SOMEBODY CALL AL GORE

'Asteroid busters' widen search to protect Earth (William J. Kole, Globe and Mail, August 18th, 2006)

They are out there, hidden among a haze of stars –– killer asteroids. Now the world's astronomers are keeping a wary eye to the skies for giant objects on a collison course with Earth.

Experts say there are about 1,100 comets and asteroids in the inner solar system that are at least 800 metres across, and that any one of them could unleash a global cataclysm capable of killing millions in a single blinding flash.

On Thursday, the International Astronomical Union said it has set up a special task force to sharpen its focus on threats from such “near-Earth objects.”

“The goal is to discover these killer asteroids before they discover us,” said Nick Kaiser of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy, which hopes to train four powerful digital cameras on the heavens to watch for would-be intruders.

There is currently no way to stop one, but scientists believe that some day a defence could be devised, such as using spacecraft to divert a killer comet.

Sure the details need to be worked out, but it seems obvious to us already that the solution lies in a new UN treaty and a sharp reduction in American living standards.