November 2019 Summaries

The new Interactive Storytelling template allows users to create engaging narratives with interactive maps using minimal coding, leveraging platforms like Mapbox. This template has been utilized by major media outlets for impactful storytelling, such as the San Francisco Chronicle and the Washington Post, and offers a streamlined process for building "scrollytelling" stories with chapters and animated maps. Users can download the template from GitHub, configure it with their Mapbox access token, and adjust map views and layers to fit their narrative needs. Advanced customization involves uploading and styling data in Mapbox Studio to control layer visibility through opacity settings during the storytelling process. The template also supports easy online publishing via platforms like Glitch, facilitating the sharing of interactive stories enhanced by location-based data and visualizations.

Mapbox has been actively working to reduce its carbon footprint by analyzing and offsetting emissions across various aspects of its operations, including its cloud computing infrastructure, primarily hosted on AWS. While AWS has surpassed 50% renewable energy use, it is not fully carbon-neutral, but aims to be by 2030. To better understand and manage emissions from its AWS usage, Mapbox collaborated with Chris Adams from the Green Web Foundation to develop the Green Cost Explorer, which leverages AWS's Cost Explorer API to provide detailed insights into carbon usage per service and region. This tool allows Mapbox to identify carbon-intensive services and potentially shift workloads to more sustainable AWS regions, although considerations like data transfer and user locality are crucial. Furthermore, Mapbox enhances compute efficiency using containerized infrastructure via Docker on AWS ECS, and encourages learning about sustainable tech practices as part of its broader commitment to environmental responsibility.