Only One Earth
The 28th of July is World Nature Conservation Day.
Like so many National and International environmental-focussed days, for this year’s World Nature Conservation Day there was a theme prompting action to protect our environment. The theme was ‘Cut down on plastic use’.
Using a different lens, on World Environment Day 2022, the theme was ‘Only One Earth’ – a nod to the 1972 Stockholm Conference slogan. The Stockholm Conference was the first UN conference on international environmental issues. Only a few years earlier we saw our planet from space in the famous Earthrise image for the very first time, initiating an unprecedented surge in global environmental movements. Perhaps this was a sense of the Overview Effect being experienced on Earth?
Image attributed to NASA
The Overview Effect
The Overview Effect is a phenomenon experienced by astronauts on viewing our planet form space. First coined by Frank White in 1987, the Overview Effect refers to the cognitive shift in awareness of themselves, our planet and our future. It places the individual in an unavoidable and inseparable relationship with all our planet’s systems.
“The thing that really surprised me was that it [Earth] projected an air of fragility. And why, I don’t know. I don’t know to this day. I had a feeling it’s tiny, it’s shiny, it’s beautiful, it’s home, and it’s fragile.”
Fifty years on, and the importance of the ‘Only One Earth’ slogan has never been stronger. Our natural systems that support all life on Earth, including ours, are increasingly challenged. It may be time to reflect on the power that the Overview Effect could have for us once again if we are to have a sustainable future. It is time for us to look beyond ourselves to see and remember that we are inextricably bound to all people and all living things. A recognition of interconnectivity is one of the key outcomes desired at the UN’s Stockholm +50 conference.
What is Sustainability?
In 19876, the UN’s Brutland Commission defined Sustainability as
meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The UN developed the Sustainable Development Goals with this in mind.
The Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. They are reflected in 17 core goals.
Image attributed to the United Nations
To help achieve these critical outcomes, we are encouraged to take individual action. Self-action aligns with the Overview Effect due to the effect it has beyond our immediate sphere. It is akin to caring for a single tree in a forest. Care for the tree, and you care for the forest. A single tree will provide a home to many species of birds, animals and invertebrates as it grows. It will add shade, store carbon, improve soil and air quality, add to the water cycle. Similarly, every individual action we take will improve outcomes for all interconnected people and systems.
What sustainable practices can we apply in our workplace?
The UN encourage us to personally start with ten actions. These are equally applicable in our workplace. The table below includes some ideas that could be implemented in many businesses, but these are far from limited to only what is captured in the table. Let your Overview Effect drive what you are capable of. See (y)our world differently.