Although it may seem inconsequential to many, we all should be alarmed at the termination of The Earth Observer, a NASA publication with a 37-year history of reporting on the salient observations of NASA’s space effort to understand the makeup and evolution of planet Earth.  

Unfortunately, the impacts of human habitation of planet Earth continue to grow, and it is critical that we be aware of the response of the Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere to those disturbances. With billions invested in the satellites that gather this information, we need publications like The Earth Observer to communicate the results to us and our policy makers. 

Shutting the door on information, such as provided by The Earth Observer, is yet another signal that the Trump administration is trying to suppress the evidence that would contradict its misguided policies on our environment. While this may be only the latest in a concerted program to suppress information essential to our well-being, there are many other examples in fields of health, economics, labor and energy that should also alarm us.

David VonSeggern
Westbrook