Bob Thirsk, a Canadian astronaut on board the international space station, observed that Earth’s ice caps seem to have melted since he last saw it 12 years ago.
Melting ice caps
He said that, "It's a very thin veil of atmosphere around the Earth that keeps us alive. Most of the time when I look out the window I'm in awe. But there are some effects of the human destruction of the Earth as well."
Thirsk acknowledged that he has no concrete evidence of Earth’s destruction and that his report is based only on his personal observations, saying, "This is probably just a perception, but I just have the feeling that the glaciers are melting, the snow capping the mountains is less than it was 12 years ago when I saw it last time.”
He also added, "That saddens me a little bit."
The melting of Earth’s ice caps is believed to be brought about by climate change, which is in part caused by man’s abuse of the environment.
Together with Endeavour crew
Thirsk has been staying aboard the International Space Station for two months and is scheduled to stay there for four months more. He is joined by astronauts from the shuttle Endeavour, who will be staying until Tuesday.
The Endeavour astronauts went to space to set up new batteries for the space station and to store spare parts for the station’s future use. Astronauts Chris Cassidy and Tom Mashburn are also set to make their fifth spacewalk on Monday.
Cassidy and Mashburn will be fixing power cables and installing cameras on the docking port of a space station for a Japanese cargo vessel which is scheduled for its first flight on September.
Mark Polansky, Endeavour’s commander stated, "All in all I think it's an extremely successful mission in spite of a lot of really interesting curveballs that have been thrown our way."
The space shuttle Endeavour is set to return to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday.
FootPrint
Amazing, and What size "carbon footprint" did comander Thrisk's Space shuttle leave us here back on earth.
Did he worry about that..... LOL
When will yhey be making a hybrid Shuttle that runs on batteries????
Ice melting in July is
Ice melting in July is "human destruction"?
Why get worked up over this?
Why get worked up over this? It's a science problem, not a religious principle. The astronaut just expressed an opinion. There's a right and a wrong answer scientifically and we will find out soon enough.
Fact, the ice caps are
Fact, the ice caps are melting. Fact, the forests of our planet are being destroyed for the purpose of raising the population from 3 billion 40 years ago, to over 6.5 billion today, with projections of 8 billion by the year 2040. And the FACT that a fellow educated human being in the field of science is reporting his observations on how much the polar ice caps have changed in just 12 years, IS NEWS. I'll take the word of a scientist with a PHD any day as fact, not your (opinion?!) :~) LOL
Since when is a Canadian
Since when is a Canadian astronauts opinion news? How about reporting the news, if I want your opinion I'll ask for it. All opinions and no facts. lmao.
Let me get this straight in
Let me get this straight in my own mind. An astronaut with a PHD goes up into space 12 years later and observes the decline of the ice caps and he's being emotional and ignorant? Exactly what do you base your statement on? What are your qualifications in the field? Evolution at work once again, the astronaut part of a higher evolved species of man and the caveman/woman stuck on the ground grunting.
wow
wow
yeah
yeah...wow...
What saddens me a whole lot
Yet another person in the public's eye making emotional statements about a subject that they are ignorant of while they are spending billions of dollars taken by force from citizens under the guise of being used for national aeronautic and space.
Are you an idiot? If not you
Are you an idiot? If not you must have tried extremely hard to craft that bit of hypocritical bullshit you think is insight you just posted.
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