Ο πλανητικός χάρτης του τεχνολογικού πολιτισμού

***EXCLUSIVE*** SPACE, UNDATED: Human technology presence over Europe at night. Global map showing major road and rail networks over land, along with transmission line and underwater cable data superimposed over satellite images of cities illuminated at night. This image illustrates modern human impact on the planet. A SCIENTIST has created an incredible global snapshot depicting how power lines, roads and even air traffic corridors have come to dominate the surface of Mother Earth. Earlier this week, the United Nations Populations Fund revealed that by October 31st, the global population will stand at seven billion - an extra on billion compared to 1999. To show some of the impacts of this vast human upheaval on the planet, anthropologist and science communicator Felix Pharand-Deschenes has created a series of stunning visualisations based on real data. They show air traffic routes; the underwater cables that carry the internet; road and rail networks; electricity transmission lines – all superimposed over cities at night. It’s a spider’s web of global human activity, all connected to the cities where the majority of people live and work. For the first time in history, more people live in cities than in the countryside. These images give a visual idea of how we have become the first species we know of to actually transform a planet. For example, we’ve tarmaced, concreted or paved over 3% of the world’s land surface. That’s 4.5 million square kilometres, an area greater than India. And it’s growing all the time. PHOTOGRAPH BY Felix Pharand-Deschenes / SPL/ Barcroft Media UK Office, London. T +44 845 370 2233 W www.barcroftmedia.com USA Office, New York City. T +1 212 564 8159 W www.barcroftusa.com Indian Office, Delhi. T +91 11 4101 1726 W www.barcroftindia.com Australasian & Pacific Rim Office, Melbourne. E info@barcroftpacific.com T +613 9510 3188 or +613 9510 0688 W www.barcroftpacific.com (File: article-0-0E73F3FC00000578-742_634x636.jpg )