Human beings should not colonize other planets or satellites, prepare for or invest in colonization activities, or even explore space with the intent of finding suitable solar system or extra-solar bodies to support life. Our home planet is being exhausted and its existing plant and animal life are being obliterated at an alarming rate. Human population is growing despite disease, famine, and warfare, our life is being extended, and the future only brings more life that is human through advances in medicine and science. It is generally accepted that human life is more important than other life and that nothing should stand in the way of progress of the species. The predominant religious organizations, based on ideals thousands of years old, promote population growth while hindering its controls and provide a license to the slaughter of animals and exploitation of resources. Individual nation states have much to gain from increased human population within their borders and most governing bodies favor those actions, which can be achieved within the terms of office of their leaders. The world’s corporations have the most influence over the actions of governments but these organizations favor short-term profits and cannot be trusted to guard against the consumption of the planet. A case could be made that profit, in terms of tithes and taxes, is also responsible for the religious and government organizations’ opposition to population control and thus the inevitable exhaustion of everything. Psychologically and evolutionarily, humans attach importance to reproduction, membership in groups, and the increased size of those groups, which like other species, unchecked, can wreak havoc on the environment. One might suggest that with an outlook this bleak that we should, with haste, seek a new home to support human life. This idea has some merit if we are interested in the preservation of the human species but it assumes that the species is worthy of preservation. Of course, humans think that humans are important and their accomplishments are worth preserving. Now, consider that with the location and exploration of a new suitable home, what is to stop humanity from continuing to exploit her home planet? We must not invigorate the further extermination of planet Earth. In addition, what is tractable about a species that destroys its environment and ultimately its home and exploits to extinction all other species in this world? Might we be unleashing a scourge of destruction on the rest of the universe? Despite fleeting spurts of extreme beauty or befuddled attempts at conservation, most of our achievements are those that actually help to exploit and over utilize the planet. An intelligent species that preserves it’s sister species and its environment might be worthy of expansion to other worlds. Humanity has not yet shown itself worthy of extraterrestrial colonization. I am an amature astronomer and love the stars and solar system including the planet earth. I am especially excited about life's symbotic relationships like wasp to orchid or galaxy to resident black hole.
Agree ... But don't you see? It's the same old record playing. Instead of the church promising you a heaven in an afterlife if you don't make waves, it's the government and corporations promising you new planets to colonize if you don't put up a stink about how the planet is being devastated. Welcome aboard ... Chagur
Welcome to sciforums, gregorx. The assumptions are what we are made of, to think that way. We as a collective whole did not redesign ourselves to think otherwise. Now, say you are right and we will not only destroy this planet but anywhere we go. What are you going to do about it? Is there a switch you are going to turn on that just changes the way you think it should be. People have been shouting the sky is falling for thousands of years. All we see is that the sky has not fallen. We destroy flora and fauna to build track houses. We breed voraciously in the name of the religion. We maintain the weak and genetically defect from birth which nature would otherwise have aborted. We stock pile nuclear waste because we can not agree on living in peace. What are you going to do? Talking like a chicken little will not help! If you have seen the movie Contact or read the book by the same name by Carl Sagan, you will remember a dialog: "All in small steps..." It does take a village....but we will get there...
Thanks for the welcome and replies! [What to do?] I was thinking that some sort of organized effort against colonizing space especially from astronomy enthusiasts might get some attention in the media. Of course these enemies (corp., church, state) are extraordinary opponents but then there is usually some support for the underdog.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! This is a little step... You never really hear opposition to space colonization or to future imperialism of the stars and this is something that I think about often so I wrote my first post to this group about that.
There is nothing wrong in creating your first impression. All we in this group do is point out alternatives. Sometimes the result can be a brilliant idea one gets and runs with it while others watch. And sometimes we get frustrated as some members do not understand the underlying argument. anyway... Imperialism: By definition, all species do it. It is an inborn, genetic trait of our universe. It is improbable that we will pullback. Think about it - Plants, Animals, blackholes, comets.... Space colonization: we do not have the money or ready for that yet. But if you must, then we have to leave USA because we colonized it. We can go backward in time to remove every species that moved from their birth place. As a matter of fact, you can not get out from your Mother's womb. If you have the right to do so, so is mankind from our womb (planet Earth). Just a thought...
Welcome to the forums gregorx! I have one small delimma with this. We are not only rapidly consuming renewables but also nonrenewable resources. So if we wait until everything is gone we are screwed! There will be no oppturtunity to go back and say we made a mistake so lets build a ship to get us resourses. Yes we think that we are THE important species on the planet. Guess what? We are.
Hi All, I tend to think that as things look worse (i.e. resources running low etc) and human life spans are in the hundreds of years (that is on our doorstep so lets not ignore it) Science and governament will be much more inclined to make efforts to find a new place to live. I'm pretty confident that if that happens we'll start hearing OH WOW the universe is just overflowing with earth like or compatible planets for colonisation!!!! and Oh Great!! a new propulsion system...blah blah blah I'm sure there's a saying that would fit well here something about necessity being the mother of enginuity (sp?) or something like that. anyways we will colonise other planets and systems it's inevitable it's in our nature...good or bad it will happen.
