T1B

"What we have here are a bunch of well-heeled NIMBY opponents who extol the greatness of renewable energy at their cocktail parties,"

Shuttle commander sees wide environmental damage

By Jeff Franks Thu Aug 4, 9:48 AM ET

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.

"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, making her fourth shuttle flight, 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."

mvscal wrote:Not like she has an agenda or anything. Just an "unbiased" scientific observer, huh?

Mister Bushice wrote:more than yours. Plus, there's that pesky visible component of the evidence of destruction.

DrDetroit wrote:Attacking?

No, merely discounting her opinion as ignorant and uninformed.

She used her status as an astronaut to spew her uninformed environmental crap.

No...attacking someone is going after their adopted kids like TIME and the NY Times.

DrDetroit wrote:Attacking?

No, merely discounting her opinion as ignorant and uninformed.

Colonel Eileen Marie Collins (b. 19 November 1956 in Elmira, New York) is an American astronaut and a retired U.S. Air Force test pilot. She is the first female pilot and first female commander of a Space Shuttle.

As a child, Collins expressed an interest both in spaceflight and in being a pilot. She graduated from Syracuse University in 1978 and then earned a master of science degree in operations research from Stanford University in 1986 and a master of arts degree in space systems management from Webster University in 1989. She married pilot Pat Youngs in 1988; the couple have two children, Bridget and Luke. Collins' parents are James Collins, a surveyor and postal worker, and Rose Marie. She has three siblings.

Collins completed her USAF undergraduate pilot training in 1979, after which she was a T-38 instructor pilot until 1982. From 1983 to 1985, Collins was an instructor pilot and aircraft commander on the C-141 Starlifter. From 1986 to 1989, she was an assistant professor of mathematics and a T-41 instructor pilot at the U.S. Air Force Academy. She was selected for NASA's astronaut program while attending the prestigious Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, from which she graduated in 1990. She has logged more than 6,000 hours in 30 different types of aircraft.

Collins also participated in the U.S. invasion of Grenada, evacuating medical students and their families off the island as part of Operation Urgent Fury in 1983.

Collins first flew the shuttle as pilot in 1995 aboard STS-63, which involved a rendezvous between Discovery and the Russian space station Mir. In recognition of her achievement as the first female shuttle pilot, she received the Harmon Trophy. She also was the pilot for STS-84 in 1997.

Collins next commanded STS-93, launched in July 1999, which deployed the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. This was shuttle Columbia's next-to-last completed mission, the final one being STS-109, which flew in March 2002.

Collins is currently commanding STS-114, the first shuttle flight since the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. The flight was launched on 26 July 2005, and is expected to return on 8 August 2005. During STS-114, Collins became the first astronaut to fly the space shuttle through a complete loop. This was necessary so astronauts aboard the International Space Station could take photographs of the shuttle's belly, to ensure there was no threat from debris-related damage to the shuttle upon re-entry.

The main entrance boulevard to Syracuse Hancock International Airport is named in her honor.

Mister Bushice wrote:
Better to just post your own opinion and wait for someone lucid and less abrasively annoying to reply to it.

How many Masters Degrees do YOU have?

You may as well give up trying, Felix. Detroit is convinced he's the only one here who is right no matter what the evidence against him is, and he will never stop his endless response/question/insult posts as long as you reply to them.

I think my biggest problem is that there is nothing in the story that I would expect to elicit such a tardish reaction......but then again, were talking about Detwat so I guess that's my bad....

I think my biggest problem is that there is nothing in the story that I would expect to elicit such a tardish reaction......but then again, were talking about Detwat so I guess that's my bad....

DrDetroit wrote: What "tardish reaction" are you referring to?

Sorry, but she can take her opinions to space, at least she won't be wasting our air.

"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,"

"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,"

"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."

Again, which passage of the article has you so infuriated?

Are you going to tell me these things aren't occurring?

Heresy, how dare she suggest people take care of the earth.......

Obviously, your problem must be with this passage......so tell me, what is it that she said that has you so mad.....

