Soul Economy

I recently visited the Earth from Above exhibition to help nourish my passion for photography. The photos by Yann Arthus-Bertrand are fabulous! However, at the same time, some are very disturbing. But what was even more disturbing were the facts listed under each photo of which I thought to highlight some of them:

• In Australia, for $1 invested, less 1c is invested in socially and environmentally responsible funds. (ACF)
• 80% of the world’s wealth is owned by 15% of the inhabitants of the richest countries. (UN Johannesburg Summit 2002)
• More than half of the world’s population lives below the poverty line (less than A$ 2.65 a day). (UN, 2002)
• By 2050, the increase in the average world temperature could cause the disappearance of 25% of living species. (‘Nature’ magazine, January 2004)
• During the 20th century, the average global temperature increased by 0.6°C. This figure is likely to continue to rise by between 1.4°C and 5.8°C during the 21st century and by close to 10°C in the polar regions. (IUCN, 2002 / IPCC, 2001)
• In 2025 two thirds of the world’s population will suffer from a lack of water unless large-scale action is taken. (UNESCO / UNEP, 1999)
• Fair trade has improved living standards for almost 1 million farmers and their families (around 6 million people) in the developing world. (Max Havelaar)
• The world’s annual budget for military spending is US$1000 billion (A$1300 billion); the budget for development aid is US$60 billion (A$78 billion). (SIPRI/ OECD, 2003)
• One in 5 adults worldwide cannot read or write. 98% are from developing countries; 2/3 are women. (UN)
• A fifth of the world’s population has no access to drinking water. (UN)
• Every year 200,000 hectares, or the equivalent of two million ¼ acre suburban household blocks, of Australia’s native forests are logged. (ACF)
• Australia is one of the highest users of water per capita in the world, despite being the driest inhabited continent. (CSIRO)
• Although Australia is famous for its marsupials, almost half of them are either extinct or threatened with extinction. (ACF)
• Australia is one of the largest per capita emitters of greenhouse pollution in the world: 27 tonnes per capita which is double the average for developed countries. (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
• Australians are big drivers: per capita we own more cars than any other nation except the United States. (ACF)
• There are 4.5 million green power consumers in the world today (REN21) and 250,000 of these are in Australia. (Green Power)
• With the amount of sun enjoyed by Australia, solar energy could supply all our energy needs many times over. (ACF)
• Micro-credit — which allows the most impoverished to fund their projects — is helping 60 million people worldwide. Every year, 5% escape the poverty trap. (Grameen Bank)
• Every minute a woman dies of complications resulting from pregnancy or child birth. 99% of these deaths occur in developing countries. (UNICEF 2002)
• If everyone in the world were to live like Australians, it would take 5.3 planet Earths to provide all the resources and absorb all the pollution. (AGO)
• If everybody was living and consuming as the French do, we would need two more planets. (WWF)
• The sea level could rise by an average of 50 cm between 1990 and 2100. This would potentially affect the lives of 20% of the world’s population. (CEAA)
• In 30 years, the world has lost 30% of its natural resources. (UICN / WWF)
• Thanks to the current agricultural production techniques, the earth could feed 12 billion people, however today, with a population of 6 billion people, 800 million suffer from hunger. (FAO / Worldwatch Institute)
• 87% of the world’s teenagers live in a developing country. (UNFPA, 2003)
• 80% of children who go to school will never reach secondary level. (UNICEF, 2005)

The website provides further details on the photographer and the Earth from Above project. Yann’s aim for the Earth from Above project was to create a record of the world’s environment as a benchmark for future generations. By presenting these 120 emotive images in a free public forum, he invites us on a journey to experience a unique view of the earth’s natural beauty, but also our assault on the environment. With these images, he encourages us all to consider the impact of our footprint on the earth’s surface, and the role we all have to play in the preserving the future of planet earth.

“The more conscious one is of the issues at stake, the more interest one takes in our planet, the greater the desire to actively engage in change for the better.”
- Yann Arthus-Bertrand

The exhibition has been seen by more than 50 million people in over 100 cities in more than 40 countries. It is well worth seeing! For further information visit www.earthfromabove.whereis.com

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