52 Weeks: Join Us in a Photo Journey Through 2024

Week 1: January 1-7, 2024

Place de la Bastille, January 4, 2024 (all photos in this series taken by me)

The election is over. It is lost but not forgotten since seeing how right we were in our predictions and fears will be painful. For example, none of us ever believed Trump's promise to solve the war in Ukraine within a day of winning the election, so now, five days later, we know we were right; he didn't even try. More lies will follow. The Washington Post counted more than 30,000 during his first term in office.

But is that the way we will live the next four years? There will be lies, victims (democracy is likely one of them), and endless scandals to anger us.

Each of us will have to decide how to deal with that: going full-on into the Resistance or retreating to your library to take a deep dive into Victorian literature without access to the outside world. You can also pick any of the middle-ground positions.

I don't want to waste my good mood every day on Mr Trump; life is too short. I won't ignore him, but I want to enjoy life and share that with you. This newsletter is not only about our planet's challenges and the related governance questions; it is also about the beauty of this planet: nature and wildlife, and there is also beauty in art or history. In the past months, I focussed on the elections. Now, in the post-election sadness until the new year, I want to bring in more beauty to brighten up the mood after this defeat.

So here is the writing plan for The Planet until New Year's Eve:

52 weeks

We are nearing the year's end and can take some time to reflect on this eventful year. There are 52 days left of this year, so let each day represent one of this year's 52 weeks. I plan to share one photo I took each week (perhaps a few more), each taken in the corresponding week. Week 1 (1-7 January) is today, week 2 is tomorrow, etc. Although I traveled less, I did see beautiful things this year and have piles (e-piles, that is) of photos from this year; some you may recognize, but most of these will be new to you.

I can add news flashes from that week to contrast the eye-catching world news and the less eye-catching personal experiences that never make the headlines.

There is a third element: in addition to revisiting the international news headlines and sharing my photos of the year, you can participate by sharing your photos or memories of that week. Since photo sharing is not possible in comments or notes, the place to do so is in the chat, where you can, of course, also leave comments (You find chats on your app at the bottom, second from right: the two overlapping text balloons. On the website, you see it on the menu on the left side of the screen)

So let's start:

Week 1 (January 1-7, 2024):

Monday, January 1: The European Union implements a new carbon tax on imports to reduce global emissions.

Tuesday, January 2: A record-breaking heatwave hits South America, with temperatures soaring above 40°C (104°F) in multiple countries.

Wednesday, January 3: Claudine Gay resigns as president of Harvard University amid plagiarism allegations and criticism of her congressional testimony.

Paris, January 3

This photo shows the view from my top-floor hotel room in Paris; the walls of my tiny room were all bright red. The ceiling height must have been comfortable for an average Frenchman, not for a Dutchman (nor would Charles de Gaulle have fit in). I should have reached my room with the help of a tiny elevator that could fit just one person and a small trolley. Unfortunately, it was broken. My reward for the eight-floor climbing workout was this magnificent view; you can see the Eiffel Tower on the horizon.

Thursday, January 4: Scientists announce the discovery of a new species of giant tortoise in the Galápagos Islands.

You may have recognized the opening photo as Place de la Bastille; I took that one this evening.

Friday, January 5: The U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a case on Trump's eligibility for the 2024 presidential ballot.

I passed this cafe on that Friday evening, and it looked so Parisian that I took this photo, expecting to use it on my social media someday.

Saturday, January 6: A major breakthrough in fusion energy was announced, bringing the world closer to clean, limitless power.

I left Paris and was on my way back to the island.

Sunday, January 7: Bangladesh holds a contentious parliamentary election, with major opposition parties boycotting the vote.

I visited this small church in a Dutch village, a beautiful place full of memories.

This was the news and some of my photos in the first week of the year. How was yours? Share your memories, images, or comments in the chat:

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