The fool's errand of martian colonization

submitted by casparvoneverecBig tiddy respecter from (self.debatealtright)

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[–]literalotherkinNorm MacDonald Nationalism 6 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 0 fun7 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I think nearly all of those problems can be overcome. We even have just with current technology the ability to artificially create a protective magnetic shield with a spacecraft that could protect Mars from the cosmic radiation and act much like our own magnetic field does. We also don't have a great idea of exactly what kind of mineral resources we might find under the martian surface.

We're a long way away but from my reading nearly all of the problems you describe have solutions.

Make deserts of Australia, China and central Asia green.

My grandfather was a civil engineer who worked a lot in the hydro sector and had this grand plan to artificially create an inland sea in the Australian desert to do this very thing. Family legend has it that he even discussed it with government ministers.

[–][deleted] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

inland sea in the Australian desert

I'm sure if you threw enough time, money and resources at it, you could turn the Sahara back into the lush jungle it was in prehistoric days...which raises the question...why the hell would you? Any sort of benefit–cost analysis would never come anywhere close to justifying it.