Second Life Mine Simulation Receives an Emmy Nomination

An anonymous reader writes "The Virtual Mine, an interactive simulation set in the virtual world of Second Life designed to examine the effects of mountaintop coal mining, has been nominated for an Emmy Award for new approaches to news and documentary programming. From the article: 'The Virtual Mine allows visitors to take a closer look at the challenges of balancing the environment, power demands, and economic interests by inviting them to take part in a story as it unfolds through a series of three games. While it was created with educators and students in mind, the games can be played in groups or by individuals alike.'"

Comments

I would have been more impressed...

[DataDiddler]

... if they used Minecraft.

Finally...

[shoptroll]

...someone did something remotely interesting/useful with Second Life. Congrats to them.

What About Destroying Townships?

[eldavojohn]

Do any of the simulations let you decide how to rip apart the township where you're mining?

You know like send out two different letters to townspeople in order to play them against the local township that's seeking to put regulations on your drilling? Maybe imply that if the people who hold mineral rights don't get a huge chunk of cash from your business they can sue the township board?

Maybe refuse to meet with the township and just turn their own people against each other just so you can drill without local permission?

Because after reading about Mount Pleasant in Pennsylvania, I really have to wonder where someone gets that particular skill to be such a ruthless asshole.

virtual mine home including video

[slshwtw]

The virtual mine homepage is here.

In the video (spoiler alert!), after players accomplish the three stages of the challenge (extracting coal, 'conserving energy' by turning off electric devices in town (including stoplights??), and constructing alternative energy devices, they go to the town square for a celebratory country ho-down. No joke.

Once Again I've Been Foiled

[eldavojohn]

Ya got me. It's true. On my desk right now are newspaper clippings and recorded VHS tapes about mining exploitation. I have a doctorate in the ethics of mining from a semi-reputable online academy. Basically my life consists of this: I wake up and log onto Slashdot and try to offer informative posts and pretend like I'm really a software developer. Usually Toxic West Virginia is playing in another browser window. I sit and wait and wait until anything mildly related to mining is posted and then I get a huge rager and my hands start to shake. It's almost too much for my fingers to kiss the keyboard with my sweet sweet dissent against the big bad evil. It's a long running ruse that was about to pay off until you meddling anonymous cowards caught me in the act.

I live solely for the moment that something barely intersects with mining on Slashdot. Mining forums? That's for chumps. I spread Rock's word on the very website that is rife with unbelievers.

Either that's the case OR -- and stay with me here -- I heard the very recent This American Life on NPR, got online to read up on it myself and somehow recalled that brief investigation when I read this in the article:

It was created to to educate, explore, and examine our nation’s struggle with mountain top removal coal mines, coal fired power production, and alternative energies ...

And I thought I might relay this very recent dispute to the readers.

That last possibility is just far too absurd though.

I apologize for trying to remind everyone about the present and ongoing human factor in mining -- even non-mountain top destroying mining.