Mastodawn

More reasons to say "No!" to #SpaceX and #Starlink (and other unnecessary satellites!).

SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of polluting lithium

Georgina Rannard, Science reporter, February 19, 2025

Excerpts: "When a SpaceX rocket failure set the skies aflame over western Europe last February, no-one was sure if the debris was also polluting our #atmosphere.

"Now scientists are directly linking the uncontrolled rocket re-entry to a plume of #lithium measured less than 100km above Earth.

"It is the first time researchers have drawn a direct link between a known piece of #SpaceDebris crashing to Earth and #pollution levels.

They warn that as SpaceX chief #ElonMusk pledges to launch one million satellites in the coming years, this #contamination could be the tip of the iceberg."

[...]

"Earlier research has suggested that 10% of aerosols in the atmosphere are already contaminated by space debris.

"SpaceX has not responded to emailed requests from BBC News for comment. The researchers also sent their findings to the company but did not receive a response.

"Almost 30,000 pieces of debris are calculated to be free-floating in space, created when rockets break up in space or satellites disintegrate.

"Scientists warn that the debris is congesting space and threatens collision with rockets, the International Space Station, and our planet.

"Musk's SpaceX is the world's leading company for rocket launches including for sending humans into space and maintaining a network of 10,000 Starlink internet satellites.

"Musk recently announced he has applied to launch one million satellites to support #ArtificialIntelligence (#AI) data centres in space.

"Scientists warn that as humans move more activities off-Earth, more debris will fall to Earth, polluting as it plummets."

#LithiumPollution #AtmosphericPollution #NoAIInSpace #NoDatacentersInSpace #LEO #KesslerEffect #SpaceJunk #DarkSkies #LowerEarthOrbit #LEO #AIBullshitMachines #TechBros #xAI #Technopoly #SpacePollution
#AISucks #DataCenters #SkyNet #KesslerSyndrome #USPol #WorldPol #SpaceNews

SpaceX rocket fireball linked to plume of lithium

A SpaceX Falcon 9 crashed to Earth last year. Now scientists have measured the pollution it caused.

Dr. Laurel Standley Apr 20, 2023

Is anyone aware of studies determining whether a vegetative buffer or trees filter out #microplastics the way they do other contaminants?
#AtmosphericPollution
(Picture via oceanservices.noaa.gov)

David Mayhood Feb 15, 2023

Nice little news article by the CBC's Helen Pike on a study of nitrogen pollution from automobiles in Kananaskis Country conducted by my friends & colleagues Ann-Lise Norman & Mary Reid, & their undergrad student Mikayla Donovan.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kananaskis-moss-researchers-university-of-calgary-vehicle-emissions-1.6746675

Published paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1617138122001650

#AtmosphericPollution #Alberta #RockyMountain #Parks #VehiclePollution #Nitrogen #Bryophytes

Cars and Kananaskis moss: researchers find evidence of vehicle emissions in ecosystem | CBC News

The moss in Alberta's K-Country has a story to tell — researchers were able to use the plant to study whether nitrogen from visitor vehicles has been seeping into the local plant population.

CBC