The Thin Ice

As an indirect critique of Zubrin’s “Case for Mars”, Christopher McKay talks about the practicality and ethics of terraforming or “restoring” our red neighbour to accommodate (our) lifeforms. With atmospheric pressure at <one hundredth of Earth’s, average of -60^o Celsius (-76^oF), combined with strong UV radiation and lack of surface-water “complete the deadly mix of hostile environmental conditions” (McKay, 2007). McKay asserts that eventually we will take responsibility (Anthropocene-management?) for our planet, as our growing impact supersedes the Earth’s self-regulatory systems.

But should we just keep “hopping”? As we have in the past moved-on when resources have depleted from the environment, only now planet-to-planet? I believe someday we will move out into the stars, but is it wise to abandon our home-port before it is totally lost? What if our explorations prove unfruitful, and we have nowhere safe to fall back and recommence? I share this pioneering spirit, more out of a sense of wondrous fantasy and romanticism associated to the discovery of the “blank spaces”, but these are the accomplishments of thriving civilisations. As McKay argues “Mars is not useful as a ‘lifeboat’ to which humanity flees after having destroyed the Earth… any foreseeable technology for space travel involves only a very small number of travellers” for the near-future. Colonisation of Mars would be very small, and not a haven should a sterilisation event occur (supernova, Red Giant phase etc) as it would affect Mars too. Nor should we “disregard environmental principles on Earth” just by establishing base on Mars. 

In the future Mars may be useful as a “testing-ground” for biosphere-creation and study (McKay), or even as Zubrin says may fall prey to our other needs (resource extraction). Yet these monuments of technological endeavour and intrepid exploration seem dulled when we face the real situation of hundreds of millions world-wide suffering from solvable problems – hunger, shelter, poverty (not to over-generalise everyone who is materially “poor” to our standards as being “impoverished”), and the impending environmental dilemma. Surely it would be wise to look to saving our own planet in order to carry out these extra-planetary colonisations? And what if they fail, and earth has become inhospitable? This is the goldilocks planet, are we just bored with the taste of our own porridge?