DrDetroit wrote:BSmack:

How many Masters Degrees do YOU have?

Hmmm, she has two masters' degrees, yet neither one in climatology, geology, environmental science, etc.

What "qualifications" were you referring to, dolt?

DrDetroit wrote:

Why are you speculating re: my emotional state?

Is anyone criticizing her for this comment?

Again with the speculation.

In any case, only a blind, partisan idiot would dismiss the clear implication of her remarks. She's abusing her status as an astronaut to push an agenda.

BSmack wrote:

DrDetroit wrote:BSmack:

How many Masters Degrees do YOU have?

Hmmm, she has two masters' degrees, yet neither one in climatology, geology, environmental science, etc.

What "qualifications" were you referring to, dolt?

So you have none. Nor do you have any relevant experience re: viewing the earth from space. Near as I can tell, your only qualifications are a business degree and a poor attitude.

Felix wrote:This is rich......damn dude, you couldn't administer self ass-kickings any better if you were trying.

DrDetroit wrote:

Why are you speculating re: my emotional state?

Is anyone criticizing her for this comment?

Again with the speculation.

Which is followed by this.....

In any case, only a blind, partisan idiot would dismiss the clear implication of her remarks. She's abusing her status as an astronaut to push an agenda.

Which agenda is she pushing?

You made the funnay...I get it.....

DrDetroit wrote:
Nonetheless, the implications of her remarks are clear...if you cannot identify them then you have no business in this thread......

Felix wrote:

DrDetroit wrote:
Nonetheless, the implications of her remarks are clear...if you cannot identify them then you have no business in this thread......

Look, you just spent the post previous chastising me about my speculating on what you may or may not think or feel. Then in the same sentence you SPECULATE on what her motivations may or may not have been, you SPECULATE that she's pushing some agenda.

This is the third and last fucking time I'll ask, show me exactly what statement that she made that warrants you're continuous bashing of her. She's a national fucking hero pal.

If you ever want to know why everyone at this board laughs at your pathetic ass, just look back to this thread.......

DrDetroit wrote:
Look who is getting infuriated now...

LMAO!!!

Take a breather...

DrDetroit wrote:No, I have two - Public Administration and Business Administration.

What she observed is self-evident. You don't need to be in space to observe it. We already know about erosion and deforestation. She hardly has a "Eureka!" moment.

No bud, you mistake my responses to you as giving a shit about what you think--which I don't......

But for you to cast aspersions toward a national hero because said person stated something you didn't like is about as low as you can go..........

I've asked you to provide which passage you have such trouble with, but you've avoided that like the plague. Bottom line there's nothing she said that pushes any agenda, she just vocalized some observations which you yourself have admitted are fact.

BSmack wrote:

What she observed is self-evident. You don't need to be in space to observe it. We already know about erosion and deforestation. She hardly has a "Eureka!" moment.

And you know this from your repeated space visits?

Mister Bushice wrote:

BSmack wrote:

What she observed is self-evident. You don't need to be in space to observe it. We already know about erosion and deforestation. She hardly has a "Eureka!" moment.

And you know this from your repeated space visits?

That WOULD explain a lot. ;)

"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

The counterpoint was "widespread deforestation", not merely erosion,

Left Seater wrote:

The counterpoint was "widespread deforestation", not merely erosion,

Well, the USA is certainly not the problem when it comes to deforestation. Deforestation is a problem in third world countries not here. Our forests are stronger now than they have ever been. And unless you are ready for the US to start spreading our will on places like Hati, then there is little we can do about deforestation.

Left Seater wrote:So please tell me what you think the G8 should be doing with third world countries to help stop deforestation.

Furthermore, how do we implement your suggestions without the UN and the rest of the world from claiming that our actions are just part of a plan to spread the will of the US across the planet?

Left Seater wrote:So please tell me what you think the G8 should be doing with third world countries to help stop deforestation.

Furthermore, how do we implement your suggestions without the UN and the rest of the world from claiming that our actions are just part of a plan to spread the will of the US across the planet?