## Inspiration

30 percent of the total US carbon CO2 emissions were produced by the transportation sector. That's nearly 2 billion metric tons of CO2 per year that we send into the atmosphere.

We need to do something and do it quickly since the Earth has already been feeling the effects of humankind on its well being: sea levels have risen, ocean temperatures increased, and global warming is a real threat. Luckily, non-profits like Cool Earth have already jumped on the problem, with the mission of reinvesting the donations they get into cleaner and greener energy sources. They calculated that for every tonne of CO2 that is being sent into the atmosphere, they can offset its negative effects with a donation of just **$1.34** dollars.

The initial idea for Zeppelin came through when we thought about how much it would cost to offset one flight-worth of CO2. After reading papers from different non-profits, we realized that a flight from Los Angeles to New York would cost only $4.22 per person. Who wouldn't want to help the Earth, greatly offset the carbon footprint, and do it for just a fraction of a cost of a normal ticket? We decided to make it easy for people to make this step forward, so we created Zeppelin.

## What it does

Zeppelin has a plethora of different features that make it as easy as pressing a button to make a difference in today fight against Global Warming. So let's go through a scenario of someone who might use it after flying or driving in a car:

1. Jake just landed in Atlanta with his flight from San Francisco, and by opening Zeppelin, facing the camera at his boarding pass, and pressing a button, he was quick to donate to the non-profits he knows can help his cause. Luckily, his credit card is stored securely on the app, so there is no need to do any extra typing.
2. Reni is about to go on a road trip with his friends from New York City to Denver. By opening Zeppelin, typing in where they are going, and pressing the "Donate" button, Reni kept his mind at ease during the trip about his carbon footprint.

We can scan boarding passes, calculate your CO2 emission by car and by plane, store your credit card for when you want to donate, and we can wire the money to companies like Cool Earth for you.

## How we built it

Zeppelin is built in React Native, which means that this app can soon be available on iOS, Android, and Windows phone, and after a little bit of tweaking, can even come up as a website. We first sat down and discussed what we wanted in the minimum viable product, and later brainstormed potential features we can add. We were happy to have finished out MVP pretty early, and after dividing up the additional features, we worked on accomplishing those.

## Challenges we ran into

It was the first real opportunity most of us had to experience React Native, so there were many learning challenges we experienced. Setting up the local SQLite database and connecting with the Stripe API was the hardest of the challenges.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

We took a lot of time in ensuring that our app looks polished. Even though this is a hackathon project, the app looks professional.

## What we learned

## What's next for Zeppelin

Technologically, we would love to connect the app through social media, to add a social aspect to lowering carbon emissions. Additionally, we would like to offer a larger range of potential non-profits people could donate to, so our users can see themselves who they like best.

On the business side, we see very big potential with airline companies: with large companies today helping fight climate change, airline companies can add the potential donations on future tickets, so the flyers can become better educated on what they can do to help.
## Inspiration

Vehicle emissions account for a large percentage of North America's yearly carbon dioxide emissions. However, despite many efforts in the past, people remain reluctant to proactively make even small contributions to this generational issue. We believe that this lack of proactivity is due to a lack of reliable metrics to inform people about the changes they are able to enact upon their livlihoods to improve the world. To help people better visualize the changes they are capable of, we were inspired to create our DeltaHacks project.

## What it does

ClearSky Travelytics is a travel companion that grants insightful information about travel routes. Beyond just location data, Travelytics shares detailed information to promote good health and well being as well as environmental stewardship. Our vision is to provide travelers with a convenient way to analyze their carbon footprint along with various other greenhouse gas metrics accrued throughout their journey. Additionally, Travelytics encourages users to proactively seek a healthier lifestyle by demonstrating how walking and cycling can be an effective form of exercise, posing the question: "does practicing environmental mindfulness necessarily have to come as a disadvantage to yourself?"

## How we built it

We used the Google Maps API platform to create a Progressive Web App along with basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
We chose Google Maps because we knew that we would need to retrieve location data in order to plot trips for our users, calculate various environmental and wellness metrics, and display a map of the overall route.
After discussing relevant features and the tools we wanted to use, we set off creating a simple prototype of our web app's design, building up important features one at a time.
Eventually, we were able to produce a solid final iteration of the app after major reworks, and we used Google Firebase to host our app online.

