© 1997 Don Albert

Greetings Fellow Earthlings:

The stars are the destiny of humankind if we are to survive and flourish in the Cosmos. Eventually our cradle of life, this Earth and Solar System, will die, should it not first be destroyed from within or from without.

The world is becoming increasingly united through communications, culture, environmental issues, and economics. The Space Race and Star Wars have ended. Now, space-faring nations are more numerous and are generously sharing the knowledge and the energy necessary in our quest for the stars. In the short time that we have actively sought to achieve space travel we have come to realize that no single nation or interest can accomplish this goal alone. It will require the efforts of all nations on Earth to one degree or another. As we continue our venture, our need for symbolic solidarity becomes much more important. As all the people of this Earth rally around the flag to heal our planet and to journey forth from it, the flag we see will not be one with which we are now familiar. We need a new flag, one which represents all of us, all people, creatures, plants, and all of our histories, cultures, and beliefs. No flag now flying meets this criteria. The flag for planet Earth must be new and all-inclusive. The flag shown here is my proposed design for the Earth Flag. It is basically a landscape, a portrait of our part of the Solar System. The flag proportions are the ratio of the mathematical Golden Mean, 1.618034 by 0.618034, which is a structural ratio found in nature, from seashells to spiral galaxies. The black background represents the mysterious void of Outer Space. Perhaps stars could be added later to the background, one for every other star system we eventually visit. The large, pale blue circle in the center represents our planet and everything on it, past, present, and future. This is how we appear from space at a distance, visible only as one color, one shape. No flora, fauna, or geography can be seen. We appear as a "pale blue dot" as Carl Sagan described Earth. The yellow and white orbs on either side of the blue Earth represent the sun and moon, which appear to be about the same size viewed from Earth (hence total eclipses of the sun), about one-seventh the diameter of earth. I offer this design of the Earth flag to all creatures, cultures, and creeds on our beautiful planet. I pray often for guidance in my work as an artist. This image came to me, as is, I believe in answer to those prayers. May God bless us in our efforts to save our planet from destruction and to explore the Universe that we are allowed to perceive and explore.

I invite your comments. This design is a gift to all Earthlings great and small. I ask for no monetary reward for it. this flag design may be used freely by anyone for its intended purpose, to promote this design as a symbol of the unity of Earth in space. The design may not be changed in any way. It is copyrighted by me only to prevent commercial exploitation. Anyone wanting to use it for commercial purposes is required to negotiate with me for rights of usage.

Donald W. Albert
15 October 1997
San Antonio, Texas, United States of America, Earth
donaldwalbert@earthlink.net