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Humans & the Environment

webby honoree

I developed the first five simulators below with the Harvard-Smithsonian Science Media Group, for the Annenberg Media course, The Habitable Planet.

The Habitable Planet is an Official Honoree of the 2008 Webby Awards, and won a 2010 SPORE prize from Science magazine and the American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).


image The Carbon Cycle uses an equilibration model to show how once fossil carbon is released into the air, it migrates into various carbon sinks - atmosphere, terrestrial plants, soil, ocean surface, and deep ocean. Explores changes in fossil fuel usage, net deforestation, and melting tundra.


image Demographics explores population growth pyramids, much like my Human Demographics simulator below, where you can change birth and death rate schedules. In this rendition, the user can directly set vital rates to match those of a different country. (E.g., how would India's population develop under US birthrates.) Countries: USA, China, Egypt, India, Italy, Mexico, and Nigeria.


image Disease demonstrates contagious disease spread through a population. Three diseases (Kold, Impfluenza, and Red Death) are supplied, and the user can create variations with different incubation, deathrate, etc. parameters. Explores the effects of population density, population mixing, vaccination strategies, and pitting one virus against another.


image Ecology is a construct-your-own-foodweb simulator, from a supplied collection of plants, herbivores, omnivores, and a top predator. Explores competition and trophic switching.



image Energy explores meeting energy demand via assorted technologies, while trying to keep atmospheric CO2 below the international goal of 550 ppm through the year 2100.

All Flash 7, revised 2007-11, originals 2006-2007.


image Human Demographics explores human population growth and the current demographic transition. Allows students to shift and change fertility and mortality rates. Shows overall population growth, both officially projected and simulated, and population pyramids, for 7 example countries (USA, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico.) Used in teaching Environmental Science and Conservation Biology. Java 1.3.

Revised 2005-04, orig 2000-12.


image In Foodweb Kerplunk, the player tries to save species in a plot of suburban California chaparral. Foodweb Kerplunk has been featured as an NRDC website pick of the week (Mar'03), and in Mitch Leslie's NetWatch column in Science (Feb'03). Kerplunk has been republished for German middle-schoolers by the SWR broadcasting company. Java 1.2.

Released 2001.

A Foodweb Kerplunk Lab for high school biology students, written by Adam James, Biology Teacher and Football Coach, at Carter-Riverside High School, Fort Worth ISD, Texas (2005).


image ArchaeoSim explores social and environmental tradeoffs in ancient farming civilizations in ancient Subir (northern Mesopotamia). Includes detailed paleoclimate data and completed archaeological survey data. Used in teaching Human Creation and Destruction of Environments. Java 1.4.

Released 2005-1, updated 2008-12.



image Aid Game explores the effects of humanitarian aid on population growth and the environment. Java 1.2.

Released 2001.



image ForestNPP is a simple calculator that estimates forest net primary productivity, before and after climate change scenarios, using the Osnabruck Biosphere Model. Environmental science teaching simulator. Flash 7.

Released 2006-08.



image One of my scientific projects, LoadRunner automates the calculation of dissolved river loads, based on public US Geographical Society river flow and water quality sample data. LoadRunner is used to research ocean carbon sequestration, among other things. Java 1.4.

Released 2008.

Copyright © 2010 Ginger Booth