With Apps for Earth, Small Steps Can Drive Big Change for the Planet
By Lisa Jackson and Carter Roberts
Nature is facing unprecedented threats. Populations of vertebrate species — mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish — declined by more than half in the past 40 years. We are losing our forests at a rate of 48 football fields per minute. Less than one percent of the world’s water is fresh and accessible, and today, more than 7 billion people consume 1.5 times what the Earth’s natural resources will be able to supply.
These are big challenges for our planet, and addressing them takes innovation. The kind of innovation that led Apple and WWF last year to kick off a multi-year partnership to protect up to a million acres of responsibly managed forest across China. And starting today, we’re putting that same innovation to work as we team up with 24 app developers from around the world to launch Apps for Earth.
With Apps for Earth, we’re helping to inform, engage and involve millions of people in global environmental efforts through the fitness, education, entertainment and gaming apps they use every day. And we hope that for many, this is just the first step toward taking even bigger action in their communities and around the world to help the planet. Because to truly change everything, we need everyone.
Within each participating app, users will find exclusive content that highlights the value of conserving the world’s forests, oceans, fresh water, and wildlife, while addressing the dual threats of unsustainable food production and climate change. For example, users can test their nature and conservation knowledge in Trivia Crack, or build a wildlife habitat to protect endangered species in their own city in SimCity Buildit. And in Recolor, environmentalists of all ages can color a specially-designed coloring page focused on one of WWF’s priority areas. You can find the full list of participating apps below.*
Apple started at home, applying innovation to lower its footprint and conserve resources throughout its entire operation. This means everything from powering its data centers, which run services like iMessage and App Store, with 100% renewable energy, to its line of experimental robots that disassembles iPhone and helps reduce the need to mine valuable materials from the earth.
Conservationists are also using technology and innovation to reimagine solutions that match the speed and scale of the problems we face. Scientists are harnessing the science of forensics — using DNA and infrared technology — to combat illegal logging. Motion-detector cameras can observe animals like tigers and elephants in their native habitats, giving us vital information on their health. WWF is working with scientists to isolate DNA found in polar bear footprints to gain information about their range and how to protect them.
The planet faces greater environmental challenges today than ever before. But the world is also more connected now than ever before. We’re proud to work together on Apps for Earth, and we’re incredibly grateful to the developers who have worked to help create a pathway for people around the world to learn about and be inspired to protect our planet for generations to come.
Lisa Jackson is Apple’s vice president of Environmental, Policy and Social Initiatives.
Carter Roberts is president and CEO of World Wildlife Fund.
*Participating apps include: Angry Birds 2, Best Fiends, Candy Crush Soda Saga, Cooking Dash, Cut the Rope: Magic, Dragon City Mobile, Disney Infinity: ToyBox 3.0, Enlight, Hay Day, Hearthstone, Jurassic World: The Game, Kendall & Kylie, LINE, LINE: Disney Tsum Tsum, Map My Run+, MARVEL Contest of Champions, Peak, Procreate, Recolor, SimCity BuildIt, Star Wars: Heroes of the Galaxy, Tabs & Chords by Ultimate Guitar, The Earth by Tinybop, Trivia Crack, VSCO, WWF Together, and Yoga Studio.
