Saturday 30 July 2011

Dear World ... looking at you from the Shuttle Atlantis ...

“The Blue Marble” photo of 
earth taken from Apollo 17 (1972)
Around the world in 60 minutes ... this BBC2 documentary of the Shuttle Atlantis on its last journey 50 years after man blasted into space ....lift off ... the sky goes blue, blue, blue.... black – leaving earth as this jewelled sparkle below.

Gull had done her post – then hey presto in the evening .. BBC2 had this programme following one 90 minute orbit of the earth – the astronauts will see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets as they travel 220 miles above us.  This film shows us a world that usually is only seen through their eyes.

Presented by Kevin Fong, a doctor who has trained with NASA for the past 15 years, with insights from British astronaut Piers Sellers (specialising in climate and environmental science), who describes what it’s like to live, work and walk in space.

Atlantis hurtles towards the International Space Station (ISS) with its next contingent of scientifically trained astronauts – the ISS members have not seen anyone else from earth for a month.  Atlantis also brings replenishment food and water ...

Laser projected from the
Royal Observatory in Greenwich
marking the Prime Meridian
There are 16 nations involved with the ISS – a truly cosmopolitan mix of peoples – who are collaborating together ... whose basic purpose is to understand the earth below, see what nature and humans are doing to it, while conducting short and long term experiments ...

... micro-gravity means that fairly complex protein structures can be created more quickly, which helps with the testing of drugs and speeds up the process of research into various diseases.

Their starting point for this documentary is the same as those navigators of yore – the Greenwich Prime Meridian 0° – the Greenwich Observatory long acknowledged to hold the most accurate measurements available for the suns, stars and moon – so vital to navigators.

Rock outcrop in Iceland, a visible
surface feature of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge,
the Easternmost edge of the North 
American plate. It is a popular destination
for tourists in Iceland.
The first port of call for our crew was Iceland which sits atop the Mid Atlantic Ridge – the tectonic plates that are pushing the Atlantic Ocean apart by 0.003mm per year (about the growth of a fingernail) – now monitored by the passing satellites.

Fifteen minutes later the next ‘stop’ is South America and the Amazon Rainforest – 1.5 billion acres of land teeming with species of plants and animals, as well as operating as one of the lungs of the earth – absorbing the carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen: helping to keep the planet and climate in balance.

Limb view, of the Earth's atmosphere.
Colours roughly denote the layers
of the atmosphere.
(Sunset from the Space Station)
It’s only from space that you get to see just how delicate that balance really is ... the very thin onion skin of atmosphere surrounding this great ball of rock protecting life on earth as we know it.

We now, through the satellites circling the earth, have the ability to see the man-made scars and record those changes ...  the deforestation has slowed significantly, but still too much is being cut down – 447 acres every orbit.

Next port of call is Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela – the worst storm spot on the planet  ... the satellites now track the birth of storms so warnings can be given  ... there are 1,800 storms every 90 minute orbit of the space station ... this monitoring of the weather systems has saved countless lives – whereas in our living memory the storms could be devastating.

Our orbit takes us next to Texas where more land is farmed than anywhere else on earth – there are 16m cattle and the enormous herds can only be managed by helicopter ... 49,657 cattle are slaughtered for food in every 90 minutes orbit.

The Las Vegas Valley; From top left to
bottom right: Las Vegas Strip (Paradise,
Nevada and Winchester, Nevada),
Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson
A few minutes to the west lies Las Vegas – which breaks all the rules of where to build a city ... slap bang in the middle of a desert on a road to nowhere.  Las Vegas is akin to a space station .. everything has to be shipped in ...

... every ounce of flour, every biscuit, each slice of bacon ... and 69,437,500 litres of water is used every 90 minute orbit, which is the equivalent of 2,778 articulated water trucks – at vast expense.

Las Vegas is also the fattest place in America – two thirds of the populace is over weight .. and the population has almost doubled in the last twenty years ... this trend we’re seeing all around the world – by 2050 there will be nine billion people (now we have +/- six billion).

Our resources are going to be stretched to the limit ... producing, distributing and ensuring everyone has enough.  If we’re going to address that challenge ... we need to find a balance ... to look at our personal freedoms and choices we value around our food and lifestyles, with our responsibilities to live within our environmental and evolutionary limits ...

