Our solar system in the balance

By Ethel C. Fenig

OMG! Where is Al Gore when you need him? While he's been babbling about global warming in this way below average temperature spring, according to this AFP report

Earth-Venus smash-up possible in 3.5 billion years: study A force known as orbital chaos may cause our Solar System to go haywire, leading to possible collision between Earth and Venus or Mars, according to a study released Wednesday.

Yeah, yeah 3.5 billion years may seem like a lot and because it isn't in most of our lifetimes the selfish, the uncaring will pooh! pooh! this threat. But if we want a world for our ever so many great grandchildren down the road, we have to do something expensive, something ineffectual and do it now so that our ever so many great grandchildren will be still paying it off in 3.5 billion years.

And of course they won't thank us for saving them. Kids are so ungrateful. However, if we don't raise the alarm and do something

Indeed, there is a 99 percent chance that the Sun's posse of planets will continue to circle in an orderly pattern throughout the expected life span of our life-giving star, another five billion years, the study found.

After that, the Sun will likely expand into a red giant, engulfing Earth and its other inner planets -- Mercury, Venus and Mars -- in the process.

Cap and trade for starters anyone?