Only one Earth
A similar, almost twin image, known as Blue Marble, dates back to 1972 and was taken by the crew of the Apollo 17 mission. It was one of the first photographs showing the Earth in its entirety against the backdrop of outer space. This image had a profound impact on public opinion at the time. Humanity realised how beautiful and yet how fragile the Earth is. For the first time, the boundary separating our earthly home from the dark and cold depths of space was perceived so clearly. It became evident that the Earth, despite its vastness, is not infinite.
The year 1972 was also the time of the first international environmental conference, referred to as the first Earth Summit, which took place in Stockholm. Its slogan was 鈥淥nly One Earth鈥� and it referred to the idea that planet Earth is the only place where humans can live and that it should be protected as the common good of all humanity.
A turning point in environmental thinking
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was a breakthrough, as for the first time in history environmental issues has become a global topic, jointly discussed by countries from around the world. It was the first major meeting devoted exclusively to environmental protection. It was acknowledged that problems such as air and water pollution do not recognise national borders and require international cooperation. The Stockholm Declaration, containing principles concerning environmental protection and the human right to live in a clean environment, which later became the foundation for subsequent pro-environmental documents and policies, was adopted. For the first time, it has been clearly stated that economic development and environmental protection are interconnected. This was a significant step towards defining the contemporary principle of sustainable development.
At the Stockholm Conference, it was agreed that Earth Summits would be held every 20 years. The next conference therefore took place in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro. It was an exceptional period in history, a time of enormous political, technological and social changes worldwide, marking the end of one era and the beginning of another. The Soviet Union collapsed, bringing decades of rivalry between East and West to an end, the Berlin Wall fell, political transformation in Poland ensured democracy, the Maastricht Treaty was signed, giving rise to the European Union, and, in the digital world, the World Wide Web was made publicly available.
Like its predecessor, the Rio Conference was regarded as a breakthrough moment in the development of global environmental policy. The concept of sustainable development was introduced into the mainstream of international activities and broad cooperation between countries in the field of environmental protection was initiated. Conventions on climate change and biological diversity were adopted. A global action programme 鈥� Agenda 21 鈥� was developed.
The future we want鈥�
The subsequent conference, held in 2012, was commonly referred to as Rio+20, as it also took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. tThe final document entitled 鈥淭he Future We Want鈥�, which emphasised the need to continue combating poverty, protecting the environment and using natural resources more efficiently, was the most important outcome of the conference. This document also initiated the process of developing the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were adopted by the United Nations in 2015. Unfortunately, the Rio+20 Conference did not replicate the success of earlier meetings. The general and non-binding nature of the adopted arrangements was criticised, as it limited their real impact on national policies.
At present, nothing is yet known about preparations for the next Earth Summit scheduled for 2032. What is certain, however, is that we are facing further environmental, social and economic challenges, including new ones related to the use of AI, the effects of climate change and the changing geopolitical situation in the world.
Earth Day is an opportunity to reflect on the beauty, diversity and also the problems of our planet. It is our shared and only home 鈥� we do not have another.
Source: Dr Natalia Ratajczyk, Dean鈥檚 Representative for Sustainable Development, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, 91桃色,
(Department of Biogeography, Paleoecology and Nature Conservation, Institute of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, 91桃色)
Photo: NASA, Reid Wiseman, 2026
Edit: Kamila Knol-Micha艂owska, Mateusz Kowalski (Promotion Centre, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, 91桃色)