Environmental damage on Earth seen from shuttle

[MsUSA]

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.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050804/us_nm/space_shuttle_dc

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. can you imaginge Cheney's reaction to this?

"Throw her out of the damned capsule. Shut that stupid woman up. Now. RIght Now!"

[high density]

2. Need more oil!!!

Must get more oil!

[Maru Kitteh]

19. Deforestation? That's due to our apatite for DEAD FLESH of animals

not oil. Same way with erosion. Lands are overgrazed and cannot support vegetation, thereby losing their topsoil. Are you aware that the Sahara desert is a man made creation? Brought by overgrazing.

The rainforrests are not being cleared for wood and paper, they are being cleared for new (short lived) grazing land.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Subversive on the Shuttle

Probably dooms the program for good.

But first, thank you, Eileen Collins. It's not often these days that a public figure in America gets to speak the truth before the world and actually takes advantage of the opportunity.

[mopinko]

4. this is probably why

they sent her up in the first place.

[Bethany Rockafella]

5. I am kicking this.

This is scary folks. I'll bet 25 years ago our astronauts didn't see any damage to this earth. We are killing ourselves.

[Alexander]

6. This doesn't link to the article

Was it altered? Or is this just the wrong link?

[Daphne08]

7. I think this is the link

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/08/04/shuttle.earth.environment.reut/

[HootieMcBoob]

8. There goes the space program

If they follow the pattern they'll trash the woman and then eliminate funding for NASA.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

9. I heard this being reported on either CNN or MSNBC early this afternoon.

She also said that the atmosphere was spread very thin. It's interesting that this article y0u have was in a conversation with Japanese officials, and not officials from the US.

[Massacure]

10. No wonder Bush wants to retire it.

[Joanne98]

11. The Earth is just fine. Send her to Gitmo!

[Kalish]

12. wow

interesting...

[rateyes]

13. And, OMG, she is supposed to be returning

in what could be classified...as it re-enters the atmosphere, a small plane?

[oxbow]

14. This might be a good DU activist Corps action

send out some LTTE's, keep this on the frontburner.

[blm]

15. Liberal, tree-hugging terrorist on board space shuttle - Code Red

.

[ConfuZed]

16. That damn liberal hippie!

I'm going to stop having sex, with my dog, get on my emailing machine and give her a, piece of my mind my my my my my fellow freerepublicans are planning to do the same thing! I BET, SHE'S IN AND ANTIGRAVITY CHAMBER IN NEW MEXICO!

[ConfuZed]

17. *kick*...

and keep it kicked!




*meow*

[sintax]

18. Odd

to think we need to see it from the Shuttle when it is all around. How much more damage was created BY the Shuttle.

We are destroying this beautiful planet with our techno-toys.

The Eastern lowland gorilla will become extinct in the next few years for one reason- coltan mining for the the cell phone. Noone wants to give up their toys.

Nominated