Coming Soon: Littering a Galaxy Near You

Humans are messy beings. Wherever we go, our crap will follow and we, being the unimaginative creatures we are, like to dump it (or let it dissipate) wherever is most convenient.

First, trash in our streams. Then in our oceans.

Then gas "trash" in our atmosphere. (Not littering in the literal verb sense but the principle is the same.)

IS no place sacred? Where else can we intentionally and unintentionally put our non-biodegradable debris?

AAhh, space. The final frontier. Boldly littering where no man has littered before. Literally.

First, we start small: the space equivalent of a cigarette butt out a space shuttle window. Just some celestial flotsam, no harm no foul right? In fact, we've already got a waste disposal depot/international space station in orbit.

Where next we ask ourselves? THE MOON ALICE, that's where! According to this article in New Scientist Space, we are poised on the brink of mucking up its atmosphere too. Wait, you ask, the moon has an atmosphere? Yes and a very fragile one at that.

Yep, the moon.

Take heart though in the fact that moons should now be considered a renewable resource! If the moon's atmosphere is already a lost cause, why fight it? Why not just rename it the IDG: Earth's International Dumping Ground? It's just a matter of time before "taking out the trash" will involve Cape Canaveral, a countdown, and a shuttle contracted to "Waste Management". Once we're done with Earth's moon, we can then move onto Mars' moons -- it has two!

Then....ummm, Jupiter with its 60 wonderful, unspoiled moons ...

Yep, the moon(s).