‘Virtual trees’ turn the Eiffel Tower green for COP21 | Global News

‘Virtual trees’ turn the Eiffel Tower green for COP21

01:28 AM December 01, 2015

PARIS—The Eiffel Tower turned green on Sunday for the opening of the Paris climate conference, marking the launch of an art project that will see “virtual trees” grow on the landmark to support reforestation.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard attended the launch of the weeklong “1 Heart 1 Tree” project, which allows smartphone users to “plant a tree” on the tower.

“Everyone will be able to plant a virtual tree on the Eiffel Tower, which will grow to the beat of their heart, and then every virtual tree will be really planted in a reforestation program,” said Naziha Mestauoi, the digital artist behind the concept.

Article continues after this advertisement

Users can download a smartphone application that records their heartbeat via a sensor and then projects this along with the image of a tree, their name and a short message onto the landmark, using lighting and mapping technologies.

FEATURED STORIES

Participants will be able to track the growth of their real-life trees, which will be planted in areas of Australia, Brazil, Senegal, India, France, Peru and Ivory Coast from 2016.

Each tree costs between 3 and 10 euros ($3.20-$10.60), depending on the species.

Article continues after this advertisement

“The idea is to connect the virtual and the real, technology and nature, and give everyone the opportunity to act in a tangible sense,” the artist said.

Article continues after this advertisement

The launch came as some 150 world leaders gathered in Paris for a fortnight of talks starting on Monday intended to clinch the first international pact to limit emissions of the greenhouse gases blamed for climate change.

The Eiffel Tower was closed for three days this month following the wave of terror attacks on Paris and was lit up in the French national colors blue, red and white when it reopened. AFP

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: COP21, Features, Global Nation

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.