... we simply cannot continue eating the way we eat now, as we do in the UK and the USA (let alone elsewhere) ... unhappily this change in our thinking is not apparent yet.  I also thought that we should think about not condoning this type of lifestyle ... by not visiting resorts (places), where resources are used willy-nilly.

Postage stamp, New Zealand,
1933. Public health has been
promoted - and depicted -
in a wide variety of ways.
It’s a big change that humans need to address.  I have to say this part of the film revolted me ... humans looked selfish ... overeating: which leads to huge medical bills, over-stretched resources being utilised for ‘just pleasure’ ...

... the space station astronauts realise how precious our bodies are – they exercise for 2 hours every day to maintain optimum fitness and health – their food is surprisingly cosmopolitan ... but there are no hamburgers adding to the two million consumed across the world in just one orbit

They need to work together as a team ... or as a tiny community – they need to get along and appreciate each other’s personal differences, as well as the cultural and social aspects of other nations.

The next hop, skip and jump takes this ‘zig-zagging orbital tour’ to the Hawaii islands .. not to look at the tourist beaches thronged by the most isolated population on earth ... but for the enormous rubbish dumps floating in the Pacific Ocean.

Plastic does not break down ... everything we have created is constantly reduced into smaller and smaller pieces ... until the microscopic plastic pellets get into the food chain – where ultimately they mimic hormones.

Phytoplankton
40,000 tonnes of plastic is made every day – the majority of which will be thrown away.  Some natural species’ lives will be disrupted for ever ... however the greatest irony is that perhaps nature could be just as capable of dealing with our waste problems ...

The salps – shoals of bizarre gelatinous like creatures – live off phytoplanktons, which like to eat CO2 and could be our protection against global warming ... the carbon is locked away by the salps, and on decomposition sinks to the bottom of the sea.  Whereas a tree locks up carbon for 100 – 200 years ...

Our next stop is South Korea – the technical capital of the world (in the 1960s the national wealth was on a par with Afghanistan – now it is the 13th richest country in the world); the key to this growth has been the silicon chip.

Teheranno – “Silicon Valley
Boulevard”, Seoul,
South Korea.
We in the west watch baseball games, tennis or football matches sitting in a stadium – here the Koreans have computer games ...  and after often having spent hours in the arcades, that line the streets of towns, they stream into their local stadia to watch a computer game – it is their spectator sport!  $12 m worldwide will have been spent on computer games during just one orbit.

However South Korea is a minnow compared to its vast neighbour – China.  Fifty years ago it had a rural economy based on farming life with an average $20 wage and a life expectancy of about 40 years.

Now China leads the way as the manufacturing nation – one quarter of everything produced on earth is made in China.  The wealth of the nation has increased 100 fold .... but it needs limitless energy to satisfy the world’s demands for its goods and services.

Topography of China
China is the world’s largest polluter, with many areas covered in a constant haze of air pollution ... every which way we know how to harness the world’s resources is being applied here on an epic scale ...

... the UK and America’s 40 year old clean air policy is plain to see from our orbiting ISS ... China understands the environmental pressures and is trying everything to find a balance.

Despite this - renewable energies (sunlight, wind, rain, tides and thermal heat) cannot supply sufficient power to keep up with demand – China have invested $48 billion in renewable energy, becoming the world’s leading investor ... but still needed to burn 600,000 tonnes of coal in the 90 minute orbit.

Cherrapunji high in the Himalayan foothills, records the most rainfall in a year (12 metres) – in fact it can rain all year round - while 81.6 trillion litres of water will fall as rain onto our planet in one ninety minute orbit ...

Aral Sea – 1999 and 2008
... then travelling west to Kazakhstan – the Aral Sea ... shows the huge scar of toxic waters of what was once the largest fresh water lake on the earth – before it was drained for cotton and rice fields along its two major tributaries ... there’s a project in place to turn back the clock so it can fill again.

Over time toxic waters and plants can be renewed – as has happened at Chernobyl .. and as I previously mentioned here in my Eden Project and Iron Curtain posts.

During every orbit though 34 sq kilometres of land will become desert ... the landscape is changing in our quest for fresh water.

The last stop is Ethiopia where it is thought that 160,000 years ago the origin of modern man began to emerge ...another place of great change ... which through the dynamic landscape of faulting, earthquakes and volcanic activity a natural world was allowed to flourish into which humans first settled and began to evolve.

