Mobile Apps to Help Save the Planet

Posted January 19, 2017

By Genevieve Messner, Bethesda Green Intern and student at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School

We already spend hours a day on our phones, so why not do something productive for our planet with that time? There are so many helpful, useful applications for our phones, but sifting through them can be confusing and time-consuming. To make your life a little easier, here is a list of a few environmental mobile apps that we recommend giving a shot:

Water

Dropcountr

Dropcountr helps users track and reduce water usage by connecting to their water utility, set goals for their home water usage, gain access to rebates for water-efficient appliances, discover leaks early, and even compare their water usage with those in their area. ¹ ² ³

Note: this app is intended only for those who have access to their water bills.

Courtesy: Dropcountr App

Ecology

iNaturalist

Have you ever seen a plant or an animal and wanted to show others how cool it was? iNaturalist allows users to take a picture of the item in question and describe it on the app to help further biodiversity science. The app then shares the user’s findings with scientific data collection institutions, such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, “to help scientists find and use your data” to “understand when are where organisms occur.” You can also join a Project, with a goal that interests you, or start your own Project, a way to connect with other people and share your observations, often with a particular geographical and/or species area of focus. In addition to Projects, Bioblitzes, events where users attempt to find and document as many species as they can, are also hosted on the app. ⁴ ⁵ ⁶

This app has been recommended by Bethesda Green staff member Kim Goddu.

Courtesy: iNaturalist App

Seafood Watch

We all know about the dangers of overfishing, but not how to personally avoid contributing to the problem. Seafood Watch helps remedy this conundrum by advising users which restaurants and stores sell the most “ocean-friendly” seafood. It also informs the user about the seafood they eat, how sustainable it is, and lets them search for sushi and fish by name. ⁷ ⁸ ⁹

Courtesy: Seafood Watch App

Sustainable Lifestyle

Ecoviate

Ecoviate’s goal is “to spread social sustainability” through creating incentives for people to encourage them to lead more eco-friendly lives. Methods of encouragement include creating a leaderboard to allow for some friendly competition and awarding achievement points and prizes to users. Other functions of the app include a newsfeed of environmental posts from other community members, tips for being more environmentally-conscious and products. Bonus incentive: every time someone downloads the app, Ecoviate plants a tree! ¹⁰ ¹¹

Courtesy: Ecoviate App

JouleBug

JouleBug is a great app for making sustainability fun. Users can earn hundreds of badges and pins and accumulate points for practicing environmentally-friendly habits. The app also connects to your utility account to show you how much money you’re saving. ¹² ¹³ ¹⁴

Courtesy: JouleBug App

Climate

CO₂ Green Drive

CO₂ Green Drive is a great app for tracking the amount of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide that your car creates, as well as how much emissions you “save” from walking, bicycling, or driving an electric car instead.

The app’s maker also has something called the CO₂ Green Drive Project, “an ongoing and worldwide series of Art, Climate & Technology events designed to promote Green Growth and Global Sustainable Change,” which is also connected to the CO₂ Green Drive app. Thus far, the project has taken place more than three dozen times in nearly 30 cities and on five continents. The app can also be used to “paint” routes and messages by drivers on large screens in real time. ¹⁵ ¹⁶ ¹⁷

Courtesy: CO₂ Green Drive App

Carbon Emissions Calculator (Apple only)

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Emissions Calculator enables travellers to estimate the emissions released from their flight. All you have to do is select your beginning and end airports, select the class (first, business, etc.) and the number of passengers on board–it’s as simple as that! ¹⁸

Courtesy: Carbon Emissions Calculator App

Oroeco

With Oroeco, users can monitor their impact on the climate with the carbon footprint calculator and see how everyday activities and habits relate to global warming, and receive personalized suggestions to help them the environment (and money). They also can support top-notch carbon footprint offset programs, challenge their friends and community to better the environment, and compare their impact on the climate with friends and the community to help everyone become a Climate Champion.

Incentives for helping the climate are also included. ¹⁹ ²⁰ ²¹

Courtesy: Oroeco App

Energy

Light Bulb Finder (Android only)

Want to switch to more cost- and energy-efficient lightbulbs, but don’t know where to start? Based on your lifestyle and needs, the Light Bulb Finder app makes it easy to figure out your options, as well as the price of each and their projected energy and cost savings. The app also allows users to compile shopping lists of, and even buy, the bulbs that they’re interested in. ²² ²³

Courtesy: Light Bulb Finder App

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