ASU minds create app for sustainability tips

An Arizona State graduate and professor have teamed up to launch a social-media app meant to inspire people to take action to improve planet Earth.

The app, called ­"eEcosphere," allows users to share and comment on one another's suggestions and encourages collaboration on topics such as "3 ways to reduce your impact when eating out" and how to "compost leftover food scraps."

"Sustainability is a human challenge. It's a human problem," said George Basile, co-founder of eEcosphere and a professor at ASU's School of Sustainability. "The social feature really builds on the idea of helping people, thereby helping global challenges."

Like other social-media services, users create a profile to connect with other members, taking from and adding to the database of sustainable ideas. By tapping on an idea, users can adopt it and store it in their plan. They can also snap photos and write reviews for ideas.

A team of experts curates the idea bank and develops lifestyle challenges for people to participate in, according to Andrew Krause, app co-founder and an ASU graduate. For instance, one challenge is "How to do your laundry better." Based on users' responses, experts provide advice.

"The ideas that you're ultimately adopting are actionable ideas that you want to commit to doing," Krause said.

The eEcosphere app partners with businesses with sustainable operations and government entities to enrich the content available through the app.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided information about flowers appropriate to each region, so users can find out what to plant in their areas.

Krause, who received his master's degree from ASU's Global Institute of Sustainability in 2012, said his research at ASU focused on how to inspire collective action on current global issues.

He said he worked with Basile, his mentor, to figure out how they could strategically encourage people to do things more sustainably and bring it down to individual decision making, rather than broad, intimidating concepts.

Climate change and the challenges it poses for sustainable living are a persistent and pervasive issue for everyone, especially the Millennial generation, Krause said.

"Really, the first generation to make sustainable changes is the Millenials," he said. He said that generation spends a lot of time on mobile devices and scrolling through social media, and that's why he thought a mobile app was the most appropriate format for the project.

People who are already knowledgeable about sustainability issues tend to be motivated to share information, Krause said. They are usually the ones using apps like eEcosphere and generating awareness for others.

"That should serve to activate some of those individuals who may not have been motivated," he said.

The eEcosphere app is available for free through Apple's App Store. An Android version is not available yet, but Krause said there are plans for the eventual launch of an Android app.

Sustainable ideas that can be found in the information exchange on eEcosphere:

Donate used electronics to Goodwill

Use biodegradable trash bags

Hang dry your clothes

Stop washing your jeans

Buy glass water containers over plastic