4 ms·

There are lots of deserts on earth that is pretty much uninhabited. If you are concerned about room for people, you can relax until these places are full as wel

There are lots of deserts on earth that is pretty much uninhabited. If you are concerned about room for people, you can relax until these places are full as well. Even the most inhospitable parts of the Sahara desert is much more hospitable than Mars. Its also much more accessible. There are plenty of good reasons for humans to go to Mars, but getting access to more space for people isn't one of them.

DoreenMichele 8y ago
If you are concerned about room for people, you can relax until these places are full as well. "Dig your well before you are thirsty." -- Proverb from somewhere or other. If we wait until we have completely run out of "room" -- and I am not really thinking of just warehousing people, but room to grow the food for them, etc and support the high quality of life that people in first world countries generally have and people in developing countries generally aspire to -- then you pretty much guarantee failure of that path. Developing options elsewhere takes quite a lot of time and resources. It won't happen overnight.
- lokedhs 8y ago
  My point is that no one has even started that effort here on earth. How about proving that we can provide that quality of life in the deserts of earth before we do it on another planet?
  - DoreenMichele 8y ago
    I lived in the Mojave Desert for 2.75 years, not far south of Death Valley at about 3000 feet above sea level. My quality of life was quite high. So I have no clue what you are talking about.
    - lokedhs 8y ago
      I don't know much about US geography but isn't that a much cooler area? In any case, I doubt the community was self sufficient. I'm suspecting that much if not all consumables were actually produced outside the desert.
      - DoreenMichele 8y ago
        It was about 115 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks straight in July one year. I routinely did my walking (for exercise) after dark because the temperature would drop down to a mere 99 degrees and the blazing sun being gone was wonderful. I was getting sunburned during the day just walking back and forth from house to car, car to building when I ran errands. It's one of the hottest, driest places in the US. Annual precipitation is about 6 inches a year. No, I'm sure the community was not self sufficient as it was a military base. Probably all food was shipped in from elsewhere. However, in California, a great deal of food in produced in the desert. They just irrigate. If you aren't that familiar with the US, I'm not sure how much I need to explain here.
        masonic 8y ago
        I was getting sunburned during the day just walking back and forth from house to car You don't get sunburn from heat, you get it from UV. You'd be less likely to get sunburn in Death Valley as you would in non-desert terrain above sea level (given similar exposure and albedo).
        DoreenMichele 8y ago
        You don't get sunburn from heat, you get it from UV. I'm aware of that. I think you misread something. I wasn't in Death Valley. I was near Death Valley. As stated above, I was about 3000 feet above sea level. Death Valley is below sea level. The sun is generally harsher at altitude and there wasn't a lot of vegetation, so there wasn't a lot of shade. So sunburn was a big issue there. I'm also part Irish. So it was more of an issue for me than for some people.

DoreenMichele 8y ago

If you are concerned about room for people, you can relax until these places are full as well. "Dig your well before you are thirsty." -- Proverb from somewhere or other. If we wait until we have completely run out of "room" -- and I am not really thinking of just warehousing people, but room to grow the food for them, etc and support the high quality of life that people in first world countries generally have and people in developing countries generally aspire to -- then you pretty much guarantee failure of that path. Developing options elsewhere takes quite a lot of time and resources. It won't happen overnight.

lokedhs 8y ago
My point is that no one has even started that effort here on earth. How about proving that we can provide that quality of life in the deserts of earth before we do it on another planet?
- DoreenMichele 8y ago
  I lived in the Mojave Desert for 2.75 years, not far south of Death Valley at about 3000 feet above sea level. My quality of life was quite high. So I have no clue what you are talking about.
  - lokedhs 8y ago
    I don't know much about US geography but isn't that a much cooler area? In any case, I doubt the community was self sufficient. I'm suspecting that much if not all consumables were actually produced outside the desert.
    - DoreenMichele 8y ago
      It was about 115 degrees Fahrenheit for two weeks straight in July one year. I routinely did my walking (for exercise) after dark because the temperature would drop down to a mere 99 degrees and the blazing sun being gone was wonderful. I was getting sunburned during the day just walking back and forth from house to car, car to building when I ran errands. It's one of the hottest, driest places in the US. Annual precipitation is about 6 inches a year. No, I'm sure the community was not self sufficient as it was a military base. Probably all food was shipped in from elsewhere. However, in California, a great deal of food in produced in the desert. They just irrigate. If you aren't that familiar with the US, I'm not sure how much I need to explain here.
      - masonic 8y ago
        I was getting sunburned during the day just walking back and forth from house to car You don't get sunburn from heat, you get it from UV. You'd be less likely to get sunburn in Death Valley as you would in non-desert terrain above sea level (given similar exposure and albedo).
        DoreenMichele 8y ago
        You don't get sunburn from heat, you get it from UV. I'm aware of that. I think you misread something. I wasn't in Death Valley. I was near Death Valley. As stated above, I was about 3000 feet above sea level. Death Valley is below sea level. The sun is generally harsher at altitude and there wasn't a lot of vegetation, so there wasn't a lot of shade. So sunburn was a big issue there. I'm also part Irish. So it was more of an issue for me than for some people.