I gave Earth a Wrapped. thisyear.earth
Source: Dev.to
Overview
thisyear.earth is an immersive climate year‑in‑review presented across eleven full‑screen chapters. The narrative is told from Earth’s perspective, turning climate data into a personal account and ending with a call to action: write a pledge for the year ahead. The pledge becomes part of a public, on‑chain record at thisyear.earth/ledger.
Experience Flow
- Preface · The Record
- Coordinates
- The Fever
- The Atmosphere
- The Melt
- The Canopy
- The Ledger
- The Roll Call
- The Residue
- The Turn
- Epilogue · Sincerely
At the conclusion, Earth asks for one small thing: a pledge that is stored on‑chain and displayed in the ledger.
The Ledger
The ledger is the core of the project, not because it uses “web3,” but because it turns a fleeting interaction into a permanent record.
- When a pledge is minted, the app creates a real memo transaction on Solana Devnet.
- The transaction hash and mint metadata are saved in the app’s database.
- The public ledger page renders these sealed pledges in a readable, shareable, and verifiable format.
The ledger is a book of names and promises, not a crypto dashboard. Users can verify each pledge on‑chain via the Explorer link (currently on Devnet).
Architecture Highlights
- Neon – fast persistence for ledger and app data.
- Solana – proof layer for on‑chain memo transactions.
Platform Variants
- Mobile – swipeable full‑screen sequence.
- Desktop – scroll‑driven atmospheric narrative.
Tech Stack
| Component | Technology |
|---|---|
| Framework | Next.js 16 (App Router, Turbopack, React 19) |
| Language | TypeScript (strict mode) |
| Styling & Motion | Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion |
| Persistence | Neon |
| Blockchain | Solana (memo‑based Devnet pledge minting) |
| Visualization | globe.gl (final globe) |
| Scroll Behavior | Lenis (desktop) |
Climate Data Sources
| Card | Data | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂ | 429 ppm | NOAA GML – Mauna Loa Observatory |
| Temperature | +1.55 °C | NASA GISS + NOAA Climate.gov |
| Ice | 1.17 T tonnes | NSIDC + NASA GRACE‑FO |
| Forest | 14.9 M ha | Global Forest Watch + WRI |
| Species | 41,046 | IUCN Red List |
| Plastic | 413 Mt | OECD + UNEP |
| Wildfires | — | NASA FIRMS |
| Renewables | +32 % | IEA + IRENA |
The CO₂ card fetches daily live readings from the NOAA GML CSV; other cards use annual or authoritative reported figures, all cited within the experience.
Design Philosophy
The project could have taken a loud, celebratory tone, but the subject matter demanded gravity. The final direction is typographic, atmospheric, and editorial—chosen for honesty rather than trendiness.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to the scientists and researchers who maintain the datasets: NOAA GML at Mauna Loa Observatory, NASA GISS, NSIDC, Global Forest Watch, the IUCN Red List, and the IEA. Cover image courtesy of NASA.
Links
- 🌍 Website: https://thisyear.earth
- 📖 Ledger: https://thisyear.earth/ledger
- 🗂️ GitHub: https://github.com/saraeloop/thisyearearth
Read the year. Leave a pledge. Add your line to the record.