Anatomical comparison of the skulls
of a modern human (left) and
Homo neanderthalenss (right).
It is mooted that we are truly a creation from our geologically unstable planet and we need to be prepared for greater change and instability ... are we really nomads at root – have most of our problems arisen by settling down into major population centres ....


... many of which due to climate change will be drowned or will definitely be very less attractive ... one lesson we need to relearn from our ancestors – is the ability to move in order to continue to prosper.

To counter these massive changes we as humans are inflicting on this world we somehow need to adjust our community living – be more compassionate to others ... understand their needs ... we will need to adjust our lives in order to sustain an ever growing population – during our orbit 23,019 children will be born.

Scarlet Macaw, which is indigenous
to the American tropics
 
The International Space Station has brought nations together and suddenly our perspective on the world has changed forever. We thought we were going to explore the universe, yet the most extraordinary thing we discovered was our own home planet, the Earth.

This unique journey around the weird and wonderful planet of ours that we call home – was put together by the BBC and its collaborative scientists ... and to them I give total credit ...

PS Gull says it’s too long – but bloggeress .. says it needs to be said and  read – as we humans use every part of this earth ... the rest of the flora and fauna has boundaries ...

BBC2 Film and preamble ... I hope when it becomes available you’ll take some time to watch it.

Iron Curtain or Rich Green Wilderness


Some new information that's come to light (2014) from Bish Denham's blog " Random Thoughts" on plastic in the ocean - here's the link .. and the TED talk by Boyan Slat, a Dutch youngster, is amazing - he's pursued his dream through sheer determination, giving up his studies and his social life, crowd sourced ... and is engineering to clean the oceans of plastic ... very well worth watching the 17 minute video. 


Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

42 comments:

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

It's scary. I used to think little ole me couldn't make a difference. But it takes one person at a time, so I continue to recycle and to use safe products. And to keep an ear open for any other ways I can help protect my world. Because as stimulating and interesting as space is, I'd prefer to stay here.

Great post, Hilary1

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Joylene .. it is scary - you're right. To me though this made me think I need to think further .. beyond my thoughts re recycling, and doing the best I can .. to actually not supporting those things that 'abuse the earth' eg .. Las Vegas - flying even .. etc etc .. I don't need to visit Las Vegas, or Dubai .. but flying I'd have trouble giving up ..

I'd prefer to stay in Cluculz Lake too or the Sussex Downs ..

Cheers Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

We aren't wasteful either.
And it's scary to think twenty-five percent of all items are produced in China.

Susan Scheid said...

Many mind-boggling facts here. One that particularly got to me was this: during our orbit 23,019 children will be born. As for Las Vegas, I remember driving cross country once and getting there nighttime. We came through desert, and off in the distance, the middle of nowhere, were city lights. The place, by all rights, really shouldn't exist, though I suspect folks who live there might take issue with me on that!

Duncan D. Horne - the Kuantan blogger said...

We live in a beautiful world and I'm always in awe when I see that image of earth from space.

That documentary sounds just fabulous!

Duncan In Kuantan

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Alex .. waste is a terrible challenge - and that stat about 25% of all items coming out of China - is a problem .. as they're struggling to get them out fast enough. As Susan says below - it is mind boggling ..

@ Susan - so true .. all the points are difficult to understand as they're such enormous quantities .. and in one 90 minute orbit .. and if one multiplies them by 16 just for one day's worth - it is really frightening ... (368,304 children being born in a day!)

I'd love to see Las Vegas - but I may well think again if I get the choice. Arriving by night would be pretty amazing .. but yes - what to do with the inhabitants. I wonder if it will be there in 250 years ...

@ Duncan .. you're so right .. we're lucky we can look down - even if it's via the Shuttle .. earth down here is pretty amazing.

I hope you get a chance to watch the documentary .. it was extremely good.

Thanks Alex, Susan and Duncan - good to see you ... Hilary

Susan Blake said...

Hi Hilary! Fabulous post and I would sure love to see the film! Your points about waste, our "diets" etc. you KNOW I agree with! I need to be gagged up when I grocery shop lest I scream at people "WHAT ARE YOU THINKING EATING THAT?" I did a post months ago about the Made in China topic, and ugh, I look very carefully at labels! Now even my dogs chewies are made there - I won't buy those! To save this planet soooo many people need to turn in to this blog, this film, and start caring!
hugs
suZen

Susan Blake said...

p.s. Been to Las Vegas - totally weird how they erected this "city" in a baren wasteland. I personally don't like it at all. Friends of mine who live there have astro-turf in their backyard. Just creepy if you ask me!
suZen

amy @ Souldipper said...

