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Benjamin Grant: What it feels like to see Earth from space
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What the astronauts felt when they saw Earth from space changed them forever. Author and artist Benjamin Grant aims to provoke this same feeling of overwhelming scale and beauty in each of us through a series of stunning satellite images that show the effects human beings are having on the planet. "If we can adopt a more expansive perspective, embrace the truth of what is going on and contemplate the long-term health of our planet, we will create a better, safer and smarter future for our one and only home," Grant says.
Benjamin Grant - Artist, author
Through his mesmerizing satellite photographs, Benjamin Grant offers us a new way of seeing of our planet and ourselves. Full bio
Through his mesmerizing satellite photographs, Benjamin Grant offers us a new way of seeing of our planet and ourselves. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
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It's Christmas Eve, 1968.
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The Apollo 8 spacecraft
has successfully completed
has successfully completed
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its first three orbits around the moon.
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Launched from Cape Canaveral
three days before,
three days before,
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this is the first time
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that humans have ever traveled
beyond low Earth orbit.
beyond low Earth orbit.
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On the vessel's fourth pass,
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the Earth slowly comes into view
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and reveals itself
above the Moon's horizon.
above the Moon's horizon.
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Astronaut Bill Anders frantically
asks his crewmates where their camera is,
asks his crewmates where their camera is,
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grabs the Hasselblad,
points it towards the window,
points it towards the window,
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presses the shutter,
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and takes one of the most
important photographs of all time:
important photographs of all time:
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"Earthrise."
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When the crew was safely home
a few days later,
a few days later,
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they were asked about the mission.
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Anders famously replied,
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"We went to the moon,
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but we actually discovered Earth."
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What did he and his fellow crewmates feel
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in this incredible moment?
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In a study released just this past year,
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a team of researchers
at the University of Pennsylvania
at the University of Pennsylvania
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examined the testimonies
of hundreds of astronauts
of hundreds of astronauts
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who had the opportunity
to view the Earth from space.
to view the Earth from space.
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Their analysis uncovered
three common feelings:
three common feelings:
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first, a greater appreciation
for Earth's beauty;
for Earth's beauty;
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second, an increased sense
of connection to all other living beings;
of connection to all other living beings;
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and third, an unexpected,
often overwhelming sense of emotion.
often overwhelming sense of emotion.
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The researchers believe that seeing
the Earth from a great distance
the Earth from a great distance
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provokes someone to develop
new cognitive frameworks
new cognitive frameworks
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to understand what they are seeing.
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They believe these astronauts
were forever changed
were forever changed
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by this new view,
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this new perspective,
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this new visual truth.
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This feeling is commonly referred to
as the "overview effect."
as the "overview effect."
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Only 558 people
have ever been to outer space.
have ever been to outer space.
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558 people had the opportunity
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to gaze down in awe,
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to wonder at our planet
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floating in an infinite sea of darkness.
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But what if that number were bigger?
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Three years ago,
I set off on my own mission:
I set off on my own mission:
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to see if I could bring this feeling
of overwhelming scale and beauty
of overwhelming scale and beauty
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to many more people
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just by using one small computer
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in my small New York City apartment.
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It was then, in 2013,
that I launched "Daily Overview."
that I launched "Daily Overview."
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Every day, I have used satellite imagery
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to create one expansive
overhead view of our planet.
overhead view of our planet.
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More than 1,000 of these images
have been created thus far,
have been created thus far,
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and more than 600,000 people
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tune in for this daily dose
of perspectives.
of perspectives.
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I create the imagery by curating photos
from the massive archive
from the massive archive
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of a satellite company
called Digital Globe.
called Digital Globe.
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They operate a constellation
of five satellites,
of five satellites,
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each roughly the size of an ambulance,
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that is constantly
taking pictures of the Earth
taking pictures of the Earth
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as they orbit at
28,000 kilometers per hour.
28,000 kilometers per hour.
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Now, what does this mean?
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Each of these satellites
is equipped with a camera
is equipped with a camera
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that has a focal length of 16 meters,
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so that's roughly 290 times greater
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than a DSLR camera equipped
with a standard 55 millimeter lens.
with a standard 55 millimeter lens.
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So if were able to attach
one of their satellites
one of their satellites
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to the roof of this theater in Oxford,
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we could take a picture of a football,
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clearly, on the pitch
at the stadium in Amsterdam.
at the stadium in Amsterdam.
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That's 450 kilometers away.
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That's incredibly powerful technology.
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And I decided at the beginning
of this project
of this project
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that I would use
that incredible technology
that incredible technology
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to focus on the places
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where humans have impacted the planet.
