Terraforming Essay - 950 Words

Terraforming Terraforming has been explored in science fiction for years, but improving technology, along with concerns such as population growth and expenditure of natural resources, are causing terraforming to become a possibility. Population growth is the most obvious reason for terraforming. The world’s population is expected to rise steadily for the next 50 years; although the rate of population growth decreases slightly each year, the world population is estimated to increase by about half its current size between 2004 and 2050 (1). Barring any disaster that could cause a dramatic population decrease, humans will eventually overrun the amount of space available on Earth. Another concern is the availability of the Earth’s natural†¦show more content†¦The upper class would likely unwilling to do the work that required to get a new colony started, possibly spurring a return of slave labor or indentured servitude. The rich would probably be willing to pay for servantsâ₠¬â„¢ travel and living expenses in exchange for manual labor. Moving to such a radically different environment would force humans to adapt to new conditions. The difference between gravities might cause humans to lose muscle mass and become smaller. The human body would probably begin to require less oxygen and become more dependent on an element that is abundant in the atmosphere. Humans would have to depend on uncustomary foods, as meat would not be readily available and Earth’s plants would likely require genetic alteration to survive in the new environment (3). A large amount of government money would go toward settling the new frontier, and as a result taxes and prices on everyday items could rise. Necessary commodities would have to be imported to the colony until it could become self-sufficient. As a result, people would probably be working overtime to meet the demand and resources would become scarce, which would lead to inflation. A new wave of inventions would proba bly arise to create a business market for the new territory. Eventually, a terraformed planet could even become a tourist destination. Terraforming another planet or satellite would be difficult and costly. A major requirement would be an atmosphere capable of sustaining humanShow MoreRelatedTerraforming Mars for Human Habitation1142 Words   |  5 Pages Terraforming Mars is the process of purposely changing the known properties of Mars to satisfy safe human habitation. In order to do this, we would have to use a 1000-year timeline. A thousand year timeline is best because it would give humans the time needed to change the atmosphere of Mars, change the temperature of Mars, grow food, and more. In order for the terraforming process to work, humans must permanently live on Mars for. For humans to permanently live on Mars, a fuel source mustRead MoreSustainability And Discredit Arguments For Space Exploration1473 Words   |  6 Pagesbillions of other believe to be legitimate many people jump to space exploration as the only answer. A popular concept is terraforming. Terraforming is the process of transforming a hostile environment into one suitable for human life. Being that Mars is the most Earth-like planet in our solar system, it is the best candidate for terraforming. It is believed that terraforming any planet would take centur ies for just the initial steps, and much longer for the entire process to be completed. The terraformationRead More Colonizing Planets other than Earth Essay1039 Words   |  5 Pagesincludes a process called terraforming, which is defined as transforming a planet into something resembling the earth, especially as regards to human habitation. This is widely thought of as Science Fiction - but 50 years ago so was just about everything that is commonplace today. What alternatives do we have? Are there any planets out there that are like enough to earth that they could be so transformed? The body most commonly thought of in association with terraforming is Mars. There areRead MoreThe Drowned World, Comedy, And Elegy1704 Words   |  7 Pages Ballard’s The Drowned World, the use of these literary forms frame the ideas of how climate change affects a future Earth and what that means for humanity. Furthermore, this work manifests different emerging trends of the Anthropocene such as terraforming, biotechnological de-extinction, and cosmopolitanism to portray an altered world. Tragedy exemplifies itself in many different forms throughout Ballard’s novel. This literary form is especially conveyed through the tragic role of Kerans and theRead MoreThe Human Race : Science And Math1632 Words   |  7 Pagesresources used up and no room left on the planet, it would be very tough to survive on Earth. With the growth of new technological advancements in science and with strong goals of space exploration, scientists have considered the possibility of terraforming mars. With the potential to start life on a new planet and make a new home for not just the human race, but for many species on Earth as well, it could most definitely help solve the devastating threats that we may soon face in the near futureRead MoreThe Expansion Of Space Architecture1610 Words   |  7 Pagesplanets is splendid, no doubt. But the stated argument for colonizing them as insurance policy in case of global disaster seems senseless. Yes, humanity definitely has to survive, but it goes to our Mother Earth too! Scientists often talk about ‘terraforming’ or ‘Earth-shaping’ different planets, deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature and surface topography similar to Earth in order to make it habitable by humankind. But what exactly could make the Earth literally uninhabitable? If peopleRead More Apophis Meteorite is Barrelling towards Earth805 Words   |  3 Pagesnot only one of our closest neighboring planets, but also has similar conditions to Earth. I know, it sounds all dusty and dry, but that doesnt mean we can’t make a few Earth-like changes. This is terraforming, changing another planet with potential for life to fit the needs of us humans. By terraforming Mars, we will be able to colonize it to ensure safety for the human race. Because we all want to be safe right? Turn on the news, or the weather channel. You will see something like, Snowstorm shutsRead MoreEssay on The Ethics of Terraformation3112 Words   |  13 PagesThe Ethics of Terraformation What is Terraformation? The point of terraforming is to change an uninhabitable terrestrial planet into one that can support human life on the surface. Terraforming is a massive undertaking, and it involves altering a whole planets climate, geology, and life. It entails the destruction of land masses and geological features billions of years old, elevating the global temperature, and flooding the surface with vast oceans. The most relevant to this discussionRead MoreFree Speech Policy Should Be Freedom Of Speech1029 Words   |  5 Pagesextending their worldview to the surrounding environment. These vocal activists are culturally terraforming the environment around them, using public shaming and soft threats as their means to keep voices they disagree with in check. The evidence of aggressive targeting by these activists already exists. Speakers have been uninvited; comedians have sworn off performing at campuses. This is cultural terraforming in action. When they graduate, they will take these va lues to their respective industriesRead MoreSpace Colonization : A New Frontier1710 Words   |  7 Pages Robert Sparrow makes Fogg’s argument less clear-cut in the article â€Å"The Ethics of Terraforming.† Rather than using preservationism, Sparrow uses agent-based ethics to deem that changing planets is not ethical. Sparrow’s agent-based ethics avoids the value problem by simply saying that the right choice is the virtuous choice, the choice that a perfectly virtuous person would do. Sparrow argues that by terraforming a planet, we are revealing two faults in character: â€Å"aesthetic insensitivity† and â€Å"sin