## Challenges we ran into

One of the most difficult challenges we ran into was decyphering the Google Maps API documentation. We had great trouble interpreting the code demos made available to us, and many times we felt that we found
seemingly blatant contradictions and impossibilities. Our team was able to come up with the idea for our project very early on, but we were unable to quickly agree upon a final design which met all our expectations.
Only in the very end, did we produce something we are proud to display.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of coming together to work together on an ambitious project, despite the fact that none of us are very well-versed in back-end architecture.
We are proud of the effort we put into creating such a difficult project, and we are happy that our app might present genuine utility to people who are concerned about their carbon footprint and health.
We are exceedingly proud that our project did not fail in its final stages!

## What we learned

We learned that during web design, it is never a good idea to develop responsive design starting from the desktop version. A small screen translates much better to a big screen than the other way around, where you have to squeeze around elements to make them fit on the page!
We learned that it is important to ideate and come together with a cohesive idea of what the project should strive to be.
We learned that Hackathons are exceedingly fun, and we are all looking forwards to more events in the future.

## What's next for ClearSky Travelytics

One of our group members has expressed interest in maintaining the current version of our app, perhaps even improving upon it and marketing it in the future.
## Inspiration

We wanted to assess a problem that's been quite prevalent within our modern world. We ended up landing on the problem of pollution and climate change, and created our application to assist with reducing the emissions of one of the biggest culprits.

The 3 major problems we wanted to tackle:

1) Millions of people drive their cars daily, of which some travel on their own; this results in an increased amounts of CO2 emissions being released.

2) Most common platforms like Uber disregard common challenges with finding suitable people like differences in schedules and distances.

3) A more viable method of connecting users traveling to the same location is needed in efforts to reduce emissions and promote carpooling.

## What it does

CarGO is a web-based carpooling service designed for university students who want to save money, reduce their carbon footprint, and meet new people. With CarGO, students can easily find and share rides with other students heading in the same direction.

With CarGO, you can register as a "Driver" to earn money for the empty seats to your drive to university which can pay off for your gas refuels and create networking opportunities. The second option is to register as a "Rider" to find cheap and reliable one-way rides to university which can save you tremendous amounts of time and allow you to form connections with nearby "Driver"s. Both parties have their fair share of benefits and with the help of CarGO their day-to-day commutes become more efficient and fulfilling!

## How we built it

* **HTML, CSS, React.js, Google Maps API** for the front-end vibrant webpage, signup/login system, and map UI showing "Driver"s and "Rider"s.
* **Node.js, MongoDB, Express.js** for the back-end database and server facilitating HTTP requests and maintaining user data.
* **Twilio** for user notifications giving them real-time suggestions on nearby rides and arrival times.

## Challenges we ran into

During the development of this carpooling service platform, we faced several challenges that required us to think critically and come up with innovative solutions. Firstly, integrating Google Maps API into the platform proved to be more challenging than anticipated. It required us to learn the API's intricacies, including how to handle user authentication and authorization, and how to display multiple markers on the map. Additionally, managing user data and ensuring user privacy was a challenge, especially when dealing with sensitive data such as user locations. We had to implement strict security measures and thoroughly test the platform to prevent any data breaches. Finally, ensuring seamless communication between users was another challenge. We had to come up with a user-friendly interface that enabled students to contact each other based on their location quickly.

## Accomplishments that we're proud of

Despite the challenges we faced, we were able to develop a fully functional and user-friendly carpooling service platform that met all the project requirements. We are proud of the seamless integration of Google Maps API into the platform, enabling users to easily view and interact with the carpooling service. We are also proud of our commitment to user privacy and data security. We implemented robust security measures, including data encryption and secure authentication, to protect user data. Additionally, we developed an intuitive user interface that enabled students to quickly and easily find potential carpool partners in their area.

## What we learned

Through the development of this project, we learned several valuable lessons that will be useful in future projects. Firstly, we learned the importance of effective project management, including setting realistic project timelines and clear communication between team members. We also learned the importance of thorough testing and debugging to prevent errors and ensure that the platform runs smoothly. Additionally, we learned that it is essential to prioritize user privacy and security when developing any platform that involves sensitive user data. Finally, we learned that developing user-friendly interfaces that cater to user needs is crucial for the success of any platform.

## What's next for CarGO

Before we publish and deploy the app to a large-scale audience, we are looking forward to making these 4 improvements:

1) Create a schedule input and processor to match "Driver"s to "Rider"s and provide availability information for an entire semester.

2) Provide an efficient and effective chatting system between "Driver"s and "Rider"s and a storage to save chat history.

3) Payment system to allow one-time secure online payments which will eliminate the chances of robbery with carrying cash and other safety reasons. Also, add crypto payments in the future with further knowledge in Blockchain development.

4) A subscription/contract based system for "Driver"s to have consistent funding and "Rider"s to have reliable rides. This way we can retain our customers for a longer period.