A series of fascinating satellite photos aims to show how man has affected Earth. Daily Overview publishes one image of an area where human activity has shaped the landscape – for better or worse – every day.
Plaza Del Ejecutivo, Mexico City, Mexico. Radiating streets surround the square in the Venustiano Carranza district of Mexico CityDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, Inc
The site derives its name from an idea known as the Overview Effect, the sensation astronauts experience when given the opportunity to look down and view Earth from space. Common features of the experience are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
Check out the trailer for our feature film PLANETARY: https://vimeo.com/60234866 For more info about PLANETARY (formerly CONTINUUM) and how you can support & pre-order the film, check out: http://www.weareplanetary.com. Full website coming soon.
On the 40th anniversary of the famous ‘Blue Marble’ photograph taken of Earth from space, Planetary Collective presents a short film documenting astronauts’ life-changing stories of seeing the Earth from the outside – a perspective-altering experience often described as the Overview Effect.
The Overview Effect, first described by author Frank White in 1987, is an experience that transforms astronauts’ perspective of the planet and mankind’s place upon it. Common features of the experience are a feeling of awe for the planet, a profound understanding of the interconnection of all life, and a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment.
‘Overview’ is a short film that explores this phenomenon through interviews with five astronauts who have experienced the Overview Effect. The film also features insights from commentators and thinkers on the wider implications and importance of this understanding for society, and our relationship to the environment.
CAST • EDGAR MITCHELL – Apollo 14 astronaut and founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences • RON GARAN – ISS astronaut and founder of humanitarian organization Fragile Oasis • NICOLE STOTT – Shuttle and ISS astronaut and member of Fragile Oasis • JEFF HOFFMAN – Shuttle astronaut and senior lecturer at MIT • SHANE KIMBROUGH – Shuttle/ISS astronaut and Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army • FRANK WHITE – space theorist and author of the book ‘The Overview Effect’ • DAVID LOY- philosopher and author • DAVID BEAVER – philosopher and co-founder of The Overview Institute ———- CREW Producer: STEVE KENNEDY Director: GUY REID Editor: STEVE KENNEDY Director of Photography: CHRISTOPHER FERSTAD Original Score: HUMAN SUITS Dubbing Mixer: PATCH MORRISON ———- TECHNICAL INFORMATION Filmed with Canon 5D Mk ii. Additional footage from NASA / ESA archives Duration: 19 minutes ———-
For more information: The Overview Institute: http://www.overviewinstitute.org/ Fragile Oasis: http://www.fragileoasis.org/
From the Earth's surface, it is almost impossible to fully appreciate the splendour and intricacy of the things we have constructed, the sheer complexity of the systems we have developed, or the devastating impact that we have had on our planet. But these impacts are clearly seen from the perspective of space.
Gemasolar solar power plant in Seville, Spain. The solar concentrator use 2,650 heliostat mirrors to collect and focus the sun's thermal energy to heat molten salt flowing through a 460ft tall central tower. The molten salt then circulates from the tower to a storage tank where it is used to produce steam and generate electricity. In total, the facility displaces approximately 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every yearDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncTulip fields in Lisse, the Netherlands. The flowers are in peak bloom in April of each yearDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, California, a massive transitional hub for commercial aircraft. The facility's boneyard, pictured here, contains more than 150 retired planesDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, Inc
The site's owners say they hope viewers will be fascinated by photos of the Earth from this perspective but they also hope people will go beyond the aesthetics to contemplate what they are seeing and consider what that means for our planet.
IBTimesUK presents some of Daily Overview's most popular images. For more, visit Daily Overview or follow it on Instagram or Facebook.
