New book urges planetary thinking for Earth observation governance
anselm · x · 2026-11-01
- aravindEO calls Children of a Modest Star by Jonathan S. Blake and Nils Gilman the most important book he's read this year, endorsed by Kim Stanley Robinson.
- He works on global Earth observation (EO) governance and argues we can now observe Earth as an interconnected system of systems, yet institutions remain organized around national interests with no one accountable for the system as a whole.
- The book's core thesis: shift from global thinking to planetary thinking—treat EO as a planetary endeavor spanning weather, climate, land, oceans and biodiversity, not the sum of national efforts.
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