earth

117 Million Lakes estimated (2014)

"Using satellite photos and computerized mapping technologies, an international research team counted all of the lakes on Earth. They found about 117 million lakes, covering almost four percent of the world’s land surface, not counting the glaciers on Greenland and Antarctica, according to a new study. It is the first time the world’s lakes have been counted using a reliable method, the study claims." (source: blog.nationalgeographic.org)

24 jiéqì 节气

“The sky is divided into 24 segments or jiéqì (节气) based on the seasons of the year. The earliest calendars assumed that the motion of the sun was constant and divided the year into 24 segments with equal numbers of days. This method is called píngqì (平气). Because the motion of the sun is not consistent, this was found to be inaccurate. The calendar then changed to a method where the ecliptic (the path of the sun as seen from earth) was divided into 24 equal parts of 15 degrees. This method is called dìngqì (定气). Calendars from the Warring States Period through the Ming Dynasty used the pingqi method in their designs and only changed to the more accurate dingqi method during the Qing Dynasty.” (source: hua.umf.maine.edu)

The 24 jiéqì 节气 consist of the succession of 立春 Lì chūn "Beginning of spring" (Spring festival), 雨水 Yǔ shuĭ "Rain water", 惊蛰 Jīng zhé "Waking of insects", 春分 Chūn fēn "Spring equinox" (March 21), 清明 Qīng míng "Pure brightness", etc.

Abya Yala

Abya Yala

Abya Yala - In the Guna language, a name meaning "land in its full maturity" used to refer to the section of the American continent where the Kuna people live. In 1992, while some were celebrating the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of the continent, a group of pre-Columbian peoples decided to rename the continent as Abya Yala (other similar suggestions exist).

Ame ni mo makezu

Ame ni mo makezu

Ame ni mo makezu 雨ニモマケズ "Be not Defeated by the Rain" - A poem written by Kenji Miyazawa 宮沢 賢治 (1896 – 1933)
"Not losing to the rain
Not losing to the wind
Not losing to the snow nor to summer's heat
With a strong body
Not fettered by desire
By no means offending anyone
Always quietly smiling
Every day four bowls of brown rice
Miso and some vegetables to eat..."

Australian Aboriginal Flag – Origin & meaning

The Australian Aboriginal Flag was designed in 1971 by Harold Thomas for the land rights movement - Then it became a symbol of the Australian Aboriginal people. The colors are said to represent: the Aboriginal people of Australia (black); the Sun, giver of life and protector (yellow); the earth (red).

continent

How do we represent "a continent" and what place does it take in cultures and societies? How do languages designate it? Is it present in certain expressions and proverbs? How do the arts, literature or poetry, portray it? What part does the digital revolution give it? From UNIDEO representation to indefinition, let's go here to meet it and its diverse representations ...

Comment nous représentons-nous « un continent » ? Quelle place occupe-t-il dans les cultures et les sociétés ? Comment les langues le désignent-elles ? Est-il présent dans certaines expressions et proverbes ? Comment les arts, la littérature, la poésie, s’en emparent-ils ? Quelle part lui accorde la révolution numérique ? De son écriture UNIDEO à son indéfinition, partons ici à sa rencontre ainsi que celle de ses diverses représentations...

Découpage de l’espace terrestre en grands ensembles limités par les océans, renvoyant aux reliefs, environnements, pays, et donc influences réciproques qui les caractérisent, tout comme aux représentations (internes ou externes) qui leur sont liées.

distance

How do we represent "distance" and what place does it take in cultures and societies? How do languages designate it? Is it present in certain expressions and proverbs? How do the arts, literature or poetry, portray it? What part does the digital revolution give it? From UNIDEO representation to indefinition, let's go here to meet it and its diverse representations ...

Comment nous représentons-nous « la distance » ? Quelle place occupe-t-elle dans les cultures et les sociétés ? Comment les langues la désignent-elles ? Est-elle présente dans certaines expressions et proverbes ? Comment les arts, la littérature, la poésie, s’en emparent-ils ? Quelle part lui accorde la révolution numérique ? De son écriture UNIDEO à son indéfinition, partons ici à sa rencontre ainsi que celle de ses diverses représentations...

Mesure de l’écart spatial (ou temporel) entre deux points identifiés, pouvant amener à un jugement plus ou moins objectif.

earth

earth

In the universe, there is a star that has some peculiarities ... and for good reason, it shelters us in every aspect of the term: the Earth. What's our relationship to the Earth? How do we consider its history or evolution? What do the geological sciences tell us about this history and its stages? From the Andean Pachamama to the splendor of the Arctic Ocean, from the power of its Japanese tremors to the breath of the Mediterranean winds, from Polynesian atolls to Scandinavian fjords, what explanations have we given to its more or less predictable variations? Between mountains, deserts, forests, oceans, and from one continent to another, how do we live on this earth, how do we respect its gifts, or on the contrary how are we flouting it? How did we establish our relationship to climate? to the seasons? to their renewal? Does it come enough to mind that in order to support our presence, the Earth puts its resources at our disposal in various ways, more or less renewable? What do all forms of exhaustion and contemporary pollution say not only about the measure of our respect, but about our intelligence, our lucidity, our ability to conceive the future in the short and medium term? How to deal with the major climate changes that most attribute largely to the forms of certain human activities, even if some, for reasons of their own, refuse to admit it? ...

earth

How do we represent "earth" and what place does it take in cultures and societies? How do languages designate it? Is it present in certain expressions and proverbs? How do the arts, literature or poetry, portray it? What part does the digital revolution give it? From UNIDEO representation to indefinition, let's go here to meet it and its diverse representations ...