Venice, Italy is situated upon 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. With tide waters expected to rise to perilous levels in the coming decades, the city has constructed 78 giant steel gates across the three inlets through which water from the Adriatic could surge into Venice's lagoon. The panels – which weigh 300 tonnes and are 92ft wide and 65ft high – are fixed to massive concrete bases dug into the seabedDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe Nardò Ring, near the town of Nardò, in Apulia, Italy. A high speed, 7.8 mile long, circular test track. Each of the ring's four lanes has a determined 'neutral speed' and is banked in such a manner that one can drive as if the road were straightDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncCentral Park, New York City, USA. The park spans 843 acres – that's 6% of the island of ManhattanDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe Port of Hamburg, Germany. Known as Germany's Gateway to the World, the huge port is located on the Elbe River. On an average day, the facility is accessed by 28 ships, 200 freight trains and 5,000 trucks. In total, the port moves 132.3 million tonnes of cargo each yearDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncAn olive tree plantation covering the hills of Córdoba, Spain. Approximately 90% of all harvested olives are turned in to oil, while the 10% are eaten as table olivesDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe Intrepid Potash Mine in Moab, Utah, USA. This mine produces muriate of potash, a potassium-containing salt used in fertiliser. The salt is pumped to the surface from underground deposits and dried in massive solar ponds that extend across the landscape. As the water evaporates over the course of 300 days, the salts crystallise out. The water is dyed bright blue to reduce the amount of time it takes for the potash to crystallise; darker water absorbs more sunlight and heatDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe star-shaped fort of Bourtange, the Netherlands. This town was constructed in 1593 in this manner so that an attack on any of its five walls could be aggressively counteracted from the two adjacent points of the star.Daily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe Great Pyramids of Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt. Dating back to 2580 BC, the Great Pyramid, the largest structure at the site, is the oldest of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one to remain largely intact. With an estimated 2,300,000 stone blocks weighing from two to 30 tonnes each, the 481ft pyramid was the tallest structure in the world for more than 3,800 yearsDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncSpiral Jetty, Rozel Point, Great Salt Lake, Utah, USA. An earthwork sculpture by Robert Smithson, consisting of a 1,500ft-long (460m), 15ft-wide anti-clockwise coil jutting from the north-eastern shore of the Great Salt Lake. Smithson reportedly chose this site because of the vibrant colours of the water (salt-tolerant bacteria and algae thrive here in 27% salinity) and its connection with the primordial sea. The water level of the lake varies, revealing the jetty only in times of droughtDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncAmsterdam, the Netherlands. The layout of the city's canal system is the result of conscious urban planning. In the early 17th century, when immigration was at a peak, a comprehensive plan for the city's expansion was developed with four concentric half-circles of canals emerging at the main waterfront. In the centuries since, the canals have been used for defence, water management, and transportDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncAn aluminium plant in Darrow, Louisiana, USA. Toxic waste gathers in a collection pond. Approximately 77 million tons of red mud, also known as red sludge, is generated every year due to the industrial production of aluminium around the world. This particular pond extends for more than one mile along its baseDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncFruit trees swirl in an orchard on the hills around Huelva, Andalusia, SpainDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncMount Whaleback Iron Ore Mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The biggest single-pit open-pit iron ore mine in the world, the mine is 1.5 kilometres wide and more than 5km longDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncThe Stelvio Pass in northern Italy, near the Swiss border. This is the highest paved roadway in the Eastern Alps, with an elevation of 2,757m (9,045ft) above sea level. Only accessible in the summer months, the road and its 75 hairpin turns are sometimes scaled during the famous Giro d'Italia cycling raceDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncRoseville Yard, north of Sacramento, California, the largest rail facility on the west coast of the United States. Operated by the Union Pacific Railroad, the yard accommodates approximately 98% of all rail traffic in the north of the stateDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncHet Loo Palace, Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The Great Garden, situated behind the residence, follows the general Baroque landscape design formula: perfect symmetry, axial layout with radiating gravel walks and parterres with fountains, basins, and statuesDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncPlastic greenhouses, Almeria, Spain. Polytunnels and plastic greenhouses cover approximately 20,000 hectares of land (more than 75 square miles) in Almeria. This view shows roughly six square miles. The use of plastic covering – known as plasticulture – is designed to increase produce yield, increase produce size, and shorten growth timeDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncGlastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, England. The five-day music event is attended by more than 135,000 people every year. The population of Pilton on the other 360 days of the year is 998Daily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncBurning Man festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA. Drawing more than 65,000 participants in 2014, the week-long, annual event is described as an experiment in community, art, radical self-expression and radical self-reliance. The developed part of Black Rock City, the temporary residence of the campers, is arranged as a series of concentric streets with the "Man Sculpture" and his supporting complex at the centreDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncBrasilia, Brazil. The city was founded on 21 April 1960 in order to move the capital from Rio de Janeiro to a more central location within Brazil. The design, resembling an aeroplane from above, was developed by Lúcio Costa and prominently features the modernist buildings of the celebrated architect Oscar Niemeyer at its centreDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncEixample, Barcelona, Spain. This district is characterised by its strict grid pattern with octagonal intersections and apartments with communal courtyardsDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, IncArc de Triomphe, Paris, France. The structure, which was commissioned in 1806 after Napoleon's victory at Austerlitz during the peak of his fortunes, is located at the centre of twelve radiating avenues. Because of numerous delays, including the abdication of Napoleon, construction of the monument took nearly 30 years to completeDaily Overview/Satellite images (c) 2015, Digital Globe, Inc
