Environmental Education
The Man Behind the Earth Ball
December 2, 2024
On July 7, 1977, Bob Stuart left his rural hometown and arrived in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, carrying a dream and a knack for invention. He had moved to work on something called a velomobile—a streamlined bicycle with a cabin designed for speed and efficiency—but his life in Victoria soon took an unexpected turn.
Bob was drawn into the vibrant peace movement taking off at the time and he found himself creating props for their events and demonstrations. One of his creations would become an important symbol for the whole movement in Canada, and for us all.
For Bob, a connection to nature had been instilled in him early in life, from his life growing up on a farm in Hamilton, Ontario, over 2500 miles away from the hustle and bustle of Victoria. His mother was a major influence in his life but she let Bob live a pretty free existence. “As long as I looked neat and polite in public, I could do as I pleased,” he recalls of his experience growing up.
Bob’s mother had a copy of Rachel Carson’s seminal book, “Silent Spring” and she was passionate about nuclear disarmament and stemming human population growth. So, caring for the planet had been hardwired into his DNA. As he settled into his new home in Victoria, far away from the farm, it was ironic that his mother’s world, the peace movement, found him once again.
Over time his small workshop making props, posters and symbols for ‘peace’ and green activism events became a magnet but he got a little tired of building one-off items, like a full-size Cruise missile. Yes, Bob built one! The fleeting nature of these objects troubled him. “I wanted something reusable, something timeless,” he recalled. He wanted something more lasting, a symbol he and the activists could reuse year after year to spread the message of environmental stewardship.
His background in working on the velomobile had nurtured his imagination and Bob was inspired to think BIG – very big. Among his many sketches, the idea of a huge inflatable Earth Ball took shape —he envisioned a massive, hand-crafted globe that crowds could hold aloft. It would be a spectacle, a statement, and a call to action all
at once. In 1980, the first ‘Earth Ball’ came to life.
Bob started with a weather balloon, coated in blue bedsheets, and adorned it with a ring of paper-doll-style figures—two-foot-high cutouts symbolizing unity and family. “The balloon burst just after the first ceremony we used it at had ended” ” Bob said with a wry smile, acknowledging the humble beginnings of what would become his signature creation. Despite its short lifespan, the idea of the Earth Ball did not die and he would build another one, bigger and better. The Ball embodied the spirit of Earth Day and gave Victoria’s environmental and Earth Day parades a real focal point.
Over the years, Bob refined his design. A local seamstress sewed panels of durable material and children painted the iconic paper-doll figures, laying them out in the local school’s gymnasium. Each year, Bob made the Earth Ball more robust and more portable, eventually replacing the original balloon with a permanent inflatable structure powered by lightweight batteries.
It traveled to many rallies, peace marches, and Earth Day celebrations, rolling through city streets, surrounded by cheering crowds. “When there was a traffic jam halting the procession, we made the Earth turn as if in orbit,” Bob shared with a laugh.
The Earth Ball wasn’t just a witty invention or a prop; it became an important lifeline to a community, a symbol of their passion for protecting the Earth.
“I’ve always been more comfortable with things and machines than people,” Bob admitted. Diagnosed with Asperger’s, he often found social interactions challenging. Yet, in the midst of these demonstrations, he discovered a rare sense of belonging. “Marching down the street, shouting slogans, I felt like I had a family,” he said. The Earth Ball became a bridge, connecting him to like-minded individuals who shared his passion for change.
For Bob, Earth Day is “the best day of the year to go get information and start understanding the problems the Earth is facing. “It’s one of the original events dedicated to the environment, that’s for sure,” he acknowledges. “I’m glad it’s been running for so long and it’s so well entrenched in everybody’s calendars.”
He hopes that all Earth Day event attendees have the same sense of belonging as he does. “I hope they meet people, maybe read some brochures about things that they hadn’t heard of before, and start to consider our stewardship of the planet seriously.”
In the 1990s, Bob moved to Salt Springs Island, an island just north of Victoria. Bob’s activism had evolved, now he was not merely maintaining and refining the Earth Ball, but he was managing logistics, recruiting volunteers to help move and carry it to events and to ensure everything ran smoothly when it was being used.
“I usually run ahead, checking for clearances and making adjustments,” he explained. Each event pushes him out of his comfort zone, but he sees it as a necessary challenge and just the natural evolution of the Ball’s usefulness.
