as their economic base. In this context the game deals with business ethics, corporate power and the economic growth spiral in contrast to sustainability, environmental destruction and climate change.
[h3]Green Planet Bundle[/h3]
This Bundle contains the Game + Soundtrack. The Soundtrack Sales go to Eden Reforestation Project.
Until February 2022 we where able to plant 34.520 Trees with your help!
The Soundtrack sales in this bundle
are donated to plant trees. A story we are very proud of and which would not have been possible without your support. Shortly after the release, we also released the
Green Planet Bundle, which additionally includes the official soundtrack of the game. The profits of the soundtrack sales from the first month of release have been donated to Eden Reforestation Projects, an organization that plants trees all over the world and also employs local people to protect and preserve these trees.
As a result of our donations, 25,640 trees can already be planted. If you want to participate, you can complete the bundle by buying the soundtrack. We are very excited that not only virtual worlds are saved by our simulation game, but that it can also have an impact in the real world. So we proudly present this certificate, thanks are owed, of course, to all backers of the campaign.
