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> In an open system, an effectively infinite supply of natural raw materials can be used, and wasted, as needed. The Mars city solves this problem by building o
by angrygoat 7y ago
> In an open system, an effectively infinite supply of natural raw materials can be used, and wasted, as needed. The Mars city solves this problem by building on the surface of a planet that is made of all the raw materials it could need.
It makes me sad to think that exploration and settlement of the solar system would take with it this kind of thinking, which is dangerously close to rendering the Earth uninhabitable.
The Earth (and Mars...) are, in some sense, closed systems, in that exploitation of resources has a hard limit beyond which we're looking at biosphere collapse, or just plain resource exhaustion.
Maybe we could use space exploration to come up with a different way, and then roll that back into how we live here on Earth.
- netcan 7y agoIdk... To me, terms like "exploitation of resources" tend to be overloaded with connotations to "think past" concretely. People have a big impact on our environment, and the definition of "environment" keeps ratcheting up with the scale of humanity... As the number of people, the scale of our impact, and our knowledge of this impact our definition of "our environment" expands. That's not likely to change. We're not going back to our environmental niches and we're not going to be a impact-neutral observer of "the natural environment" either. We're going to maintain our place between gods and beasts, so to speak. That doesn't mean we don't/won't evolve. There is definitely no sense and future in bluntly walking in to environmental hard-limits like climate change, biodiversity crisis or any other pressing catastrophe. But.. perfecting ourselves to the point where we've "moved beyond" resource use shaped by our wants and needs, exploitation... In any case, I think the environmental ethos of the future can be left to future people. It will inevitably be shaped our ours' mistakes, and their consequences.
- twodave 7y agoI think a lot of those concerns disappear once you leave Earth. What makes our planet precious is how uncommon it is. The universe is incredibly vast, yet we have not observed life on any planet but our own. So to me whatever the cost is to a planet like Mars of putting life on its surface, that cost is well worth it (the planet certainly doesn’t mind). The only ones who might be offended by this idea are us Terrans.
- brain5ide 7y agoWe haven't tried that much planets yet, tbh.