Comment nous représentons-nous « la terre » ? Quelle place occupe-t-elle dans les cultures et les sociétés ? Comment les langues la désignent-elles ? Est-elle présente dans certaines expressions et proverbes ? Comment les arts, la littérature, la poésie, s’en emparent-ils ? Quelle part lui accorde la révolution numérique ? De son écriture UNIDEO à son indéfinition, partons ici à sa rencontre ainsi que celle de ses diverses représentations...

Planète sur laquelle l’espèce humaine a prospéré y posant la question de son rapport aux autres espèces et à elle-même. De l’exploitation de ses ressources à sa gestion complexe et parfois chaotique, la relation à la terre témoigne de l’idée que les sociétés humaines se font de cet équilibre de la vie, et de la place que l’homme y prend, interrogeant leur volonté d’assurer ou non le bien-être de chacun, présent ou à venir. Questionne la manière dont les êtres humains sont et seront ou non capables d’en considérer la primauté par-delà leurs jeux d’intérêt ou de conflit.

Earth Flag Proposal-FL

Earth Flag Proposal-FL

Flag: Proposal for an International Flag of Planet Earth (designed by Oskar Pernefeldt, from the Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm, Sweden).

Drapeau: proposition de drapeau international de la planète Terre (conçue par Oskar Pernefeldt, du Beckmans College of Design de Stockholm, en Suède).

Enuma Elish

Enuma Elish

Enûma Eliš or Enuma Elish – The Babylonian creation myth – Its composition probably dates to the late second-millennium BCE – Written in Sumero-Akkadian cuneiform script. “1 When the heavens above did not exist, 2 And earth beneath had not come into being — 3 There was Apsû, the first in order, their begetter, 4 And demiurge Tia-mat, who gave birth to them all… 5 They had mingled their waters together...”

environment

How do we represent "environment" and what place does it take in cultures and societies? How do languages designate it? Is it present in certain expressions and proverbs? How do the arts, literature or poetry, portray it? What part does the digital revolution give it? From UNIDEO representation to indefinition, let's go here to meet it and its diverse representations ...

Comment nous représentons-nous « l'environnement » ? Quelle place occupe-t-il dans les cultures et les sociétés ? Comment les langues le désignent-elles ? Est-il présent dans certaines expressions et proverbes ? Comment les arts, la littérature, la poésie, s’en emparent-ils ? Quelle part lui accorde la révolution numérique ? De son écriture UNIDEO à son indéfinition, partons ici à sa rencontre ainsi que celle de ses diverses représentations...

Ensemble des éléments naturels et culturels qui participent de la construction de l’espace collectif et personnel dans lequel s’établissent nos équilibres physiques, sociaux ou culturels.

Genesis 1

Genesis 1
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was [1] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Gerardus Mercator

Gerardus Mercator

Gerardus Mercator (1512 –1594) - A cartographer, geographer and cosmographer and from the County of Flanders – Created a renowned world map in 1569 based on a new projection – Also a famous maker of globes and scientific instruments he sold throughout Europe. He coined the term ‘Atlas’ from the mythical king of Mauretania credited with the invention of the first celestial globe. The Atlas Sive Cosmographicae Meditationes de Fabrica Mundi et Fabricati Figura (« Atlas or cosmographical meditations upon the creation of the universe, and the universe as created ») was published just after his death in 1595.

Giant’s Causeway

Giant’s Causeway

Giant's Causeway – Resulting of an ancient volcanic eruption, an area of 40 000 basalt columns located in Northern Ireland (County Antrim) - Forming stepping stones at the top, having mostly six but also four, five, seven or eight sides. UNESCO World Heritage Site 1986. “…The Giant's Causeway lies at the foot of the basalt cliffs along the sea coast on the edge of the Antrim plateau in Northern Ireland. It is made up of some 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea. The dramatic sight has inspired legends of giants striding over the sea to Scotland. Geological studies of these formations over the last 300 years have greatly contributed to the development of the earth sciences, and show that this striking landscape was caused by volcanic activity during the Tertiary, some 50–60 million years ago.”

Halloween

Halloween

Halloween – A celebration held on 31 October, the eve of the Christian feast of All Hallows' Day (Etym. Hallows' Evening or All Saints' Eve) which (for many scholars) stems from the Celtic festival Samhain marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

Kuomboka

Kuomboka

Kuomboka - A traditional ceremony in Zambia taking place at the end of the rain season.


Kuomboka Ceremony - Zambia
“The Lozi people of Barotse Land escape the rising flood waters of the upper Zambezi each year in a spectacular ceremonial procession. Hundreds of dugout canoes (mokoros) accompany the Litunga - Barotse King from the royal establishment, Lealui Palace, in the flood plains to dry land. The Kuomboka is one of the attractions on Open Africa's traveller routes in South Africa. Details of which are available on our website www.openafrica.org. Video produced by Charl Pauw.”

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