The Ethics of Terraformation Essay -- Space Technology Science Essays

The Ethics of TerraformationWhat is Terraformation? The point of terraforming is to change an uninhabitable terrestrial major planet into one that can support human life on the surface. Terraforming is a massive undertaking, and it involves change a whole planets climate, geology, and life. It entails the destruction of land throng and geological features billions of years old, elevating the global temperature, and flooding the surface with vast oceans. The closely relevant to this discussion is the releasing of thousands of species from another planet to live and breed, altering the atmospheric makeup with every breath. 1Ever since terraformation was imagined years ago, community began to submit if it was ethical. Changing a whole planet to fit our desires seemed like a religious authority that doesnt fit in the hands of humans. attainment has developed since then and with it, changes in bioengineering. We ar playing God to a degree that not even science fiction could imagin e. But give birth we actually changed? We read in the news or see on the television everyday about parties of environmental protesters lobbying for protection of natural resources or preservation of our national parks. The majority of the public believes that our environment requires our immediate attention.2On Mars it will be the same. There will be individuals who are pro-terraforming and those who are against it. There will be extremists and neutralists. In Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson, the sides are designated by colors. Greens, or terraforming supporters, are in uninterrupted conflict with the Reds.3 These have become the most common terms for describing people involved in terraformation debates. Why Mars? People have been entrance wit... ....6 Hamilton7 Hamilton8 Hamilton9 Hamilton10 NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mars Exploration Rover Mission, 2004, California represent of Technology, 10 Feb. 2004, <http//marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040112a.h tml 11 NASA.12 NASA.13 Graham.14 Graham15 Graham16 Moore17 DeVincenzi, D. L., P. Stabekis, and J. Barengoltz, tad of Planetary Protection Policy for Mars Missions, Adv. Space Res., 1996 Vol. 18, No. 1 <http//library.thinkquest.org/11967/ppp4m.html?tqskip1=118 DeVincenzi19 Terraforming Mars, 2002, Science Forum, 13 Feb. 2004, <http//www.sciencegroups.com/viewtopic.php?t=991520 Barbour, Ian G., Ethics is an Age of Technology, (San Francisco Harper San Francisco, 1991) 66.21 Barbour, 64.22 Barbour, 69.23 Barbour, 79.