A view of the ‘pale blue dot’: Virtual reality for ecological sustainability,

in Boekman no. 147 (Summer 2026).

Author: Joost Raessens

Two Dutch virtual reality projects, SpaceBuzz and Our Future on Earth, let schoolchildren and adults respectively experience what it is like to look back at the Earth as an astronaut. They experience what is termed the ‘overview effect’, which is thought to foster climate awareness and sustainable practices. In the STRATEGIES Horizon Europe project, the author studies the design patterns that make such VR experiences more effective.