Testing to see if this works, Hilary. If I couldn't access your comments, I wonder if it affected other readers as well.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Susan .. thank you - I thought you might like this one!! I know I look at peoples' trolleys and get a bit spooked .. and look at mine - very healthy foods (usually!).

I saw your post .. but as I'm only buying for me - I don't do too much checking .. I just buy as healthy as I can ..

I hope the BBC release the film very soon - so everyone can see what's going on down here from up there!

The things that impressed me were .. the fact our bodies were so important; the fact that we can now monitor what countries are doing .. eg deforestation .. and lastly - what did drive home - was the extra benefits we could accrue from experiments that can be done more easily, and quickly in space ..

Las Vegas .. actually in this day and age - we just shouldn't live there .. and it should never have been created .. similarly to The Palm in Dubai ..

We agree!

@ Amy - this works .. which is a problem .. as I have already had an anonymous (spamming) comment - not on this post .. one they've programmed into obviously ..

Well - it's answered one question .. I'll have to ask my 'source' what's going on ..

Thanks Susan, Amy and Robin (should you read this re my garbled FB post .. who knows why - I haven't altered anything .. must be FB!!)

Irritations these 'messing around' with things that used to work ..

TALON said...

Lots to contemplate, Hilary, and fascinating and terrifying at the same time. So much needs to be done and there does seem to be a feeling that time, for our beautiful over-worked earth, truly is running out.

To be in space and to be able to see clearly what we sometimes overlook must be life-altering to say the least.

Anonymous said...

This is a very interesting and unexpected post. Las Vegas is a very interesting city as it really does not have any natural resources. I can understand the obesity rate as there is not much to do there except eat lots of food, sit, and gamble. Not a very healthy lifestyle.

I didn't know about the rubbish dumps at sea floating around. That's terrible. I guess they feel the trash will just float away. Out of site, out of mind.

Chuck said...

Hilary, what an eye-opening post to see all the enviro issues of the day in one sitting. Very thought provoking.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Talon .. the documentary certainly highlighted much .. I hope humanity can pick itself up and work together to protect the world .. but it is interesting that we can now see what is happening on an ongoing basis.

I don't know who promulgated the programme .. but I'm delighted they did and that the BBC made this documentary - it's so worthwhile seeing.

@ Stephen - thank you .. it is long - but worthwhile writing for people to read - and obviously appreciated.

Las Vegas does look so interesting .. but at what cost? People seem to have lost self-control as far as food is concerned ..it should be for sustaining us .. not satisfying us.

I'm amazed you didn't know about the rubbish dumps at sea .. specifically in the Pacific and landing up at Hawaii .. and I see I didn't put the photo up ..

Just looking at Wikipedia under Rubbish Vortex .. they suggest it could be about the size of Texas - or double that??!!

So please .. not out of sight or mind. It's mind boggling ..

@ Chuck .. good to see you again - I know we connected in the A - Z challenge ..

It's good to know you appreciated the post .. and that it is food for thought ..

Thanks Talon, Stephen and Chuck - challenging aspects here .. have good weeks .. Hilary

Ellie Garratt said...

Another fascinating post. How I would love to go into space and be able to look down on our precious planet.

Ellie Garratt

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Ellie .. you would too - and you could just hang your head out and have a good look around!! There's a bubble the astronauts can get into - to have a 360 degree view .. that would be just wonderful! - and you could let your hair down!

Glad you enjoyed it .. thanks - Hilary

Paula RC said...

We are a grain of sand in an ocean... When I stand looking up at the stars I understand how small I am. Like you, we recycle and try to do our bit to protect our world.

I think we take our planet for granted. Thank you for sharing this wonderful posting with us.

Anonymous said...

Hi Hilary You raise some excellent points here and i love the way you shift persepctives to make us looks at things in different ways. I wish plastic wasn't so heinous because it seemed such a good invention at the time. I am fascinated by the old ways of life that involved using natural resources in conserving ways :O)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Jamara .. that's so true too .. and just looking at the stars .. and the zillions that stretch out into that black universe .. we are microscopic grain of sands ... we really need to protect everything we can .. there is only one earth.

Also that point about human beings taken our planet for granted .. We need to understand our planet is not there for us to abuse .. but is something we need to pay a lot more attention to .. and encourage others to do it too ..

