Forty years ago today, well-timed images of earth from the Apollo 8 crew served to provide much-needed perspective in a year that was dominated by global unrest. An editorial in today’s New York Times serves as a reminder of that time of optimism and wonder.
“To see the earth as it truly is,” wrote Archibald Macleish on Dec. 25, 1968, “small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold — brothers who know now they are truly brothers.”
In this time of year when we reflect on the plight of our fellow man, and reach out to each other in a spirit of giving and hope, it’s nice to be reminded of our commonality on the single and solitary spaceship earth. This past year saw a groundswell of sentiment and action toward more sustainable practices. My hope is that the next years see more action, with the aid of software and systems to aid our collective decision making.
You can view the original editorial here (PDF).
