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Brotherhood 2.0: Carbon Neutralizing Youtube

2007-04-20 · letter vlog · John · 3:58 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Science & nature (also: Nerdfighteria) · mode: Explainer · tags: community lore

John works through (self-mockingly) the arithmetic of Brotherhood 2.0's carbon cost — views, computer time, electricity — reaching 942.8 pounds of carbon, then offsets it for $2.75 via carbonfund.org, making the vlog carbon neutral through April.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Greeting (Friday, April 20th); Brotherhood 2.0 contributes to global warming; goal: a carbon-neutral vlog; John's weak arithmetic; 116,419 views

  • ★★★ John says Brotherhood 2.0, as a video blog, is itself contributing to global warming, and he wants to make it a carbon-neutral video blog. — 00:00:09 · Brotherhood 2.0, climate change
  • ★ John says arithmetic is not his specialty: about two months ago he calculated that each minute contained 100 seconds. (playful) — 00:00:09
  • ★★ According to YouTube, Brotherhood 2.0 has received 116,419 views. — 00:00:09 · Brotherhood 2.0, YouTube

00:00:45 — Average video length 189 seconds; 22,003,191 seconds spent watching Brotherhood 2.0

  • ★★ John says each video averages about 3 minutes 9 seconds (189 seconds), so people have spent 22,003,191 seconds watching Brotherhood 2.0. (playful) — 00:00:45 · Brotherhood 2.0

00:01:10 — 'We're famous'; time spent commenting; Hank on blogs as a celebrity some people would like to do things with

  • ★★ John notes people also spend time commenting, e.g. on how much cuter Hank is, and that Hank appeared on some blogs among five celebrities people would like to do things with; John didn't. (playful) — 00:01:10 · Hank Green

00:01:34 — Time making the videos; 22,856,391 seconds of computer time; watts, kilowatts and pounds of carbon: 942.8 pounds

  • ★★ Adding the time spent making the videos, John calculates the whole Brotherhood 2.0 project has taken 22,856,391 seconds of computer time, or 6,348.99 hours. — 00:01:34 · Brotherhood 2.0
  • ★★ Citing 'some random website', John says the average computer uses about 110 watts per hour while browsing the internet. — 00:01:34
  • ★★ John says that in the US the average kilowatt takes about 1.35 pounds of carbon to create. — 00:02:04 · United States
  • ★★★ Multiplying out (698.4 kilowatts x 1.35), John finds the video blog has personally led to 942.8 pounds of carbon emissions. — 00:02:04 · Brotherhood 2.0

00:02:33 — Putting it in perspective: 1/23 of an average American; Dimensions Magazine's heaviest people; the Al Gore gold scheme for Daniel Biss's campaign

  • ★★ John says the average American produces about 23,000 pounds of carbon, so Brotherhood 2.0, which isn't even a person but an idea, emits about 1/23 of an average American. (playful) — 00:02:33 · Brotherhood 2.0, United States
  • ★ Citing Dimensions Magazine, John says only 21 people in all of human history have weighed more than Brotherhood 2.0's carbon emissions. (playful) — 00:02:33 · Brotherhood 2.0
    • a number in question (doubtful): "21" — check against the recording
  • ★★ Recalling his earlier-video claim that Al Gore eats carbon and poops gold, John jokes that 942 pounds of it, stolen and donated to Daniel Biss's campaign, would give Biss $10,429,824. (joke) — 00:03:02 · Daniel Biss

00:03:31 — carbonfund.org offset costs $2.75; LonelyGirl15 jab; John donates, making Brotherhood 2.0 carbon neutral through April; sign-off

  • ★★★ According to carbonfund.org, offsetting the vlog's 942 pounds of carbon will cost about $2.75. — 00:03:31
  • ★★★ John has donated the $2.75 to carbonfund.org, making Brotherhood 2.0 carbon neutral, at least through the month of April. — 00:03:31 · Brotherhood 2.0

Humor (significant)

  • Having computed that people spent 22 million seconds watching the vlog, John declares the brothers famous. — 00:01:10

    “In a related story, Americans need more hobbies.”

  • John puts the vlog's 942 pounds of carbon emissions into perspective with a magazine statistic. — 00:02:33

    “there have only been 21 people in all of human history who weighed more than Brotherhood 2.0's carbon emissions.”

  • John revives his earlier claim that Al Gore eats carbon and poops gold, then chains a heist that donates the gold to Daniel Biss. — 00:03:02

    “Daniel would have $10,429,824.”

  • Offsetting all of the vlog's carbon turns out to cost only $2.75. — 00:03:31

    “Geez, at prices like this, LonelyGirl15 could go carbon neutral.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Brotherhood 2.0 · carbon footprint · carbon offset · Carbonfund.org

Also: Al Gore · climate change · Daniel Biss · Dimensions Magazine · lonelygirl15 · United States · YouTube

Also centred on carbon footprint: Brotherhood 2.0: January 10, 2007 · Week 2 Condensed Highlight Reel · October 12th: Carbon Re-Neutralizing Brotherhood 2.0 · WE ARE 812 YEARS OLD

Also centred on carbon offset: Week 2 Condensed Highlight Reel · October 12th: Carbon Re-Neutralizing Brotherhood 2.0 · WE ARE 812 YEARS OLD

Also centred on Carbonfund.org: October 12th: Carbon Re-Neutralizing Brotherhood 2.0

Replies to

Later videos replying to this one

  • 2007-04-23 · April 23rd: Celebrity (Hank) — answers — “I'm extremely proud of your mathematics. That was some excellent calculating you did.” (00:00:57)

Part of an exchange of 6 videos, 2007-04-19 – 2007-04-26.