@ Madeleine .. that was the BBCs' writers .. I just followed it through .. and added in a little .. but certainly the documentary made me sit up and think ..

Any abuse of our natural resources is dreadful .. and I'd love to learn more about the ways of the ancients .. we have great resources now to draw on .. thankfully ..

Thanks Jamara and Madeleine .. good to see you - Hilary

~Sia McKye~ said...

This is one I'd like to see Hilary. I like your expression of the earths lungs being in the Amazon. So true and it's so fragile in the face of humankind's shortsightedness.

Sia McKye's Thoughts...OVER COFFEE

Friko said...

I saw the programme; it was very good indeed. I learned a lot which I had not previously known. The BBC does such stuff awfully well.

I hope politicians will keep their hands off and not let the Murdochs and Sky spoil it for us.

MunirGhiasuddin said...

Greeting!
I have been recycling all my life. In India to save money. Here in the US to save the Earth. I think the younger generation might finally get that there is no two way. It is not a matter of choice any more.
Great Post as usaual. Cheers:)

Arlee Bird said...

This sounds like a fascinating documentary. What an amazing experience it would be to orbit the Earth. The first space shuttles were built just down the street from where I live. One of the large buildings has been converted into a movie studio, while other parts were either torn down or remain vacant. There is a space related museum beside the studio. I haven't visited there yet--I guess I probably should since I live so close. I still kind of regret not having bought one of the space shuttle replica models when NASA still had a little souvenir shop there.
As always you provided a post just brimming with info.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Sia .. thanks - that expression was one used by the commentary team, which I couldn't leave out ... I hope you get to see it - once the BBC release it .. life is definitely so fragile.

@ Friko - it was a very good programme .. and as you say the BBC does that sort of thing so well .. I'd thought that as I was watching.

I certainly hope those sort of programmes never stop being made .. there've been some extremely informative ones recently.

It's the dumbing down I can't stand .. eg: when you get a hammer and bowl instead of a pestle and mortar. Any monopoly is bad news ..

@ Munir - good to see you .. and yes recycling .. we recycled and kept everything when we were growing up - never knew when it might be useful.

Everyone wants everything now .. not such a brilliant idea - and I do hope people learn not to waste and realise things don't grow on trees!!

@ Arlee - it was fascinating and I hope it's released sometime soon.

I just thoroughly enjoyed it as we were taken round the globe with insights into the earth below, and snippets of info on life on board.

It's funny isn't it - how we don't bother checking out what's going on in our own locality .. I expect the space-related museum would be a very interesting tour .. a good topic for a post?

A toy boy!! I'm sure you could still get a replica somewhere to add to the collection.

Thanks Sia, Friko, Munir and Lee - delighted you enjoyed the info .. enjoy the rest of the week .. warm and muggy here - thankfully we're on the coast with a cooling gentle breeze .. Hilary

nutschell said...

This is a great post, Hilary! I've always been an environmentalist so this really strikes a cord with me.Thanks for posting it. I'll watch out for this film.
nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

The Blonde Duck said...

I'd be curious to see their excercise routine!

Karen Lange said...

Thank you for this thought provoking tour! It really does make you think.

Have a wonderful week! :)

Shannon Lawrence said...

Wow! What a fascinating and heartfelt post! We do our part in our home, but there is always more we can do. I started a vegetable garden three years ago and it has doubled in size since then. I compost for the garden. We recycle. I use re-usable grocery bags. We walk when we can, rather than drive. And I try to buy as much local organic produce as possible, and we try to jar/freeze items when they're in season. Like I said, though, I'm sure there is a lot more we could do. Baby steps.

Tina @ Life is Good
and I are joining forces in a followup A to Z challenge. We're going to visit and comment at each of the original A to Z participants, and we hope you'll join us!

Shannon @ The Warrior Muse

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Nutschell .. I thought you might be environmentally inclined and interested .. and I hope the film gets released to other networks sometime soon, so you in the States can get to see it.

@ The Blonde Duck .. they were much like ours .. they had to do a lot of weight training .. but it was amusing as they somersaulted around too ..

@ Karen .. good to see you and glad you enjoyed the tour .. some of those facts certainly got my head turning.

@ Shannon .. thanks for following and delighted to hear you appreciated the post.

