As a response to rising sea levels, Tuvalu, a Pacific nation, plans to create a metaverse version of itself.
Simon Kofe (Tuvalu’s minister of justice, communication and foreign affairs) made the announcement via a chilling, digital address to leaders at CO27.
He explained that the plan which accounts for the “worst-case scenario” involves creating a digital twinTuvalu in the Metaverse to reproduce its stunning islands and preserve its rich cultural heritage
This is a tragic outcome that cannot be understated […] Tuvalu could be the first country in the world to exist solely in cyberspace – but if global warming continues unchecked, it won’t be the last.
The metaverse could allow Tuvalu to “fully operate as a sovereign nation” while its people are forced into living elsewhere.
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Two stories are told here. The other is the story of a small, isolated nation in the Pacific who faces an existential crisis and seeks to save its nationhood with technology.
The second is that Tuvalu’s best future would be to stay out of the worst. Climate changeIt will continue to be a terrestrial nation. This could be its way to get the attention of the rest of the world.
What is a metaverse country?
The metaIt is a future in which virtual and augmented reality will become part of our daily lives. Many visions exist of the metaverse, but the most prominent is that of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (previously Facebook).
These visions all share one thing in common: the idea of the metaverse as interoperable and immersive 3D environments. Persistent avatars can move between virtual worlds as easily as they can in the real world.
The goal is to make it impossible for humans to tell the difference between real and virtual. Better or worse.
Kofe suggests three aspects of Tuvalu’s nationhood might be recreated by the metaverse
- Territory – the recreation of the natural beauty of Tuvalu, which could be interacted with in different ways
- Culture – the ability for Tuvaluan people to interact with one another in ways that preserve their shared language, norms and customs, wherever they may be
- Sovereignty – if there were to be a loss of terrestrial land over which the government of Tuvalu has sovereignty (a tragedy beyond imagining, but which they have begun to imagine) then could they have sovereignty over virtual land instead?
Could it be possible?
What would it look like, if Tuvalu’s proposal were actually literal, and not just symbolic, of the dangers posed by climate change?
Technologically it’s easy enough to create gorgeous, immersive and richly rendered recreations from Tuvalu’s territory.
There are also thousands of online communities and 3D virtual worlds (such a Second LifeIt is possible to have completely virtual interactive spaces, which can still retain their own culture.
This idea of combining technological capabilities with governance features for a “”digital twin“Tuvalu” is possible.
In the past, governments have tried to create virtual analogues of location-based functions. For example, Estonia’s e-residencyNon-Estonians can apply online for this form of residency. This allows them to have access to company registration and other services.
Another example is the establishment of virtual embassies by countries on the Second Life online platform.
However, digitizing and bringing together the elements that make up a nation is a complex technological and social challenge.
Tuvalu only has around 12,000 inhabitants, but it is difficult to make this much interaction in an immersive virtual environment. There are Bandwidth issuesComputing power, the fact that many users dislike headsets, or are nauseated by them.
It has not been proven that nation-states are able to be successfully transferred into the virtual realm. Some argue that they cannot be. nation-states redundant.
Tuvalu’s proposal to create its digital twin in the metaverse is a message in a bottle – a desperate response to a tragic situation. There is also a message in this coded message for anyone else who may want to retreat to the virtual to address climate change loss.
The metaverse does not offer refuge
The metaverse is built upon the physical infrastructure of servers. Each piece of tech has a hidden carbon footprint that requires energy and physical maintenance.
ResearchPublié in NatureThe internet is expected to consume around 20 percent of all electricity worldwide by 2025, according to predictions.
The idea behind the meta nationIt is exactly this kind of thinking that has brought us here: Climate change response. The language that gets adopted around new technologies – such as “cloud computing”, “virtual reality”, and “metaverse” – comes across as both clean and green.
Such terms include “Technological solutionism” und “Greenwashing“. They often fail to mention the fact that there are many technological solutions for climate change. The problem is exacerbated by this.They are extremely resource- and energy-intensive.
What does this mean for Tuvalu?
Kofe is fully aware that the metaverse cannot solve Tuvalu’s problems. He states explicitly that we should focus on reducing the impact of climate change through initiatives like a Treaty to prevent the proliferation of fossil fuels.
As a provocative video, his video of Tuvalu moving into the metaverse was hugely popular. It got worldwide press – just like his Moving pleaDuring COP26, while knee-deep in rising waters
Kofe, however, suggests:
A global conscience and a shared commitment to our common wellbeing are essential for us to be able to connect the rest of world online when their lands disappear.
It is dangerous to think, even implicitly that, moving to the metaverse will solve climate change. The metaverse can definitely help preserve culture and heritage. A virtual museumDigital community. However, it is unlikely that this would work as an alternative nation-state.
It won’t work, in any way, without the infrastructure, land, and energy that keep the internet running.
We would prefer to direct international attention to Tuvalu’s other initiatives, as described in the Same report:
The project’s initial initiative promotes diplomacy on Tuvaluan principles of olaga fiakafenua (communal living system), kaitasi, and falepili (being good neighbor) in the hope that other nations will understand their shared responsibility to address global climate change and sea-level rise.
Tuvalu’s message in a bottle is not about metaverse nations. It is important to support communal living systems and share responsibility.
These are not possible to translate into virtual reality. The second requires that we consume lessWe must take care of the third.
Nick KellySenior Lecturer in Interaction Design Queensland University of Technology Marcus FothProfessor of Urban Informatics: Queensland University of Technology
This article was republished by The ConversationUse the Creative Commons license Learn more Original article.
