mount a vigorous planetary defense from asteroids and comets

Whereas on the day this petition has been initiated, the Earth is narrowly avoiding a collision with Asteroid 2012 DA14 and a giant meteor explosion over Russia injured hundreds of people, and whereas new comets arrive on a completely random and unpredictable basis, and whereas such objects can destroy a city or even the entire human race, and whereas the 2010 report of the NASA Advisory Council Task Force on Planetary Defense advised that advance preparation is critical, we hereby respectfully request that the White House accord due urgency to seeking full funding for both detection and deflection technologies, including space-based observatories and research and testing of all possible means of diverting the whole range of sizes of objects on short notice.