Earthrise

Dear Reader,

As a communicator in the environmental advocacy space, I often think of how to engage and convince audiences about the work we do. The information overload has alienated and desensitised audiences; it is difficult to find news that matters, and issues we care about strongly enough. This is especially challenging when tackling issues like plastic pollution and climate change. In our online sifting and searching, most of us find ourselves doomscrolling, which often drains or jades us. Yet living under the shadow of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, it is imperative that we find the inspiration to stay informed in order to take effective action.

Over the decades, several historic moments have influenced us to think differently about the Earth. This Earth Day (22nd April), I would like to look back at some of the key visual or conceptual narratives that shaped our understanding of the planet. What stories, images, or films have inspired us to think critically about our fragile, precious world and our place in the universe, and what action did they lead to?

Theories of the Earth as a Planet

In the 2nd CE, Western scholars and astronomers believed that the Earth was at the centre of the Universe, and all other celestial bodies revolved around it. This geocentric model held sway for over 1500 years. During his lifetime, the Greek astronomer and mathematician Aristarchus of Samos (c. 310 – c. 230 BC) postulated a heliocentric model, where he placed all of the then-known planets in their correct order around the Sun. Yet it wasn't until the 17th century that Copernicus, later backed by Galileo and Kepler, suggested a heliocentric model of planetary motion.

While it took time to accept the heliocentric view, imagine what happened to the human psyche to realise that the Earth wasn't at the centre of the Universe. In hindsight, we realise that the shift challenged established religious and philosophical beliefs, as it highlighted the insignificance of humanity within the vastness of space. It may also have heralded an era of scientific enlightenment.

Later, the heliocentric model was overthrown by galactocentrism, where the Galactic Centre of the Milky Way Galaxy was placed far away from the Sun, and it postulated the existence of other far-flung galaxies.

Today, we know that the Sun isn't at the centre of the Universe either, but just one among many stars, with its entourage of planets, satellites, asteroids, and assorted debris hurtling through an infinite space. The current standard model, known as Lambda Cold Dark Matter, or Lambda CDM, covers the Big Bang theory, the large-scale distribution of galaxies, and the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Apollo 8 Mission & Earthrise

On December 24, 1968, the Apollo 8 mission was orbiting the moon. As the first crewed spacecraft circumnavigated the Moon, astronaut William Anders was struck by the sight of the Earth, a blue-green planet in half-shadow, with swirling oceans and clouds, peeking out over the rim of the lunar surface. As inspired as the shot was, with a poetic title, Earthrise, Anders couldn't have imagined how iconic the photo would be.

For the first time ever, Earthrise gave us a glimpse of Earth as a fragile, tiny, lonely planet adrift in an immense, dark space. Earthrise is credited with sparking the modern environmental movement. In 1970, the first Earth Day was held to anchor the growing environmental consciousness, and Earthrise became a potent symbol of the environmental movement, representing the urgency of protecting our planet.

In 2003, Galen Rowell, a wilderness photographer, in his book 100 Photographs That Changed the World, called Earthrise 'the most influential environmental photograph ever taken'.

Here’s a beautiful spoken word poem by youth poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, titled ‘Earthrise’:

Over the years, the photo has inspired music tracks, postage stamps, and several works of art. Its most enduring legacy is best described by Anders, fifty years after the image was taken. "We set out to explore the moon and instead discovered the Earth," he remarked.

Voyager I & Pale Blue Dot

Captured by Voyager 1, this colour image of the Earth, as a tiny pinprick in a scattered ray of light, was dubbed ‘Pale Blue Dot’. — Captured by Voyager 1, this colour image of the Earth, as a tiny pinprick in a scattered ray of light, was dubbed ‘**Pale Blue Dot**’.

In 1990, the Voyager I spacecraft took another iconic image of the Earth from 6 billion kilometres away, titled 'Pale Blue Dot'. It is said that the image was taken at the behest of Carl Sagan, a well-known astronomer and science communicator, as he felt it was important to depict Earth's vulnerability, to better convey our sense of responsibility in caring for it.

His book, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, explores the scientific and philosophical implications of the image and urges readers to reflect on our place in the universe.

"Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand."

Apollo 17 & The Blue Marble

The Blue Marble is the last image of the entire Earth taken by a crewed lunar mission, namely Apollo 17. Since then, no human has ventured far enough to photograph the planet, though many uncrewed spacecraft continue to do so.

On December 7, 1972, the Apollo 17 mission was en route to the Moon, and the astronauts captured an image from around 29,400 km (18,300 mi) from Earth's surface titled ‘The Blue Marble’. This image showed the Earth from Antarctica to the Mediterranean Sea to Antarctica, with incredible details of oceans and continents. This image, with some edits, was released during a surge in environmental activism, as another depiction of Earth's vulnerability and isolation. It has become one of the most reproduced and recognisable images in history.

Gaia Hypothesis - James Lovelock & Lynn Margulis

The Gaia hypothesis or theory proposed that Earth’s inorganic components and its living organisms are part of a self-regulating synergy that allow life on the planet to flourish and perpetuate. Inspired by Gaia, the goddess of the Earth in Greek mythology, James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis developed this paradigm to encompass the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere into one interconnected feedback loop. At first, the theory was criticised for countering Darwin’s established natural selection principles, yet it has been refined since. Some scholars are still divided on the principles laid out by this overarching theory, while some others argue that it is bolstered by evidence from different disciplines. Yet, the Gaia hypothesis has sparked debate and discussions that have undeniably furthered our understanding of the Earth and its myriad biotic and abiotic processes.

Blue Planet I and II

In September 2001, BBC and Discovery Channel’s Blue Planet documentaries premiered as the first-ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans, featuring some never-before-seen behaviours and creatures. The documentary captured the imagination of audiences worldwide and is often credited with creating a widespread awareness of marine ecosystems. In 2017, Blue Planet II featured more marine stories and raised awareness about marine pollution and the role of consumers. Unlike Blue Planet I, the second series featured darker messages about plastic pollution and the role of human consumption. It paved the way for nature documentaries to not just feature beautiful, inspiring stories but to tell hard-hitting truths about the world as we know it.

An Inconvenient Truth

In 2004, Michael Crichton penned a fiction novel, State of Fear, that tried to dispel the fears about global warming as an eco-terrorist plot, giving rise to climate change denialism.

Shortly after, in 2006, a documentary film about global warming was released. Part-biography, part-slide show, the film was part of a political campaign to raise awareness about a planetary crisis. It featured several iconic images above, data, visuals, and personal anecdotes, and laid out the scientific consensus for global warming as a real, potentially catastrophic, and human-caused crisis. The film’s shock value is balanced with its calls to action and the promise of hope if we act now, and is widely hailed as a spark that re-energised the environmental movement.

In this digital age, we have access to so much information, much of it contradictory. We have better access to recent research and news, as well as to misinformation and false advertising. Yet there are stories and visuals out there that inspire us to think differently about the Earth, and preserve it for the generations after. Which books, films, visuals, or messages have changed your perceptions about the planet? What are the little affirming changes in your life that make you feel like you’re fighting for a better, more beautiful world? Please add your comments below!

Here’s to celebrating Earth Day!

Devayani