Going Green: On Earth and Beyond

Scientists are now looking at how research into space can help the Earth – and vice versa.

Credit: ESA Images

Space helping Earth: Satellite image of the Antarctic peninsula taken on December 16, 2006 shows a retreating ice shelf.

Less than 600 people have launched into space. But there are billions of us who remain firmly rooted here on Earth. Some might wonder why so much money is poured into space exploration when there are innumerable problems to solve on our own planet.

Typically, it is environmentalism that considers the Earth’s environment and how best to protect it for the future while space exploration is perceived as an exercise in understanding the origins of the universe or the search for new life. However some space scientists would argue that space exploration also enhances the protection of our planet and is vital if the human race is to survive when our planet cannot.

Charles Cockell, Chair of the Earth and Space Foundation, claims that environmentalism and space exploration are not only perfectly compatible, but positively beneficial to each other. “We explore space because it helps us care for the Earth and we explore the Earth’s environments and try and protect them because it helps us get into space,” he says. Furthermore, with the emergence of space tourism and the promise of humans one day settling beyond our planet, environmental issues are becoming just as important for space as they are for the Earth.

Benefits of space exploration

Innovation for space can result in spin-off technologies that become mainstream products – often with environmental benefits. For example, scientists had to come up with a way to remove the ice that forms on the wings of a spacecraft, which can be hazardous during a flight. They developed an anti-icing fluid made of some of the ingredients found in ice cream, which prevents initial formation of ice and is environmentally safe. Many de-icers used on Earth contain ingredients that are harmful to wildlife and, in large quantities, also affect people and animals – so this product was soon adopted for use on planes and road vehicles.