2 June 2008
Announcements - Habitat (Good)
The Overview Institute Established
World peace through space tourism
by Carol Pinchefsky
By Carol Pinchefsky


The creation of the Overview Institute was announced this weekend at the 2008 International Space Development Conference (ISDC).

The Overview Institute was created to promote the idea of the Overview Effect, the realization that, when confronted by the image of earth from space, astronauts and cosmonauts see just how fragile and small the earth is and how it needs to be protected.

According to their declaration of principles, “…national boundaries vanish, the conflicts that divide us become less important and the need to create a planetary society with the united will to protect this “pale blue dot” becomes both obvious and imperative.

Members of the institute believe that as more people experience the Overview Effect, the health and well-being of the planet will become more important and will benefit from this attention.

One of the ways we can experience space travel, of course, is through space tourism. Institute members say, “This is only the beginning of the historic human evolution into space, and the resulting transformations of human culture and consciousness as we become a space-faring culture.”

Institute members include many prominent space entrepreneurs and enthusiasts, like Anousheh Ansari, Rick Tuminson, and Loretta and George Whitesides.

For more information, see the Overview Institute.
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Carol Pinchefsky 2 June 2008
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