Surviving 1000 Centuries

Dr R M Bonnet and Dr L Woltjer are outstanding, internationally renowned scientists. During his long tenure at the European Space Agency, Dr Bonnet has directed the launch of 17 artificial scientific satellites, initiating the development of the Huygens probe placed on the NASA Cassini Saturn Orbiter which landed on Titan on 14 January 2005, developing the successful Mars Express mission and directing the SMART-1 European lunar mission. He is President of COSPAR and Executive Director of ISSI and has acquired a world reputation in the field of space politics. After 11 years at Columbia University, NY, Dr Woltjer returned to Europe as Director General of ESO for 13 years. Since then he has worked closely with the Observatories de Haute Provence in France and the University of Florence in Italy, was President of the International Astronomical Union and Chairman of the Space Science Advisory Committee of ESA for 4 years.

• A Brief History of the Earth.- Cosmic Menaces.- Terrestrial Hazards.- The Changing Climate.- Climate Futures.- The Future of Survivability: Energy and Inorganic Resources.- The Future of Survivability: Water and Organic Resources.- Leaving Earth: From Dreams to Reality?.- Managing the Planet’s Future: The Crucial Role of Space.- Managing the Planet’s Future: Setting-Up the Structures.- Conclusion.

From the reviews: "A good initial feeling for the thesis of the book can be obtained simply by reading the ... chapters. ... the authors turn to threats to survival from outside (from nearby supernovae to asteroid impact) and from inside (disease, seismic events, and climatic hazards), before turning to the current burning issue of climate change, both past and future. ... This is a fascinating and challenging book which is published at just the right moment. It should be required reading for all politicians ... ." (Robert Connon Smith, The Observatory, Vol. 129 (1210), June, 2009)