Threats to Life on Earth

Hosted byGeorge Noory

Threats to Life on Earth

Highlights

  • Impact of Global Warming on Birds
  • Potential Asteroid Threats to Earth
  • About the show

    In the first hour, reporter and editor Linda Moulton Howe presented a report on asteroid 4179 Toutatis, which is going to pass close to Earth on September 29, 2004. Linda described Toutatis as a large asteroid, measuring 4.6 km long by 2.4 km wide, in a chaotic orbit that crosses Earth's own orbit. According to asteroid specialist Tim Spahr, "there is no chance" of Toutatis coming close enough to impact Earth. Spahr said within 10 years astronomers will have found more than 95% of the one kilometer near-Earth asteroids, and they'll know exactly where each will be for the next 100 years.

    Linda also discussed the adverse affects of global warming on plants and animals. She said recent European and American studies have concluded that the average temperatures in Europe could climb between 3.6 degrees and 11.3 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century. According to ornithologist Jeff Price, the small amount of warming that has already occurred globally has impacted the kittiwakes gull population, and will eventually cause "many extinctions among birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians."

    During the second hour, Linda stayed on to field calls, and provided updates on Dr. Formisano and Dan Burisch. Concerning Burisch, Linda says the deeper she probes into the story, the stranger it becomes. Nonetheless, Linda maintains "there is nobody that can prove that Dan Burisch was not at Area 51." Read more about Dan Burisch here.

    Closet Tales

    A special topic hotline was set up for people who wanted to share their strange experiences involving closets. One woman said she witnessed an alien dressed in a white doctor's outfit walk out her closet. According to the caller, the "doctor-looking" alien led her into the bedroom where three other aliens (dressed in camouflage) were waiting to perform medical experiments on her.

    Another caller recounted a story his 11-year old daughter had told him about seeing a black-robed figure step out of her grandparent's hallway closet during the night. According to the caller, the figure would float in the air, while looking into the grandparent's bedroom and then return to the closet after being spotted by the daughter. The caller said his wife has also seen the figure.

    Bumper Music