Voyager 1 was launched in 1977 in order to travel on a "grand tour" of our solar system. This space probe, along with its companion probe, Voyager 2, would travel past nearly every planet in our solar system and send data about them back to earth. As of April 16th, 2020, Voyager 1 has been in operation for 42 years, 7 months and 11 days. We have learned some amazing things from this spacecraft. One of its most famous photographs was taken from 6 billion kilometers, or about the average distance from us to Pluto. When NASA received the picture a little over 30 years ago, it caused a stir. Carl Sagan, who was one of NASA's primary scientists at the time, named this photo "Pale Blue Dot."
If you look near the middle of the right-most ray of light, you will see a faint blue dot. "Look at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On [that dot], everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you've ever heard of, every human being who ever was. The aggregate of our joy and suffering. Every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, every hopeful child, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every 'superstar,' every 'supreme leader,' every saint and every sinner in the history of our species lived there - on a kite of dust suspended in a sunbeam." (Quote from Carl Sagan in his book Pale Blue Dot)
To me, this image is extremely sobering. It makes me forget my anger and my frustration. It makes me want to hold dearly to the diversity of life that surrounds us. It makes me think.
Life on Earth is incredible, and for all we know, it is unique. I feel like our advancements in technology and society make us forget and neglect the apparent rarity of our situation. Not only are we alive, which is an incredible thing of itself, but we also share a world with millions of other unique creatures who are also alive. When we take a moment to understand the complex nature of our life, we come to understand that we do not exist as individuals. Without the thousands of bacterial species that fill our intestines and line our skin, we would not survive. Without the plants and animals we eat and the bacteria that they harbor, we would not exist. We treat this Earth as though it is here to serve us, but we do not understand the complexity of our relationship with it. In reality, we are not mere sojourners that live out our life on Earth's surface, one day to never walk again. We are intertwined with the Earth itself. We have a complex co-dependence with it. We are not discrete, but communities contained within communities. We are legion. We are the Earth. In this realization, the words of John Muir ring true, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe."
Our Pale Blue Dot is not just some vehicle to cart us around until we are ultimately able to leave it for another, seemingly better planet. Our Pale Blue Dot has contained us and every ancestor we could ever hope to know. It has fostered us and every other living thing. It is more than just a mere spaceship, it is the only home we have ever known.
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth day, let us remember these facts. We must not take our responsibility towards the Earth lightly. To revisit what I have said about our wonderful planet and the very real threat of Climate Change, visit these two previous posts, here and here.
Here are some things you can use as you take time to reflect and ponder on the beauty of Earth this Earth day: On Being (A podcast; this episode discusses the intersection of environmentalism and religion, and it was awe-inspiring to listen to), Eons (A YouTube channel that explores the history of Earth, specifically the history of life on Earth), this website has several poems that explore the beauty and wonder of nature, or you can visit Earth Day's official website where companies, governments, and individuals have planned events (a majority of them virtual) to raise awareness and show gratitude towards the Earth. One event that is being held is a global online art festival hosted by Indiana University. The festival will occur for an entire 24 hours, so you can join in whenever you feel like it!
As I am sure you understand by now, the Earth is very special to me. I strive to treat it well. I'm not perfect, and there are many areas where I could improve, but I do my best. As Earth day approaches, please take some time to consider your impact on Earth. Think about what it has done for you, and how you can treat it a little kinder so more creatures can enjoy the same pleasures.
Thanks for reading.
"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks." -John Muir