SXSW hosts 2nd annual Eco Conference

AUSTIN (KXAN) - South By Southwest is expanding its reach beyond just music and film.

The South by Southwest Eco conference, a three-day event focused on environmental sustainability, kicked off Wednesday at the AT&T Conference Center on The University of Texas campus.

SXSW Eco brought together innovators and decision-makers from all industries to plan out how to create a more sustainable way of life. Their goal is to shift the focus away from just conversation – and towards action.

“The Eco conference is all about connecting technology and the environmental issues that we’re facing as a world today,” said Laura Huffman , Texas state director for The Nature Conservancy . “And it’s a super great way to engage young people and people that are connected to solving problems.”

In its second year, attendance at SXSW Eco has doubled to nearly 2,000 participants. The event is also drawing some big-name speakers.

Philippe Cousteau , grandson of renowned environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, teamed up with the University of Virginia to create a fun way to increase public awareness of environmental problems -- a water management video game.

“The only way to be successful in the game is to balance both the needs of the community and society, industry and economy – with a sustainable environment,” Cousteau said. “Because if you degrade the environment, over time we degrade ourselves.”

The game, called Global Water Games , is a large-scale simulation of  what it would be like to manage and conserve the resources of a major watershed. Players assume the roles of stakeholders, farmers and numerous other water-users. The conference is offering the opportunity to demo the game live alongside other attendees on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and also 3:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Sign up online.

This innovative way to work through real-world problems has already earned the attention of corporations, industry leaders, and even Capitol Hill.

Register to attend the SXSW Eco Conference.