Imagine yourself traveling in space and glancing back at the Earth from there, only to experience what Carl Sagan would call “the pale blue dot,” that is the relatively small planet we inhabit. From there you could see no distinct lines separating countries, and suddenly you would recognize that the globe is just one place we all share, the home we all live in. Most probably you and I will never come to experience the Earth from space, but there are some few people who had the privilege to do so, and those are the astronauts.
Below is a well-directed short film which features five astronauts giving their account of the transformative experience or cognitive shift they had when they first saw the Earth from space, or what author Frank White has termed “The Overview Effect”. Philosophers and commentators are also featured in this film, sharing their unique insights on the importance of this realization for our cultural and environmental sustainability.