ABSTRACT
That environmental issues ought to be solved on a global scale is today often presented as a no-brainer. Conceptually, the idea of ‘one world’ arose together with twentieth-century outer-space explorations leading to whole earth photographs allegedly offering humanity the first true images of its habitat. Historically, ‘one world’ denotes, however, two long-existing viewpoints still influential in contemporary environmental thinking. Is planet Earth best comprehended and sustained when considered as a totality best seen from a distance? Or, are the confined surroundings each human experiences daily a more appropriate framework for comprehending the larger world and guiding environmental engagement?
