Wow.. I’m not sure how accurate this is (I can’t seem to find a difinitive source), but it speaks quite nicely to the rate at which we are metabolizing energy (fossil fuels specifically).
I suppose it wouldn’t be difficult to produce a fantastic visual representation like this… a travel agent database and some geographic information software, and presto. I love geography. Did I mention I’m a dork? No matter… I don’t care who you are, no one can deny the realizations that come to mind when watching this video.
- Whoa, that’s a lot of planes.
- Whoa, that’s a lot of people and stuff.
- Whoa, no wonder we’re worried about a pandemic!
- Uh, don’t planes emit like a TON of greenhouse gases?
Of course, the volume of traffic is magnified by the scale of the yellow lines, which do not equate to the size of a plane. But still, it represents a significant aspect of our global society: we like to move around, a lot, and to distant places. Think of the impacts this has to ecosystems at all scales…
Never mind the resources it takes to provide the infrastructure, planning, support, maintenence, etc. to host thousands of highly technical air craft being coordinated in flight, the energy spent on moving those craft and the cargo is unimaginable. (Well, actually, that video does a pretty good job of sparking the imagination.) Why are we doing so much of this? Isn’t there a good reason to stop, like climate catastrophe?
Well, so glad you asked. Much like the auto industry, the aviation sector creates a lot of jobs. From craft production and maintenence, to airport services, to travel booking… access by air drives an enormous portion of our economy. Not only does it create a lot of jobs, but it is a significant link to all things commercial – Martha Stewart table cloths from China, fresh mango from Central America, iPods from Taiwan, men in suits from New York… so much of what we want and do is expected to be available, instant, fresh, easy. There is no eating canned tomatoes while waiting for a fresh stock to grow. Slice ‘em up and serve, damn it!
Wow, did I get a bit demanding there? Sorry. That’s not my nature… or is it? What drives us to fill our instant gratification desires at the cost of the planet? What about inundated coast lines, category 5+ and the collapse of the ocean food chain do people not get? Have we been so sold on the importance of our filling our selfish desires (of which many are manufactured by corporate agendas), that we have completely lost sight of the big picture despite the solid science and hungry, crying children? *Shakes head* Sorry… I’ll stop before the rant gets really bad.
Okay, so yes, there is a good reason to stop, but the reasons why we continue are difficult for us to confront, and this is why we don’t stop. “It’s too hard.” Well, we’d better suck it up. Because life isn’t like a box of chocolates (made from cocoa which is in short supply because the coast of Africa is drying up), it’s like a game of Jenga… (to be continued).
From my sphere to yours, here’s to Earth on a Platter.
HB