As you say there's always more we can all do .. but it sounds like you're doing a fair amount already .. the garden sounds like a success. Bottling fruits and veg is definitely another way we could all store the excess .. apart from freezing. It's a fun thing to do too ..

Thanks Nutschell, the Blonde Duck, Karen and Shannon .. good to see you - enjoy the middle of the week .. Hilary

Rosalind Adam said...

What a mammoth journey you've just taken us on! The only word I can think of to describe it all is awesome!

p.s. Hope your mother is coping with this hot weather.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Ros .. long post I know - but just not worthwhile breaking into 2 parts .. but the documentary amazed me and I just thought I can get the 'essence' of it out to a few overseas .. then it's worthwhile doing.

It is an amazing documentary ..

Thank you re my Mama .. she's not brilliant at the moment .. but was comfortable when I left.

It is hot - and where you are .. no doubt hotter - we have a coolish coastal breeze .. cheers for now - tomorrow is rain?! Hilary

Unknown said...

I just want to say, your profile is fine. I don't have to scroll down to find your link.

Also, even though your posts are very long, you don't post everyday. That allows me to saver your very informative posts over a few days before commenting. I learn so much from your posts.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Clarissa .. thanks for coming back to me so relevantly and quickly! I just added my email .. and I need to do a few other things .. anon!

Yes - I've sort of worked out .. people enjoy the read, and the 'tantalization' as to the next subject (me too!!) - so I've probably gained readers by not posting too often .. and replying to the comments.

This particular post was long - but I couldn't easily shorten it (I did leave out a couple of things from the journey) .. and it was very informative for me too ..

Delighted to read you enjoy your trips across here - many thanks .. Hilary

MorningAJ said...

Hi Hilary
Thank you for an insightful post into what we are doing to the poor planet. I'm doing my best not to be wasteful - but it isn't easy. It's almost impossible to buy local food round here - and I'm in the heart of farming country!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Anne .. glad to hear you found the post insightful .. aren't we all ... and it isn't easy not to waste.

It always surprises me how difficult it is to buy locally - I guess it's the Tesco effect ..?!

Must dash .. need to get up to my mother .. Hilary

Jannie Funster said...

With all due respect to lake Maricaibo, I most likely will not be visiting. A storm here would be nice tho. Very very nice. 106, drought.

Next summer I shall plant a garden! I really shall, and you can hold me to that, Hilary. I can taste the tomatoes, cukes and yellow string beans now. Luckily Mom was a great garden teacher.

Yes, what to do about plastic? Do our own little parts I guess.

WONDERFUL picture of Iceland. Maybe I'll get there one day!

xoxoxo

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Jannie .. I can quite understand your feelings for Lake Maricaibo! It's dropped 10 deg C here overnight .. yesterday was a bit much - but not 106F ... and I see it's drizzling.

A garden - a good time to visit to share the toms, cukes and beans .. delicious having fresh veg straight from the garden. My mother too .. but I'm not sure I learnt sufficient.

Plastic is invidious isn't it - everywhere .. and if we all used less, that would make some difference.

Oh good - glad you enjoyed the Iceland picture .. an interesting thought that we can walk on a fissure of a tectonic plate ..

Thanks for coming by .. enjoy putting down more of your new album .. happy days - Hilary

Anonymous said...

Hi Hilary. What an informative post. I've been to Las Vegas, many years ago. Don't think I'll ever go back. The stats for Las Vegas are rather sad.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Susanne .. many thanks - the documentary had so much to say .. as had the stats .. I can imagine Las Vegas must be amazing .. and the Hoover Dam is nearby I think .. but ... lots of thoughts to be had, as you imply .. Glad you enjoyed it .. cheers Hilary

Davina Haisell said...

Hi Hilary.

I enjoyed this tour of the Earth. That photo you posted at the beginning is one my my favs. She is such a beautiful planet. I will watch for this documentary; it will be a great show to watch.

I do wonder what will happen as the population continues to increase. There are only so many resources and if you do the math... well... I just wonder.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Davina .. thanks .. the photo is c/o Wikipedia .. as are most of mine .. it's good to be reminded of our distant planet. Please keep an eye out for the documentary .. it is really worth while watching ..

I do too - we had a programme on tonight .. about feeding this little country in the light of economic events .. I'd now like to own a small holding and have my own fruit and veg!!

As you say .. watch this space - will we survive or not ..

Great to see you here .. cheers Hilary

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi John .. many thanks for the award .. very kind of you... Cheers Hilary