October 30, 2016

The ethics of colonizing Mars

Illustration: Valles Marineris, Mars. Artwork of Valles Marineris canyon system as the Sun sets. It is found on Mars, the fourth planet in our Solar System. The Valles Marineris is over 4000 kilometres (km) long, up to 200 km wide and up to 7 km deep, dwarfing the Grand Canyon of Arizona, USA. The canyons are found on the southeastern edge of the Tharsis Bulge and were originally created by faulting during the formation of Tharsis. The canyons have been further worn down by water and wind erosion. Finally, slumping has helped widen the canyon so that the bottom is visible from space. Should we take ourselves to other planets? Human rationality and values have woven dark, damaged, all-powerful systems into the tapestry of civilization. Most notably: capitalism and consumerism. Do we see ourselves moving planet to planet, sucking life out of each one for our own survival? If we are to impress ourselves onto this universe, we must solemnly inquire about our impact on it. Read More

Source: TechCrunch