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A plausible future project is the settlement of humans on other planets of the Solar System, "terraformed" for this
purpose. This word describes the artificial creation of conditions to support humans in a foreign environment. Thus, one day, towards the end of our star's life, when the Sun
develops into a red giant and expands to heat the outer parts of the
solar system, Mars or Titan could become a new home, providing a
temporary shelter to the human race. Temporary that is, because it
would not be sufficient for a long stay. Humans would have to move on
at some point and ultimately leave our Solar System altogether. The colonisation of the Moon has no equivalent in human
history. The United States, for example, was colonised by agricultural
societies and provided an immediate and considerable benefit in the
riches of that time, e.g., gold and land. The Moon, on the other hand, will be colonised by a post-industrial
high-technology society, in which gold and land are not of primary
value. In our time, it would be a better parallel to compare the
occupation of the Moon with the establishments of advanced and
isolated outposts in Antarctica or the North Coast of Alaska or
Greenland. By terraforming other worlds, will we destroy their natural
environments? Yes, to a certain extent of course, but given the
difficulties and costs involved, it will clearly take a very long time
before humanity will exert a major influence, e.g. on Mars. Neither the Moon or the asteroids are severely threatened through
the use of their resources, but here, as in other cases, it will be
necessary to establish a relevant legal system well in advance to
avoid any excesses. This must also include the regulation of the tools
used - for instance, do we wish to export nuclear technology into space? And astronomers are very much against certain rather wild ideas,
such as those discussed in the 1950s, of exploding Jupiter in order to
recover the metal hidden in its tiny core!
Life in the Universe |
Last updated October 31, 2001
Terraforming