The problem of space trash

Today's READ article is a brilliant and concise overview of space tourism and the planetary impact of rockets. It's scientific but still easy to follow, thanks to the author Eloise Marais, an Associate Professor in Physical Geography at University College London. Read the full (short) article here.

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If you don't have time, some key takeaways:

• The problem is space tourism. Look, space exploration and innovation can be great for so many reasons. But space TOURISM isn't a new frontier — it's just a new way of profiting. Virgin Galactic wants to offer 400 spaceflights each year to rich people who can afford it.
  
• During launch, rockets can emit up to 10x more nitrogen oxide than the largest thermal power plant in the UK, over the same time period.
  
• CO2 emissions on a space flight can be 50-100x more than the emissions that are generated per passenger on a long-haul airplane flight. That is a hefty bill for the Earth to pick up.
  
• Rocket launch propellants generate greenhouse gases and air pollutants. Many of these compounds will contribute to air pollution close to the Earth, so they're not just floating off somewhere outside the atmosphere.
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Read the full article here.

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One takeaway for me is that there really is no ethical consumption under capitalism. If I was offered a free space flight, I would absolutely go. The solution has to start with removing incentives for corporations to trash the planet (and space) in the first place. The joyrides of 1600~ people per year just isn't worth it when 7 billion+ humans and even more animals are paying.

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We'll get to actions soon in our ACT module, but for now, reply with questions you have about space, space tourism, space technology, space trash... all of it. 🚀🌚

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This is not a drill. We're going to talk about ACTUALLY launching our garbage into space.

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Thanks to the What If: Science-Based Answers to Hypothetical Questions series, we can officially ask and answer "can we just yeet our trash into space?"

First, a lil visualization exercise. Close your eyes and imagine this reality:

The world produces 1.2 BILLION tons of waste every year. By 2100, that's estimated to be 3.6 billion.

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Now, some answers and FYIs before we get too carried away. Or before we... space out 😉.
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• We could, technically, send our garbage into space.
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• Here's the catch: It would cost $33 quadrillion per year to yeet our trash into space. I literally cannot fathom what a quadrillion is, but it's more money than we have as a planet.
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• We're also short on resources. 91 orbital rockets were launched in 2017. We'd need 168 million launches... sooooo yeah, just a few more rockets to go! 🚀
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• Epic fails. The MOST successful space launch system has a 3% failure rate. Applied to 170 million launches, that's over 5 milli rockets' worth of space trash potentially raining down on us. Or exploding. Or whatever failed rocket launches do. Yuck.
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• We have to start listening to the 70s. In 1978, NASA scientist Donald J. Kessler theorized that the accumulation of space debris over time could become so dense, that we could no longer use satellites, or for that matter, leave Earth’s orbit.". So trashing space could quite literally trap us. Also, the oil industry has known about global warming since the 70s, so it's high time to pay attention to that decade.
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One of the most common arguments for trashing space (as Jeff Bezos sorta suggested) is that space is literally so big, so it won't matter. Perhaps, but it looks like our space-trash ideas aren't actually going THAT far from home. And I don't love the idea of being orbited by garbage.

Last thing: when industry execs had plans to trash the earth, they stuck it in places they found unimportant and out of sight. This has become a decades-long environmental justice nightmare, and this space-trash idea is promising to be one too.

Space Trash is a HARD topic to act on, as I'm sure you've assumed. A lot of it is out of our control, but I want to focus on the things we CAN control. Today's actions are less traditional than our usual changeletters, but they are critical to preserving our future, instead of trashing it.

Let's go! 🚀❌

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Pick an action from the list below. You can take a minute out of your day to make a meaningful difference; I believe in you! As the saying goes, always classy, never trashy...

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1. 1 minute super important action: If you live in the United States, take 1 minute to ask your reps to pass the Clean Electricity Standard. If you want to learn more, regardless of where in the world you live, check out Climate Changemakers' Issue Briefing. We can't yet change the whims of Jeff and Richard, but we CAN clean up our future. (Editor's note: this action is from 2021, but Climate Changemakers always has great actions available to take. We love them.)
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2. 20 seconds to pledge for tech accountability: This is a global action! It's geared towards people who work in tech, which is most of our Changeletter readers. I just signed it — one of the things I pledged is "to always put humans before business, and to stand up against pressure to do otherwise, even at my own risk", which I love because it's is pretty much the opposite of "exploiting my workers to use profits to go to space" 😜
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3. Stop Line 3. This is one of THE most environmental justice battles going on today. The actions of billionaires and wealthy corporations are directly correlated to health impacts in marginalized communities. Line 3 is slated to cost $7.5 billion, would carry up to 915,000 barrels per day of one of the dirtiest fuels on earth (tar sands crude), and impose severe risks to tribal communities in the area. If you're in the Minnesota area, you can check out some of the (fun!) events below. If not, PLEASE choose your own set of actions from this Line 3 page.

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It turns out, space trash actions can apply on earth. Wahoo!

Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

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🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

This REFLECT module on space trash has really freaked me out. It's giving me bad chills to see the stronghold corporations have, not just on our lives, but on THE NIGHT SKY!

Anyway, imagine finding a quiet spot away from the city, and the glittering silver stars you made wishes upon as a child are just... messy gray blobs now?!

Without further ado, I present to you our REFLECT module that asks: who will save the night sky?

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This article is about how the corporate world's endless reach for "innovation" and control is endangering the night sky. Basically, as Brian Resnick writes in this Vox piece, astronomers are very frustrated with Elon Musk's satellites.

I personally went down a deep rabbit hole (or black hole, haha) with this topic and highly recommend that you check out the article, but here's what you need to know if you only have a minute:

• No more night sky. We're quickly losing every unimpeded view of the night sky — even the darkest places on Earth are vanishingly rare.
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• Too many satellites. Elon Musk’s SpaceX had launched 240 small satellites into space as part of its Starlink internet service; now it has around 1,300, and dreams of launching a total of 30,000. These satellites will orbit close to Earth so they can provide us with internet. Don't know how to feel about this.
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• Why it's a problem: satellites block the view of telescopes. To recap, companies like SpaceX want to bring internet to remote parts of the world through their satellites. Perhaps to help, but also to unlock new profit areas. These satellites will ruin telescope images and even ruin photographers' pictures of the night sky!
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• Can we do something about this? It's complicated because the UN is slow AF. Also, there are no real regulations — we have an "outer space treaty", but nothing enforceable.
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• Can satellites fall on us from space? According to the Vox article, "when a satellite breaks down in space, it just stays up there as junk until gravity pulls it back down to Earth. Already, a Starlink satellite and one from OneWeb had a near collision." Yiiiiikes.
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We can't treat space as the Wild West. It's not a frontier to be conquered by the rich. The only way to avoid this starless, nightless future is to organize, here on Earth, and reclaim our power — but we have to step up. Especially if we're over-resourced (hint: if we work at corporations making upper 5 or 6 figure salaries).

One thing you can do right now is to urge big tech to spend their lobbying dollars to fight climate change.

‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

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Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!