Could the usa feed the world with the cash they have wasted on nasa and space?

Question

Been to the moon - done that

Answer 1

No,

But, because we have a space program we are able to predict weather and so help farmers.

We are using landstat satellites to find out things just below the surface and this information gives us extra knowledge on past conditions, where water used to run, where it might be, and what kind of soil exists in certain locations. This gives farmers a better idea on how to plan their crops and fields.

Modern farmers use the GPS satellites to correctly plant their fields and to control the machines that plant and harvest those crops.

Now they are developing robots that can replace migrant workers to pick crops. The US needs to do this because we have shot ourselves in the economic foot by blocking migrant workers from our work pool and fields.

The advanced technology we get from programs like the space program can be used to improve our everyday lives and even in things like farming.

I can tell you WHERE the money and food can come from that is currently being wasted; ethanol production. Currently we are diverting corn from feeding cows (causing the price of milk to rise) and other products to use in it government subsidized ethanol production. While this gives us an additive that extends our fuel supply, it is more expensive and it is a waste of food that we need. There are also other plants that produce more ethanol than corn, but that technology hasn't been worked on enough.

Technology doesn't have all the answers, but it has a huge number of them. Humanity got to the point where it could supply its own food, through crops, by technology. Turning your back on technology is not the answer to the problem. USING that technology to help solve our problems is the best solution.

Answer 2

No. And-wasted? What about all the crops that are saved or yields tha ta re improved by our weather and land resource satellites. What about the tens of thousands of lives saved every year by medical technology NASA has developed.

NASA's budget--if youent every penny on food--couldn't end hunger in even one medium sized third-world nation. But the technology and knowledge we gain already is helping us produce far more.

And it would be much greater still if it wern't for the opposition of ignorant people who don't know the first thing about where all the nice technology comes from.

Like your computer. Do you know where the basic technology came from so you could post your "question?" the space program--that's where.

Answer 3

To answer your question, no the US couldn't. It's hard to feed anyone with no money. I say no money, because no money has been wasted on NASA and "space". NASA is one of the most productive and beneficial government agencies around. That computer you typed your question on wouldn't be there if it wasn't for NASA. Weather forcasting would not be possible without NASA. Cell phones would be pretty much impossible without NASA. Pretty much any cool or beneficial modern technology can trace its roots back to NASA or at the very least back to some kind of influence they've had.

Answer 4

NO NASA's entire yearly budget is 7/10 of 1% of the yearly budget of the federal government. That's seven tenths of one percent. I don't think you could feed the world on that.
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If you think space exploration is a waste of money you need to open your mind. The problems of the world are not going to go away by throwing money at them.
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Answer 5

Consider this:

All the starving children you see on TV today didn't exist 20 years ago. In fact most of them didn't even exist 10 or even 5 years ago.

Had you spend all the money that has been spent on NASA to this date, to feed starving people 20 years ago, today you would be penniless and there'd be even more starving people ot feed.

If you want to end hunger you actually can't just throw money at the problem. Most hunger in the world today exists for political reasons such civil war, poor resource management, and poor management. The rest of it exists due to drought, widespread illness such as HIV which keep farmers from tending their farms, and the fact that people in places that are prone to all of this have a tendancy to have large numbers of children even when there's no food to eat.

And to Dr_Anders, how would you get that left over food to them and distribute it before it spoils?

Answer 6

Here's a sad fact - the money spent on one big-budget movie is far more than NASA will ever see! Which do you think is more worthwhile to the human race - space research (the results of which benefit all mankind with advances in technology) or an entertaining movie?

Answer 7

I don't know why people keep targeting NASA with this tired argument. The money spent on NASA and space is one of the few good ways in which the US spends money, feeding humanity's hopes and aspirations.

Answer 8

They could feed a lot more people with the money they spend in just one month on war.
NASA's budget is 16 billion dollars for 2007.
Homeland Security's budget for 2007 is 44 billion.
And the war in Iraq has cost over 1 trillion dollars with no end it sight and nothing to show for it but dead American soldiers.

War - done that many times.

Answer 9

Hmmmm. I doubt it - I don't think *any* money has been wasted on space.

Besides - we spend 100 TIMES NASA's budget on just trying to feed the US - and it still has a ways to go.

Answer 10

I wouldn't say that money was "wasted".
Money spent on war could be far better spent on feeding the worlds poor, and also education. A lot of damage has been done by certain people teaching starving people that using contraception is a sin, and it is better to have more babies than can be supported, increasing overall suffering. A lot of connies could be bought with war money also.