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As a species, we dig and scrape
the Earth for resources,
the Earth for resources,
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we produce energy,
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we raise animals
and cultivate crops for food,
and cultivate crops for food,
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we build cities, we move around,
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we create waste.
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And in the process
of doing all of these things,
of doing all of these things,
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we shape landscapes and seascapes
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and cityscapes with increasing
control and impunity.
control and impunity.
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So with that in mind,
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I would like to share
a few of my overviews with you now.
a few of my overviews with you now.
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Here we see cargo ships and oil tankers
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waiting outside the entry
to the port of Singapore.
to the port of Singapore.
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This facility is the second-busiest
in the world by terms of total tonnage,
in the world by terms of total tonnage,
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accounting for one-fifth
of the world's shipping containers
of the world's shipping containers
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and one half of the annual supply
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of crude oil.
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If you look closely at this overview,
you'll see a lot of little specks.
you'll see a lot of little specks.
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Those are actually cows at a feedlot
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in Summerfield, Texas,
in the United States.
in the United States.
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So once cows reach a particular weight,
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roughly 300 kilograms,
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they are moved here
and placed on a specialized diet.
and placed on a specialized diet.
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Over the next three to four months,
the cows gain an additional 180 kilograms
the cows gain an additional 180 kilograms
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before they are shipped off to slaughter.
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You're also probably wondering
about this glowing pool at the top there.
about this glowing pool at the top there.
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That gets its color from a unique
combination of manure, chemicals
combination of manure, chemicals
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and a particular type of algae
that grows in the stagnant water.
that grows in the stagnant water.
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This is the Mount Whaleback iron ore mine
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in the Pilbara region
of Western Australia,
of Western Australia,
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a beautiful yet scary scar
on the face of the Earth.
on the face of the Earth.
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Of the world's mined iron ore,
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98 percent is used to make steel
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and is therefore a major component
in the construction of buildings,
in the construction of buildings,
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automobiles or appliances
such as your dishwasher or refrigerator.
such as your dishwasher or refrigerator.
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This is a solar concentrator
in Seville, Spain.
in Seville, Spain.
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So this facility contains 2,650 mirrors
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which are arrayed in concentric circles
around an 140-meter-tall tower
around an 140-meter-tall tower
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at its center.
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At the top of the tower,
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there is a capsule of molten salt
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that gets heated by the beams
of light reflected upwards
of light reflected upwards
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from the mirrors below.
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From there, the salt circulates
to a storage tank underground,
to a storage tank underground,
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where it produces steam,
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which spins turbines
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and generates enough electricity
to power 70,000 homes
to power 70,000 homes
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and offsets 30,000 tons
of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
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This overview shows deforestation
in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
in Santa Cruz, Bolivia
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immediately adjacent
to untouched tracts of rainforest.
to untouched tracts of rainforest.
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Deforestation in the country
has primarily been driven
has primarily been driven
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by the expansion of mechanized agriculture
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and cattle ranching,
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so as the country tries to meet
the demand of its growing population
the demand of its growing population
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and feed them,
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the sacrificial destruction
of its rainforest
of its rainforest
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has taken place to do so.
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It is estimated that the country
lost 4.5 million acres of rainforest
lost 4.5 million acres of rainforest
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in one decade alone
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from 2000 until 2010.
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This is the Eixample district
in Barcelona, Spain.
in Barcelona, Spain.
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So the overview perspective
can be incredibly helpful
can be incredibly helpful
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to help us understand how cities function
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and how we can devise
smarter solutions for urban planning,
smarter solutions for urban planning,
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and this will become only more relevant
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as it is expected that 4.9 billion people
will live in cities around the world
will live in cities around the world
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by the year 2030.
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This area of Barcelona is characterized
by its strict grid pattern,
by its strict grid pattern,
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apartments with communal courtyards
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and these octagonal intersections
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which allow for more sunlight,
better ventilation
better ventilation
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and additional parking at street level.
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And here we see that grid pattern
but under much different circumstances.
but under much different circumstances.
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This is the Dadaab Refugee Camp
in northern Kenya,
in northern Kenya,
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the largest such facility
of its kind in the world.
of its kind in the world.
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To cope with the influx of refugees
who are fleeing Somalia,
who are fleeing Somalia,
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where there is famine and conflict,
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the UN has built this area
gridded out at left
gridded out at left
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called the LFO extension
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to house more and more refugees
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who are arriving and occupying
these white dots,
these white dots,
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which are actually tents
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which will slowly fill up
the area over time.
the area over time.
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So if you have one of these overviews,
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you have a moment in time.
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If we have two overviews, however,
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we are able to tell stories
about changes in time.
about changes in time.
