Environmental damage on Earth seen from shuttle

Reuters ^ | August 4, 2005 | Jeff Franks

[goarmy]

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Commander Eileen Collins said astronauts on shuttle Discovery had seen widespread environmental destruction on Earth and warned on Thursday that greater care was needed to protect natural resources.

Her comments came as NASA pondered whether to send astronauts out on an extra spacewalk to repair additional heat-protection damage on the first shuttle mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster.

Discovery is linked with the International Space Station and orbiting 220 miles above the Earth.

"Sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It's very widespread in some parts of the world," Collins said in a conversation from space with Japanese officials in Tokyo, including Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

"We would like to see, from the astronauts' point of view, people take good care of the Earth and replace the resources that have been used," said Collins, who was standing with Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi in front of a Japanese flag and holding a colorful fan.

Collins, flying her fourth shuttle mission, said the view from space made clear that Earth's atmosphere must be protected, too.

"The atmosphere almost looks like an eggshell on an egg, it's so very thin," she said. "We know that we don't have much air, we need to protect what we have."

[Night Hides Not]

I suspect that we are very unlikely ever to see Commander Collins on another shuttle flight, even if she was just mouthing someone else's words...

Does that mean that Biden's going up on the next mission? He does so well with other people's words.

[rlmorel]

Funny you say that...I was having this discussion with someone the other day.

When I last flew home from Europe, I noticed...there isn't much in the way of forested areas. Everything is a big quiltwork.

When I flew into Boston, I was amazed at the difference...it was HIGHLY forested. Is it just me?

[HairOfTheDog]

I agree with everything you said....

Do you agree that as much as envirowackos can be stupid, some of the knee jerk reactions here, reacting to some fairly benign observations about the planet from above, are not better, only equal-and-opposite stupid?

[Publius6961]

Well, you certainly aren't educated. What newsworthy about the article is precisely what you ridicule - that the damage is so widespread that it can be observed with the naked eye from space

To a kid with a hammer, everything he sees is a nail.

A more educated, balanced and useful view of the facts would be:

Had the shuttle been orbiting 120 years ago, when the primary source of power was coal and wood, would the view from space be better or worse?

[scott7278]

[sgtbono2002]

Yes and deforestation , Its called suburbs.

Give me a break. Why doesnt she tend to the mission and leave her envirowhacko thoughts to herself.

[Colonel_Flagg]

No one educated could make such a ludacris statement based on naked eye visual observation.

Let's leave the rappers out of this, please. :)

Whether or not Commander Collins has a personal opinion, the point is that it's inappropriate to make political statements on a shuttle mission. I think you grasp that point pretty well!

[Publius6961]

Do you agree that as much as envirowackos can be stupid, some of the knee jerk reactions here, reacting to some fairly benign observations about the planet from above, are not better, only equal-and-opposite stupid?

Sharing your opinion is lovely, but can you be more specific? Examples please?

And what exactly is "benign" about mouthing junk-science platitudes?

[My Favorite Headache]

Jesus...you put the image I thought of as soon as I read those words from this pinhead.

[Rumplemeyer]

Eileen honey, get a grip, do you recall hearing about something call the Wisconsin Glacier? melted between 5,000 to 10,000 years ago, stretched from Wisconsin to Georgia was about 3 to 5 miles thick, ring a bell?

Well sweetie when it melted the out-wash created Southern NJ,Delaware, the Eastern Shores, the Outer Banks and Florida to name a few. This out-wash is called EROSION and it happened before the civilization existed. As for deforestation, what do you suppose happened to all the trees and plants when the Glasier passed through.

Just what we need, an other dim bulb, PC hack.

[RightWhale]

Maybe it is, but it is true, too. And, why not have politics in outer space when it is the same people who a short time ago were deciding how to vote for one or another office. Different movie?

[liberateUS]

I rarely take environmental advice from astronauts who rely on hyrdocarbon-based methods to take their plastic and polymer based shuttles into space.

Just how much damage does a shuttle launch do to the environment, anyway?

[N3WBI3]

Sometimes you can see how there is erosion

wow Erosion, when did that start... /sarcasm

[freakboy]

"Sometimes you can see how there is erosion, and you can see how there is deforestation. It's very widespread in some parts of the world,"

She's right. There is alot of erosion and deforestation in the American southwest:



It's just too bad that we humans caused all of this erosion. Just think of the flat tree-filled world we used to live in. Mother Earth is crying.

[Prokopton]

The atmosphere looks like an eggshell on an egg its so very thin? Is she talking about the aprox. 110 km thick atmosphere? Is she talking about the atmosphere, including the thermosphere, through which the shuttle is traveling?
Basic science should be required knowledge for all astronauts.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh - I don't think I need to cite examples. All I'm saying is, if you get so paranoid and embittered that anyone who cares to notice the beauty of the earth, or the possibility that man should and can improve our impact, is somehow the enemy of Republican thought, then you lose me. I care about it. Relax.

I don't think anything she said should be considered contrary to any political platform. Who ~doesn't~ want wise use and replenishment of resources?

[brownsfan]

"Do we have to be so paranoid about politics that our knee jerk reaction to environmentalism is that it's completely unnecessary? "

I've noticed that some of the things that freepers accuse the left of doing... freepers do as well. This dogmatic approach to environmentalism helps no one.
There are many rational folks here who recognize the need to be conservative when it comes to the environment. But when something related to environmentalism in any way comes up, they bash it, relentlessly. Dogma. Synchophants.
I think global warming is junk science. But I do believe in climate change.
I think the left does a disservice by promoting junk science, and trying to brow beat people into adopting their agenda.
I think the right does a disservice when they mock all things related to environmental concerns, and spin hard to make those concerned with the environment look like kooks.

And then there is the contingent here that couldn't care less about the environment, country, community, or family. They just want to make $1 more this week than they did last week.

[Ingtar]

The US is reported more forested now than when the first settlers came.

[jtminton]

Just how much damage does a shuttle launch do to the environment, anyway?

Probably more than my Chevy pickup.