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Distance from Earth seems like a huge downside, not a benefit. Even if our climate goes to shit it will still be far more livable than Venus. So, as you say, t

Distance from Earth seems like a huge downside, not a benefit. Even if our climate goes to shit it will still be far more livable than Venus. So, as you say, there's only one benefit, 0.9g, and is that really enough to justify this entire thing? To be honest it seems like people are clutching at straws to justify space colonisation

shiroiushi 2y ago
Distance from Earth would be a benefit in case of nuclear war, which currently looks highly likely at some point. Even if humans aren't eradicated, it would probably be a civilization-ending event, and not many places would be safe. However, it does seem like some kind of giant submarine might be more feasible and cheaper. But yeah, 0.9g doesn't seem like enough of a draw to make it economically feasible.
- bowsamic 2y ago
  > it would probably be a civilization-ending event, and not many places would be safe But you need a civilisation on Earth in order to maintain a Venus cloud city anyway
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    That's absolutely correct I believe. I don't see how such a colony would be self-sustaining without some big advances in technology (at which point you might as well just build a space habitat with low gravity).
- rkagerer 2y ago
  Yeah, but sadly anyplace we can send a bunch of humans to, we can figure out how to send a nuke to as well. And if leaders on the homeworld are crazy enough to turn Earth into a wasteland, I'm not sure how confident I'd be they wouldn't point their threat at your colony (which might look like an enticing bargaining chip).
  - shiroiushi 2y ago
    Bargaining chip for what exactly? The colony wouldn't have any kind of resources, except the wealth of its residents, but that wealth would all be tied up in bank accounts back on Earth. If Earth gets turned into a wasteland, the colony will probably die because I don't see how it could possibly survive without regular supply missions from Earth, and that depends on things on Earth not getting too horrible. Also, if Earth became a literal wasteland, all the wealth those rich people on Venus had would be gone: it's just numbers in computers after all.
    - rkagerer 2y ago
      Bargaining chip as in "We'll raze the last hope for humanity unless you yield concession X".
      - shiroiushi 2y ago
        You're not answering the question. What concession? What do a bunch of old people in the clouds of Venus have to bargain with? What resources do they control?
        rkagerer 2y ago
        They aren't bargaining with the colony, they're bargaining with the nation that sent its citizens there (or any nation that views the survival of the colony as important enough to make other concessions). It's like a criminal that points a gun at your kid and threatens to shoot unless you do X.

shiroiushi 2y ago

Distance from Earth would be a benefit in case of nuclear war, which currently looks highly likely at some point. Even if humans aren't eradicated, it would probably be a civilization-ending event, and not many places would be safe. However, it does seem like some kind of giant submarine might be more feasible and cheaper. But yeah, 0.9g doesn't seem like enough of a draw to make it economically feasible.

bowsamic 2y ago
> it would probably be a civilization-ending event, and not many places would be safe But you need a civilisation on Earth in order to maintain a Venus cloud city anyway
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  That's absolutely correct I believe. I don't see how such a colony would be self-sustaining without some big advances in technology (at which point you might as well just build a space habitat with low gravity).
rkagerer 2y ago
Yeah, but sadly anyplace we can send a bunch of humans to, we can figure out how to send a nuke to as well. And if leaders on the homeworld are crazy enough to turn Earth into a wasteland, I'm not sure how confident I'd be they wouldn't point their threat at your colony (which might look like an enticing bargaining chip).
- shiroiushi 2y ago
  Bargaining chip for what exactly? The colony wouldn't have any kind of resources, except the wealth of its residents, but that wealth would all be tied up in bank accounts back on Earth. If Earth gets turned into a wasteland, the colony will probably die because I don't see how it could possibly survive without regular supply missions from Earth, and that depends on things on Earth not getting too horrible. Also, if Earth became a literal wasteland, all the wealth those rich people on Venus had would be gone: it's just numbers in computers after all.
  - rkagerer 2y ago
    Bargaining chip as in "We'll raze the last hope for humanity unless you yield concession X".
    - shiroiushi 2y ago
      You're not answering the question. What concession? What do a bunch of old people in the clouds of Venus have to bargain with? What resources do they control?
      - rkagerer 2y ago
        They aren't bargaining with the colony, they're bargaining with the nation that sent its citizens there (or any nation that views the survival of the colony as important enough to make other concessions). It's like a criminal that points a gun at your kid and threatens to shoot unless you do X.