[meteorite-list] Comets vs. asteroids

[mexicodoug at aim.com]

Hi Ed, Rob and friends interested in ranking risks to the species due 
to impacts, in the big scheme of things:

1. These folks at Change that's Right Now offer an interesting comet 
erradication program:
http://tinyurl.com/a6c273
(no sarcasm - just smiling at what folks will do to make a virtual buck)

2. On a more serious note:
http://tinyurl.com/75fkcd
(Appeared in Time Magazine 2006)

3. And for the scientists and skeptics who would like to put this 
debate and objective context:
http://tinyurl.com/2ukunw
(Excellent reading! Read this and I promise you will modify how you 
think about something)

4. And if you need to explain it to your kids:
http://tinyurl.com/5nmebk
(super insight on all bureaucracies)

Good Health,
Doug (<== http://tinyurl.com/7kyv49 )

PS Ed, as far as I know, NASA has not violated the charter/bill from US 
Congress you mentioned, as it deals with 140 meter objects and greater 
sizes, not 75 meter diameter objects that you seem to have gravitated 
towards.  It also seems about 1000 of the predicted 1100 NEO's have 
been found, ahead of the timetable.  But this discussion is not really 
my cup of tea.

PPS As a social imperative, NASA might be better off to continue its 
efforts in developing a means to settle other worlds and worldlets.  
Even the most primitive organisms recognize the benefit of 
proliferation outside the cradle so all eggs aren't in one basket, and 
this is much more far reaching than an asteroid impact.  Also it is 
much more consistent with the human 'spirit'.  If it were up to me, I 
would give this NASA's newly found defense responsibility back, along 
with all launches and manned flight, to the American Air Force, but 
split the research function out and make a new organization dedicated 
solely to space exploration and low power interplanetary navigation 
systems. JPL might take the lead.