It Used to Be a Beautiful Blue Planet

I'll admit that I haven't taken my meds in two days now, too busy with company, cooking, throwing water balloons with grandchildren, so I tend to forget - but this little article from Reuters actually made me cry. Because, as my post title says, I remember the days when our astronauts sent back pictures of this planet that I love so dearly, and it was beautiful and blue seen from space. Not eroded and damaged. What a lot my generation has to answer for. I have to think about this all the time when I look at the beautiful trusting faces of these children. What will there be left for them?

Widespread environmental damage seen from shuttle
Thu Aug 4, 2005 12:48 PM ET

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

"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.

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