NASA
From 250 miles up, astronauts have an unparalleled view of Earth. They can also easily see the devastating effects of climate change and pollution as they ravage the planet. 
That's why past and present astronauts from around the world have contributed to a new video, called "Call to Earth," that urges world leaders to take action.
It's an inspiring collection of pleas, but also a sobering and gut-wrenching one: If we don't clean up our act as a species, and fast, we could irreversibly mar the only home that we've got in the solar system.
Here are the some of the most salient quotes from the video.Astronauts have a bird's eye view of Earth from the International Space Station.
And the effects of human activity are quickly catching up with us, say a group of astronauts in a video directed at politicians.
EPA/Noah Berger
It's amazing just how fragile the atmosphere looks from
space, said one astronaut. All we have is a thin film of air to protect us.
space, said one astronaut. All we have is a thin film of air to protect us.
"When you look at your planet from space, it's beautiful, fragile, and there's this little thin layer all the way around: our atmosphere. And that's the only thing that protects us from the really bad vacuum in outer space. This little fragile layer, the atmosphere, is part of our life support system. We need to be really careful with it." —Mary Cleave, American astronaut
Another pointed out that the atmosphere is something we all share.
"Our atmosphere connects us all. What happens in Africa affects North America. What happens in North America affects Asia." —Dan Barry, American astronaut. Space also affords a view of human destruction since the dawn of the industrial age.
"Less than 550 humans have orbited the Earth. Those of us lucky enough to have done so more than once have not only heard about the negative impact that the industrial age has had on our planet, we've seen it with our own eyes." —Michael López-Alegría, American astronaut.
Ongoing human catastrophes are easily visible, too, like deforestation.
"The view from space is just breathtaking. And at the same time we recognize deforestation and wild fires, and so on, which are related to climate change." —Naoko Yamazaki, Japanese astronaut.
It's also easy to see lakes dry up and pollution spread.
"We astronauts have been witnessing the continued shrinking of the Aral Sea, the burning rainforests along the Amazon and in Indonesia, the polluted air over industrial zones, and the dirty water at the river deltas." —Ernst Messerschmid, German astronaut.
If we don't act now on climate change, things could spiral out of our control.
If we don't act now on climate change, things could spiral out of our control.
"This is the biggest problem the world has to face right now. And we're at a point now where we really have to take action and make the changes to try to ward off the worst effects which might come down the pipe." —Greg Linteris, American astronaut
People in power must work together if we want to temper climate change and its disruptive force, the astronauts say.
People in power must work together if we want to temper climate change and its disruptive force, the astronauts say.
It's also crucial that we educate future generations to be far better stewards than we have been.
"Our course would be better served if in addition to what [the Paris climate change] conference seeks to achieve, this world body focuses also equally on educating the next generation so that it grows up with the understanding that sustainable development is impossible if it is accompanied by non-sustainable consumption." —Rakesh Sharma, Indian cosmonaut
We're the only caretakers of Earth, the astronauts say, and it's our job to watch over of the planet.
We're the only caretakers of Earth, the astronauts say, and it's our job to watch over of the planet.
"We are citizens of space, and stewards of Earth. We need to take actions to build [a] global climate alliance in order to protect our environment." —Soichi Noguchi, Japanese astronaut.
One astronaut compared the Earth to having cancer, just like him, in a heartbreaking message.
One astronaut compared the Earth to having cancer, just like him, in a heartbreaking message.
YouTube/Planetary Collective
"Suppose I can transfer the experience which I have to you. Then you would go out and see the Earth. And when you have let's say the spirit and the insight and the attitude of an astronaut, you start to love the Earth. And if you really love something, you don't want to lose it. Our Earth has cancer. I have cancer, too." —Wubbo Ockels, Dutch astronaut
He died the day after recording his message.
He died the day after recording his message.
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