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I call that feature
of the project "Juxtapose,"
of the project "Juxtapose,"
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and we'll share a few examples
of it with you now.
of it with you now.
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So the tulip fields in Netherlands
bloom every year in April.
bloom every year in April.
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So we take an image
captured in March a few weeks before
captured in March a few weeks before
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and contrast it to one
taken a few weeks later.
taken a few weeks later.
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We're able to watch the flowers bloom
in this magnificent cascade of color.
in this magnificent cascade of color.
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It is estimated that the Dutch produce
4.3 billion tulip bulbs every year.
4.3 billion tulip bulbs every year.
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In 2015, two dams collapsed
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at an iron ore mine
in southeastern Brazil,
in southeastern Brazil,
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causing one of the worst
environmental disasters
environmental disasters
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in the history of the country.
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It is estimated that 62 million
cubic meters of waste
cubic meters of waste
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were released when the dams broke,
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destroying numerous villages
in the process,
in the process,
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including Bento Rodrigues,
seen here before ...
seen here before ...
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and after the flood.
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Ultimately, 19 people
were killed in this disaster.
were killed in this disaster.
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Half a million people did not
have access to clean drinking water
have access to clean drinking water
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for an extended period of time,
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and the waste soon entered
into the Doce River,
into the Doce River,
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extended for 650 kilometers
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all the way into the sea,
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killing unknowable amounts
of plant and animal life along the way.
of plant and animal life along the way.
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And lastly, here is a story
related to the crisis in Syria,
related to the crisis in Syria,
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a conflict which has claimed the lives
of hundreds of thousands of people
of hundreds of thousands of people
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and displaced millions.
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So this patch of desert
is seen in Mafraq, Jordan in 2011,
is seen in Mafraq, Jordan in 2011,
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the year the conflict started,
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and when we compare it to an image
captured just this year in 2017,
captured just this year in 2017,
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we see the construction
of the Zaatari refugee camp.
of the Zaatari refugee camp.
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So just as the astronauts of Apollo 8
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watched the Earth rising above
the lunar landscape for the first time,
the lunar landscape for the first time,
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there is no way
that you could have imagined
that you could have imagined
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what the places I just showed you
look like from outer space.
look like from outer space.
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And while you may enjoy
the aesthetics of an image,
the aesthetics of an image,
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once you learn exactly
what it is you're seeing,
what it is you're seeing,
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you may struggle with the fact
that you still like it.
that you still like it.
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And that's the tension
I want to create with my work,
I want to create with my work,
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because I believe
it is that contemplation,
it is that contemplation,
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that internal dialogue
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that will lead to greater
interest in our planet
interest in our planet
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and more awareness
of what we're doing to it.
of what we're doing to it.
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I believe that viewing the Earth
from the overview perspective
from the overview perspective
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is more important now than ever before.
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Through the incredible technology
of these high-flying cameras,
of these high-flying cameras,
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we can see, monitor and expose
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the unprecedented impact
that we are having.
that we are having.
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And whether we are scientists
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or engineers or policymakers
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or investors or artists,
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if we can adopt
a more expansive perspective,
a more expansive perspective,
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embrace the truth of what is going on
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and contemplate the long-term
health of our planet,
health of our planet,
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we will create a better
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and safer and smarter future
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for our one and only home.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Benjamin Grant - Artist, authorThrough his mesmerizing satellite photographs, Benjamin Grant offers us a new way of seeing of our planet and ourselves.
Why you should listen
By curating and composing high-resolution aerial imagery, Benjamin Grant has repurposed a medium once reserved for security experts into a tool that provides us with a thought-provoking look at human impact on our planet. As the founder of Daily Overview, he tells a story not only of man's relationship to the earth but also of how a determined search for novel perspectives can shift our psychology, inspire greater collaboration and stimulate visions for a better future.
Grant has grown Daily Overview into one of the most popular blogs on social media, garnering the largest following on Instagram (currently 556,000+ followers) of any brand with an environmental focus. His best-selling book Overview: A New Perspective of Earth has been critically-acclaimed by the New York Times, The Economist, Fast Company, CNN and was selected as one of the "Best Books of 2016" by Amazon, The Smithsonian and the Los Angeles Times. First published in October 2016, the book has been translated into seven languages.
Images from Daily Overview have been featured in hundreds of publications around the world including the New York Times, Washington Post, WIRED, The Economist, VICE and more. Grant has shown large-format prints at numerous exhibitions around the world with noteworthy installations in Munich, San Francisco, New York, Tel Aviv, Los Angeles and Hjo, Sweden.
Benjamin Grant | Speaker | TED.com