Inspect the photograph, above.  It's a view of Lake Erie from space.  The green iridescence isn't, of course, a coral reef or a product of pristinity. Reports NASA, the agency that took the picture: "The green scum shown in this image is the worst algae bloom Lake Erie has experienced in decades."

The cause is nitrates and other unnatural materials (agricultural fertilizer, runoff, and who knows what else) finding its way into the Great Lake that divides the US from Canada and around which millions of people live and vacation.  Read a story at Huffington Post about the algae phenomenon and the implications for aquatic life by clicking here.

Beneath the reach of NASA and its network of satellites as well as recent shace shuttle missions and crews headed to the International Space Station, several outfits closer to the ground but still high above have distinguished themselves for giving us a view of our terrestrial ant hill.  One is EcoFlight, founded and led by the incomparable bush pilot Bruce Gordon;  another is SkyTruth ; and a third is the granddaddy, Lighthawk. all of which are dedicated to building public enlightenment about threats to the environment caused by landscape-level development.

Not long ago, Wildlife Art Journal magazine featured an aeronaut-photographer named Christopher Boyer who has done overflights for a number of prominent clients, including documentary film crews, while also amassing his own portfolio of art photography along the way.  His eye is drawn to patterns and the contrasts between those created by nature versus those etched by the human touch. You can have an exclusive glimpse of more than two dozen Boyer images by clicking forth here to the Wildlife Art Journal story and interview.