Good to see someone is resisting this 'environment' scam.

I'm sure they own a rainforest or two to offset the odd launch here and there

That the privileged few will be given an escape route to a new life in the off world colonies, their every whim catered for by murderous Nexus-6 replicants made by the Bosch corporation.

I am sure that the plane was going to make the flight anyway, and space-rockets are our best bet for escaping this rotting planet at the moment, as neither teleportation nor warp-drive have yet made it into the realms of reality.

"space-rockets are our best bet for escaping this rotting planet"

We really are completely screwed then.

admit it, Mr. Williams. You just wanna win the prize.

*gasp* that's it! this story is mere propaganda to keep others from entering so the writer can win his shuttle launch visit! Pure genius! :)

Being witness to a shuttle launch is one of the things I must do before I die-I've been witness to only one *truly* loud situation-the takeoff roar of the Concorde at full throttle. Next on the LOUD scale is a shuttle launch (I want to get reeal close). Finally, to cap it off, I want to witness an above ground nuclear test. Doesn't get much louder than that!:)

Beware of your plan works, Mr. Williams. the humidity in Orlando, any time of year, is atrocious. ;)

The international flight will involve a fair bit of carbon, and the Solid Rocket Boosters on the side aren't nice chemicals, but the Space Shuttle Main Engines are hydrogen fueled: the giant orange tank is a container of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, which is supposed to be The Fuel Of The Future(TM), as we're always being told.

(Of course, producing that hydrogen isn't clean, but burning it only produces water.)

Rotting planet? I take it you're based in London then!