Rocket study suggests more regulations to prevent ozone depletion

William Atkins
Friday, 03 April 2009 21:27

Science - Climate

As you see, the space outside of Earth will be fast filling up with spent rocket casings that have the potential to deplete the ozone level.

Dr. Ross concludes, “Twenty years may seem like a long way off, but space system development often takes a decade or longer and involves large capital investments. We want to reduce the risk that unpredictable and more strict ozone regulations would be a hindrance to space access by measuring and modeling exactly how different rocket types affect the ozone layer." [SpaceDaily.com]

And, adds, “We have the resources, we have the expertise, and we now have the regulatory history to address this issue in a very powerful way. I am optimistic that we are going to solve this problem, but we are not going to solve it by doing nothing." [SpaceDaily.com]

Unfortunately, the world’s historical record on learning about an industry’s effect on the environment has been to do nothing until the matter becomes so bad that the public demands action.

It would be nice if the aerospace industry would reverse this trend and learn about the affects of rocketry on the ozone layer now rather than later, when the matter has the potential to become out of control.

Public perception is a large and important factor in the success or failure of any company or any industry.

If an industry has the perception of being concerned with the health of people and the well-being of Earth, they are often in much more advantageous positions that are industries with poor public images.