MY EARTH IS BEATING: A photo-collection for climate by LuisaViaRoma, a photojournalistic documentation project created by LuisaViaRoma following EXTREME E, the first electric SUV racing circuit designed to raise awareness of the planet on issues of ecological transition.
Coordinated and shot by World Press Photo winner for environmental issues and National Geographic contributor Luca Locatelli, World Press Photo winner in the Portraits category and National Geographic contributor Gabriele Galimberti and journalist, writer and curator Raffaele Panizza, #myEIB is a project that reinforces LuisaViaRoma’s environmental commitment.
Follow the stories and journeys with us. The first photo series is a retelling and sharing of the project and experiences taken place in Saudi Arabia in April 2021.
The following adventures will take place as follows:
ALULA, Saudi Arabia- 3/4 April 2021 – Completed
LAC ROSE, Senegal – 29/30 May 2021 – Completed
KANGERLUSSUAQ, Greenland – 28/29 August 2021
SARDINIA, Italy – 23/24 October 2021
T.B.C. – 11/12 December 2021
Saudi Arabia
The Wall
The cloud of dust rises from the cement factory in Yanbu, on the Saudi Red Sea coast. Then it settles on the sand and covers it with a white blanket that crunches underfoot, making the beach hard and inhospitable: the hawksbill turtles, which have been nesting here for centuries, have to struggle to break its surface and dig a hole to deposit their eggs. In addition, in their ascent in search of a safe place to nest, the mothers encounter the immense wall that surrounds the cement factory and hinders hatching: ” “For decades the cement factory has protected the nesting site, as it prevented the access of heavy vehicles. However, with rising sea level the nesting site is now, in places, squeezed between the water and the wall, which would need to be relocated where needed. I am sure the cement factory authorities, who collaborate in the project, will address this problem”, says Professor Carlos Duarte, a leading expert in marine biology and professor at KAUST University, launching the new Extreme E Legacy Turtle Conservation Program together with Ba’a Foundation.
The Race
Among the red reliefs of AlUla an electric SUV hurtles towards the horizon, like a shooting star that has chosen the desert instead of the sky to leave its wake.
It is the car of the Andretti United team led by motor racing legend Michael Andretti, one of the nine crews competing in EXTREME E, the first electric-car event – of which LuisaViaRoma is the official global fashion partner – organized to raise awareness worldwide about the potential of electric mobility even in extreme conditions and at the same time promote concrete actions to counter the effects of climate change.
The crews and the cars do not use planes but travel by ship, guaranteeing a 70% reduction in Co2 emissions (the St. Helena ship is already headed for Senegal, where the second leg will be run at the end of May). The zero impact of the series, at the end of the five scheduled races, will be certified by the independent energy management body Allcot. In addition, the electricity to recharge the engines is produced thanks to a hydrogen generator supplied by the British company AFC Energy, capable of producing 40 kilowatts per hour. The only element released into the environment: harmless distilled water ready for reuse.
Reflections at Night
In the middle of the night, moonlit in the Saudi desert of AlUla, a row of pins separates the entrance to the circuit from the paddock area. Broadcast worldwide via streaming, covered by 59 broadcasters in 180 countries and with a reach of 1.2 billion people, Extreme E is an electric-car racing circuit that does not allow the public access to the races: a choice made to reduce the environmental impact in the places that host the competitions: an innovative, if not revolutionary, approach in the contemporary universe of sporting events.
The Game Park
A deserted playground along Highway 328 inland from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Every Friday it is populated with families stopping by from traveling, despite the blazing sun and lack of trees, and there is even a small mosque for prayers. Saudi Arabia is undergoing a severe process of desertification: in some areas of the country, 50 percent of the vegetation has been lost, and sandstorms related to the phenomenon create economic damage quantified at $13 billion a year.
Archaeological site
Just reopened after three years of renovation, that of Hegra was the first Saudi archaeological site to be declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the tomb of Lihyan – carved by the architects of Natabei chiseling from top to bottom with hammer and chisel – is its icon. A further example of the attempt at economic differentiation carried out by the Saudi kingdom and the recent opening up to tourism, a new cornerstone of national policy together with energy: despite being the world’s second largest exporter of oil, Saudi Arabia has announced that by 2030 it will produce fifty percent of its energy through renewable sources.
The replanting of Acacia trees
Near Hegra, a string of holes in the ground are ready to welcome trees of acacia nilotica, a native species with a very low need for irrigation. To combat desertification caused by the impact of man on nature (the use of wood for heating and livestock free to feed on leaves and shrubs were the main causes) a massive reforestation program has been launched in Saudi Arabia: the Saudi Green Initiative inaugurated on March 27th envisages 10 billion trees to be planted by 2030, the use of tens of thousands of volunteers and 40 million hectares of abandoned land to be reclaimed.
Trolley Camp
Under a sky free of light pollution and a few hundred meters from the Maraya Concert Hall, the largest building covered with mirrors in the world, the Fairmont hotel chain has opened the Wadi Ashar Alula Resort, in the heart of the Ashar Valley: 44 luxurious tents as well as Airstream caravans with patio and terrace. According to government plans, by 2030 the tourism sector will account for 10% of the country’s gross domestic product, reducing its dependence on oil exports. The capital Riyadh is also aiming at ecotourism: green space per inhabitant will be increased from the current 1.7 square meters per inhabitant to 28 within ten years.
Credits:
Coordinated and shot by World Press Photo winner and National Geographic contributor Luca Locatelli.
Shot by World Press Photo winner and National Geographic contributor Gabriele Galimberti.
Coordinated and narrated by the journalist, writer and curator Raffaele Panizza.
