Associated Press
LONDON — The view from space of a bright blue Earth is becoming marred by smoke and dust as environmental destruction grows increasingly visible, the commander of the International Space Station said Friday.
U.S. astronaut Frank Culbertson told the British Broadcasting Corp. that the view had changed markedly since his first space mission in 1990.
"There is smoke and dust in wider-spread areas than we have seen before, particularly as areas like Africa dry up in certain regions," Culbertson told the BBC.
"I have seen changes in what comes out of some of the rivers, in land usage," he added. "We see areas of the world that are being burned to clear land, so we are losing lots of trees."
Speaking from the space station, Culbertson said the changes were "a cause for concern."
"We have to be very careful how we treat this good Earth we live on," he added.
Culbertson said he also was struck by the number of lights glowing on the Earth at night.
"It’s quite amazing to see how many people actually live down there and how much of an effect they are having on the environment and the land we live on," said Culbertson, who piloted space shuttle missions in 1990 and 1993.
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