The National Research Council was mandated by the government to research the use of space-based observation of the earth in order to determine environmental changes. The committees were asked to determine the questions that should be addressed, taking into account the intended federal and local agencies that would use the data acquired. They then had to prioritize the experiments and observations knowing that it will be impossible to fund them all. The results make extremely sobering reading. This report covers strategies for earth science and applications from space, including natural resources, human health and security, climate change, weather and water resources. The committees, made up of many of the top scientists in the field, propose future missions as well as outlining the problems. The report is couched in technical language for professionals, but the information it contains ought to be accessible to everyone. A streamlined summary would be useful because this is something that everyone should know about. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
