#456: Earth in 100 Seconds

Earth in 100 Seconds is a short film made by Daniel Raven Ellison - with each second revealing 1% of land and how we are using it.

After the premiere last night, the film is now available.

From the film's script:

"What are we using planet Earth for? 

Let’s go for a walk to find out.

 Each second of our walk reveals 1% of land and how we’re using it. 

We spend our first 10 seconds walking across a frozen land of ice. 

The next 11 in desert, barren and rocky lands. 

14 more seconds of our walk is through ecosystems we minimally use including only 8 seconds of intact forests. 

All other land is directly exploited by people. 

So that makes just 35% of the Earth's land area is 'natural' - we could debate that.

Just 1% of land is built on 

Crops cover 11% of land, nearly half of these are fed to livestock 

For 20 seconds, we’re in the woods again These forests are managed for their timber and play a vital role in regulating our climate, air and water Some are great for wildlife, while much are not.

We’ve prioritised over a third of land for producing meat, dairy and animal products.

14 seconds of our walk is on less used wilder grasslands and rangelands As well as cows, sheep and goats, wild animals could graze here Some livestock is managed carefully so other species can flourish, much is not 

Our final 19 seconds is through pastures that we mostly use for rearing cows.

Cows now have a collective mass that’s nearly 10 times greater than all wild mammals combined At a time of climate crisis And when a million species are at risk of extinction Why not rethink this mix of lands we have and how we use them I need more trees please I think more nature would be greater So what if we made more space, for nature?" 

Dan explains why he made the film:

This is an important little film. It tells the story of how we're using and (mis)using the planet.. all through a humble walk. Earth is vast and complex, making it difficult to fully comprehend its scale, understand how we’re using it, or organise efforts to manage it more effectively. 

Thoughtful land use is vital for the survival of humans and countless other species, as well as for creating fair and equitable futures. Access to better data and insights about how we interact with land is crucial - whether it’s choosing what to eat or deciding who to support at the ballot box. 

This film draws on data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land. While the report does an excellent job of presenting the facts, its charts and graphs often fail to connect with people on a human level. 

Earth in 100 Seconds transforms this data into a relatable journey, using a simple walk to evoke a sense of story, place, and scale. 

In just a couple of minutes, it allows viewers not only to see what the data means but also to feel its impact - by sitting through it. 

We desperately need to have better relationships with the rest of life on our planet and the land, climate, resources and systems we all depend on - ones that are kinder, healthier and more harmonious. 

I hope this short film sparks meaningful conversations that help make that happen more of the time.

#153: The UK in 100 Seconds

The UK in 100 seconds from Friends of the Earth on Vimeo.

The UK in 100 Seconds was conceived by Daniel Raven Ellison.

It’s difficult to get a picture of what the United Kingdom really looks like. Imaginations and assumptions can distort decisions that affect our lives. We often hear the idea that there is simply no more room in the country. In reality, just six per cent of the UK is built on.

‘The UK in 100 Seconds’ is a provocative and thought provoking film that rearranges the United Kingdom’s land into 32 categories and divides them over 100 seconds. Each second equates to 1% of what the country looks like from the air.

Made by guerrilla geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison and filmmaker Jack Smith, the film was made by travelling from Tongue in the north of Scotland to the New Forest in the south of England. Each second of the film covers roughly one metre of Raven-Ellison’s walk through moorland and peat bogs, down a runway and over a dump.

Made in collaboration with Friends of the Earth, the film gives an honest reflection of what land looks like and how it is used in the United Kingdom and raises some challenging questions. A major inspiration for Raven-Ellison making the film is the amount of space that is used for feeding livestock and the question – what if we made more space for nature?

More details on the film here.

The narration is by Benjamin Zephaniah.

A second film focussed on the UK's National Parks in 100 Seconds, with narration by Cerys Matthews.

And a third focussed on the Netherlands.

#152: Making Space for Nature

Making Space for Nature is a StoryMap made by ESRI UK.

Goes along with Dan's The UK in 100 Seconds, which had its premiere in London back in 2018. It's also featured on the blog in the next post.

#114: Slow Ways: a way to access the countryside

Post updated 3rd November 2023

How do you get out into nature and the countryside easily?

One way is to walk... it's the best way of course, although some would say cycling will extend your range and also provide better exercise.

Some early geologists used bicycles in the fieldwork. In fact, the GA President in 2019 was Grenville Cole, who was known as the "cycling geologist" because of the way that he worked.

Perhaps one way is to join with others and walk one of the Slow Ways.

We have some of the maps in the department and a print which is excellent.

This would potentially make for a good activity with students as at the time of writing there is still quite a lot of work left to ensure that the thousand of routes which connect places have been reviewed and checked for accuracy and safety.

Check out post #85 on the blog for more on Slow Ways, with a podcast with Daniel Raven Ellison.

Updated November 2023

“The Victorians left us street trees and parks. National parks were the legacy of the second world war. What will our legacy be? What if 75 years after the creation of national parks, our politicians created their own legacy for future generations – a proper national walking and wheeling network that’s as easy to understand as the road and rail network but far more joyful, healthy, green, relationship-building and community-connecting and inspiring? What’s not to like?”

Dan Raven Ellison from a piece by Patrick Barkham in The Guardian.

Remember also that the countryside is not equally connected.

#85: Always Possible Podcast

Bank holiday weekend is almost upon us! What are your plans? Going on any walks? Visiting an urban centre?

Listen to our inspirational podcast with guerilla geographer and creative explorer @DanRavenEllison. And check out #SlowWays https://t.co/DeaLVCvyh0. You're welcome! pic.twitter.com/32r2DBQcsl

— always possible (@always_possible) August 25, 2023

Check out the Always Possible Podcast for an interview with Daniel Raven Ellison.

It includes a mention of Slow Ways, and also how we can connect more closely with nature and heritage and culture through developing a walking infrastructure.

“Geography exists at all scales at the same time, so whether it’s the guerrilla gardener pulling up a paving slab and making that a bit wilder, or whether it’s thinking about where you want to go on holiday, that’s all geography.”

“Science and history have done a very good job of creating places where people are very aware that they’re recreationally engaging in science or history. Geography, people are playing with that all the time but because of so many boring, dry textbooks, people think that it’s something that it’s not.”