Homo Colossus
How big are you, really?
About the project.
Homo Colossus is a research project and a collaboration between KTH, the Royal Institute of Art, the People's Movements for Art Promotion, and Changency. The project is based on the idea that the larger we are, the more energy we need.
But what happens if we consider all aspects of our energy consumption in our daily lives? This includes not only the calories from the food we eat but also the fuel that powers our vehicles, the hot water that heats our homes, and the electricity that lights up our cities and drives the internet.
How would we look if we visualized all these energy sources? The answer is that an average Swede would weigh 30,000 kilograms, which is four times heavier than the largest elephant!
Do you want to arrange an exhibition or screening?
The project is coming to an end, but we would like Homo Colossus to live on. Do you have any ideas on how you would like to use Homo Colossus in your teaching, in an exhibition, or at an event? Get in touch and let's discuss how!
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The story of Homo Colossus.
Approximately 40,000 years ago, Homo sapiens arrived in Europe. In the cold climate that prevailed, it would have been impossible to survive without already having tamed fire. Animals get their energy from the food they eat, but humans, who mastered fire, gained both extra warmth and protection from the dark and dangerous animals. With fire, we could also cook warm and nutritious food.
But our appetite grew and grew. We wanted more energy. We began to tame animals for labor, we learned to make tools and machines, and how to extract energy from water and wind. By the Middle Ages, our appetite for energy had increased to five times more than what we got from the food we ate!
Since the Middle Ages, we have steadily added even more energy sources: First coal to power trains and factories, then oil for gasoline, gas for heating, and finally nuclear power for electricity. All these energy sources are used today to heat our homes, light up our cities, and keep the internet running.
But how big would we be if we—like all other animals—had to consume all the energy we use in our daily lives through food? Then an average Swede would be 13 meters tall and weigh 30 tons! Considering all the energy we consume, each of us is colossal. We look like our ancestors, but we belong to a new species, Homo Colossus.
How big are you?
85% of all the energy we use in the world comes from fossil fuels—oil, coal, and gas—and this is not sustainable. However, simply replacing our fossil sources with renewables is probably not enough. The best approach is to simultaneously reduce our energy consumption, thereby shrinking our energy footprint and consequently the size of our Homo Colossus counterpart.
There are very large differences in how much energy we use, both between countries and within countries. Some use less energy, and others use enormous amounts of energy.
Compared to the rest of the world, we in Sweden overconsume energy. One might consider that we would need to halve our "weight" every decade: from 30 tons today, to 15 tons by 2030, to 8 tons by 2040, ultimately reaching 4 tons by 2050. Then each of us would weigh as much as an elephant and use ¼ of the energy we use today. Additionally, we need to stop using fossil energy and completely switch to renewable sources like solar, wind, and water.
The transition to more sustainable energy use varies depending on your circumstances. Where you live, how you travel, and what you buy—all of these require energy. A first step is to find out how much energy you actually use in your daily life and consider how you can influence it. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something!
