One Earth

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Inspiration

In a world facing escalating climate challenges, most people care — but feel helpless or disconnected from meaningful environmental action. Meanwhile, local pollution, illegal dumping, and deforestation often go unnoticed or unreported. We asked: “What if everyday people could easily report environmental issues, learn about global sustainability, and take part in real campaigns — all in one beautiful, empowering space?” One Earth is our answer — a platform that transforms awareness into action, built around the idea that every voice, every place, speaks for our shared planet. 💡

What it does

One Earth is a mobile-friendly web app where users can: 📸 Report local environmental issues with images, tags, and optional geolocation 🌐 Explore global sustainability events, climate news, and campaigns through our curated EarthSpace tab 🧠 Learn about climate concepts via interactive bite-sized modules ✅ Auto-generate tags and issue types using Gemini image analysis 📍 Enrich reports with context like environmental impact zones or nearby regulations It’s not just about reporting — it’s about reflection, learning, and activating real climate action from the ground up. 🛠️

How we built it

Frontend: React + Tailwind CSS with clean UX and tabbed layout for navigation (Feed | Report | Map | EarthSpace) Database: MongoDB Atlas for storing user reports, campaign data, and Learn tab interactions AI Integration: Google Gemini API for: Generating image descriptions and initial tags Categorizing issues into types (Air Pollution, Dumping, etc.) Severity scoring on a 1–5 scale Future-proofing for before/after comparisons and hazardous material detection Contextual enrichment: Gemini is also used to identify local environmental sensitivity (e.g., protected wetland, nearby water sources) and potential applicable regulations Google Gemini API for: Generating image descriptions and initial tags Categorizing issues into types (Air Pollution, Dumping, etc.) Severity scoring on a 1–5 scale Future-proofing for before/after comparisons and hazardous material detection Contextual enrichment: Gemini is also used to identify local environmental sensitivity (e.g., protected wetland, nearby water sources) and potential applicable regulations Design Tools: Vercel v0 for frontend prototyping and iteration 🧱

Challenges we ran into

Designing a non-generic interaction flow that makes people want to come back even if there’s “nothing to report” Making AI integration feel native and valuable, not bolted on Balancing scope — we had more ambitious features like co-observation, Earth journals, and gamified climate quests, but prioritized core use cases for clarity Sourcing localized environmental data with enough richness for Gemini to contextualize intelligently 🏆

Accomplishments we're proud of

Built a fully working frontend with 4 functional tabs (Report, Feed, Map, EarthSpace) Seamlessly integrated Gemini API in a value-driven way — auto-generating tags and enhancing each report with real-time intelligence Used MongoDB effectively to store and manage real report data Created a platform that feels more like a movement than just an app — deeply human, engaging, and accessible to anyone 📚

What we learned

AI tools like Gemini shine when you align them with real user friction, like: “I don’t know how to describe this photo” or “Where do I even start?” Simplicity of tab-based design with emotionally grounded copy makes people want to engage longer Sustainability tech should focus not just on awareness, but action, community, and continuity Reporting alone isn’t enough — you need reflection + education + activation 🌱

What's next

🧠 Crowd verification: Let others confirm or dispute reports (like "I’ve seen this too") 📊 Severity aggregation: Auto-prioritize issues getting more validation or severe scores 🧠 Vectara integration: Semantic search across Learn + EarthSpace content 🌍 Global Feed with region filters and environmental health overlays 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Partner with NGOs to allow real-time volunteer & donation opportunities inside the Campaigns tab 📦 Offline-first reporting for regions with poor connectivity