The HOME Project
I have just finished watching The Home Project, a beautiful documentary on planet Earth. Click here to watch the video on Youtube. (Try connecting your PC to your TV for a better view.)
I was told that the documentary was really good and portrayed endless beautiful aerial images of many places across the globe. This documentary is a non-profit video that is distributed mainly via Youtube to allow for easy access and a wider audience to help spread awareness on the Earth’s current alarming state of destruction.
And it was not overhyped.
The Earth had never looked more beautiful.
Every scene was breathtaking – right from the rapid-moving waterfalls in Argentina, to the reflection of the clouds on the still surface of the water in the Amazon. From the white sheets of snow-covered glaciers with trains of aqua-coloured fresh running water in Antartica, to the vibrant colours of red, yellow and orange sari on the women in India who were digging into the dry, hard land for a hint of water. From the acres and acres of land congested with skyscrapers and other man-made fancy architecture in New York, to the hectares and hectares of palm oil estates cultivated in the state of Borneo.
Every scene was truly beautiful. Which saddened me to see the raw beauty of nature fading away to give in to the evidence of man’s selfish pursuit for wealth, comfort, power and recognition without bearing the consequences.
What touched me the most about this documentary, was how little we were doing to help save this planet – to help save our home.
We complain and talk about global warming so regularly that talking about the weather doesn’t become so awkward anymore. We realize the impact of it – how it affects our weather, from snow blizzards in Europe to burning heat in Malaysia to hail storms that were practically unheard of at this time of the year in Australia.
And is it merely by coincidence or rather the impacts of global-warming that we are only into the third month this year, and already we have seen two major, high-profile earthquakes in different parts of the world? Do bear in mind that even though coverage was not nearly as much, it had been reported that we have had about eight earthquakes so far this year.
So, here I am – doing my little part to help spread awareness on our dying home. Because this is the power of watching this documentary. Learning and watching how it is slowly deteriorating. Just like how a normal human being can overwork himself and age faster, our planet is no different. It is struggling to keep up with man’s growing carelessness and fast-paced technology. As we saw, the 2010 Copenhagen Summit didn’t do much and none of the major players in the world actually came to a solid agreement to work together to save our home.
Here are some of my favourite lines from the documentary:
All living matter is linked. Water, air, soil, trees. The world’s magic is right in front of our eyes.
In the great adventure of life on Earth, every species has a role to play, every species has its place. None is futile or harmful. They all balance out.
And that’s where you, homo sapiens, wise human, enter the story. You benefit from a fabulous 4 billion-year-old legacy bequeathed by the Earth. You are only 200,000 years old, but you have changed the face of the world.
Nothing seems further removed from nature than Dubai, although nothing depends on nature more than Dubai. Dubai is a sort of culmination of the Western model. We haven’t understood we’re depleting what nature provides.
We know that the solutions are there today. We all have the power to change. So what are we waiting for?
Palm Springs [Las Vegas] is another desert city with tropical vegetation and lush golf courses. How long can this mirage continue to prosper?
The Earth cannot keep up. The Colorado river which brings water to these cities, is one of those rivers that no longer reaches the sea.
It’s up to us to write what happens next. Together.
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