I think that what I am hearing is that this is our nature. Isn't murder also our nature and mostly we do not murder. Yes, things are running out and yes we are screwed but that is just what this post is really trying to convey. The point is there is still time to fix things and by having the carrot of extraterra colonization we alleviate the importance of this fact. Also by pointing out that we do not deserve a new home when we lost our existing home to greed and self importance we draw attention to other things that we can fix. For example, human cloning seems like a logical next step in excrementing ourselves in to the future but current public opinion is deterring investment and actually governments are banning work in this area. This cloning is not evil or that different from any other reproduction it is just still more ways to make more humans and that is IMO the problem after all. Wait a minute. YES it is our nature and that is why we must not colonize other worlds. This is a nature that is not worth spreading. Unleashing a pest of this magnitude is really just wrong. Maybe we should start a grass roots campaign to inject sentiment to the effect that leaving the planet is wrong because {insert higher power here} created this world for us. I think I will go find some wacko religious boards and post something to this effect. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
There is no reason to get frustrated. If you believe in that higher power, let that higher poer guide us to do the right thing. The wacko religious boards - as you put it, do more harm in the name of the religion to the society than all the deaseses and suffering on this planet. By the way, it is not man's nature to kill its own kind. Otherwise the species would not have survived this long. Whether we will survive in the future is another story.
Not saying one damn thing about religion... Since religion sneaks into many threads I'm gonna avoid it if it isn't part of the original thread, unless I'm offended, then I'll reconsider. About extraterra colonization. Though this crushes my sci-fi dreams of living on Mars or the moon, you're right in the short term, and wrong too. We should look more closely at Earth's situation and try to fix it. Then again, space exploration and travel takes up little amount of money, and investment when you look at it from the Federal Budget. For that minimal expense, we get a fair amount of knowledge about the human body and space, not a really bad investment. The public hasn't decided that moving to another planet will solve our problems, and they haven't realized we need to more to prevent ourselves from becoming extinct. We need to choose the latter, the want to go to outer space isn't causing our problem, we've been ignoring Earth, not being distracted by space dreams. Until the Earth is a bit more situated, we shouldn't try to colonize another planet unless it can be done so economically that we can transport large segments of the populous and get a lot of resources back. Stay positive, and pursue whatever idea you see fit to pursue.
Let me try: im·pe·ri·al·ism n. 1. The policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations. 2. The system, policies, or practices of such a government. Let us divide our human time line in to 3 phase. Phase 1: Dawn of mankind to 1980 Phase 2: 1981 to 2080 Phase 3: 2080 and beyond In phase 1: we created kings, governments and extended our authority by territorial acquisition and force (kill) We are now in phase 2: where we extend our authority by economic and political means. It will be mostly economic means. Phase 3 will provide us extension by necessity as a collective whole having created a giant Earth hegemony (Basically a World Government). This is where we would be heading out for colonization. Now , You could notice that in phase two, we use political, cultural and economic means to connect the world with willing partners. No killing is involved. Again, in phase 3, we may resort to violence against species unknown so as to colonize. The formula does not prevent that - for survival. So both statements are true but not necessarily absolute - nothing is.
Galaxy Quest I believe that it is inevitable or a “given” that man will colonize other planets. Logically, our moon should be looked at as our first heavenly body outpost. By proving that the moon is really not the arid orb the Apollo studies determined it to be, Prospector may have turned the frozen regolith into the most valuable real estate in the solar system. Humans can go almost anywhere--as long as they have a supply of water. That's especially true in space exploration. There are plans already in the works for colonizing the moon. Would you consider being one of the pioneers to live on the moon? Isn't hard enough to date on earth? How do they plan on colonizing the moon - sending couples only? What will the babies of those colonists be called? Moonlings? Moonies? Lunarians? How will we except those colonists when they come to "vacation" on earth? Will they be classified as "alien" even though their DNA is fully Homosapien? What governmental body will preside over the Moon or any other planet we inhabit? The USA? France? Will they have their own?
Welcome to Sciforums, Monolith. May your posts be long and varied! Governmental body? How 'bout the United Nations? Unless we want to encourage the same attitudes that we carry on earth. In that case, whoever sent them up. I don't think that would work long though. Increasing efforts such as the ISS is a multicountry endeavour. And any colony would eventually make the ISS look like upkeep on a taxi as opposed to upkeep on a commercial aircraft. With 1/6th gravity I would think it rare that anyone who settled on the moon would want to visit the earth. And because of such, it would be a more likely thing to explore the solar system on the cheap. Who knows what riches you might find being the first. As far as fixing the planet goes; This goes back to the argument about waiting till your house is in order before sending out the scouts. Never happen. IMHO, it would be smarter to start the colony efforts. Just as space exploration has driven the technology as needs and demands came, so will colonization. There will be those things needed to be solved for long term habitation. Those very solutions will eventually find applications here on earth. For the betterment of the enviroment.
I think that we will end up colonizing the moon either way you look at it, the way we are eating up the worlds resources and farmlands we will have to find somewhere to farm, so either we go, or the farms do, and I think the people would last longer.
Welcome to Sciforms, Sphinx321. I do not believe that I have so welcomed you. I don't think farming will be the driver. We can all ready grow food hydrophonically. Not only that but food manufactures regularly make such with artifical ingredients. (Been watching the news lately?) Resources will be the driver, or the lack thereof.
Human Nature and Spirit Gregorex: Don't you think that perhaps this is our destiny as a species to evolve and expand into new environments? Amongst all the negative characteristics humans possess - we carry redeeming and positive qualities as well. It is amazing to me still, that we can even talk about this like we are - leaving messages on the internet, discussing futuristic ideas not as crazy ideas, but as "realistic" concepts. What is wrong with spreading our ideals and continuing the pioneering spirit? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
That's exacly it, there is nothing wrong with it. Because of the internet you can find like minded people to communicate with. To share ideas with. Part of making things happen is to visualize what you want, to think of it as so. In this case it will take the hue and cry of the public, one voice at a time added to the rest until it is heard. What better way to be heard? What better way to prepare when nothing is yet being done in the sense of getting us there today. It is the closest heavenly body to us and as such makes an ideal training grounds. It is close enough for our feeble excuses that we now call space craft to be able reach. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0108/moon8_mandel_big.jpg
