The Ethics of Terraformation Essay -- Space Technology Science Essays

The 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 planet's 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 discussion is the releasing of thousands of species from another planet to live and breed, altering the atmospheric makeup with every breath. [1] Ever since terraformation was imagined years ago, people began to ask if it was ethical. Changing a whole planet to fit our desires seemed like a religious authority that doesn’t fit in the hands of humans. Science has developed since then and with it, changes in bioengineering. We are "playing God" to a degree that not even science fiction could imagine. But have 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.[2] On 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 constant conflict with the "Reds".[3] These have become the most common terms for describing people involved in terraformation debates. Why Mars? People have been captivated wit... .... [6] Hamilton [7] Hamilton [8] Hamilton [9] Hamilton [10] NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mars Exploration Rover Mission, 2004, California Institute of Technology, 10 Feb. 2004, <http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040112a.html > [11] NASA. [12] NASA. [13] Graham. [14] Graham [15] Graham [16] Moore [17] DeVincenzi, D. L., P. Stabekis, and J. Barengoltz, Refinement of Planetary Protection Policy for Mars Missions, Adv. Space Res., 1996 Vol. 18, No. 1 <http://library.thinkquest.org/11967/ppp4m.html?tqskip1=1> [18] DeVincenzi [19] Terraforming Mars, 2002, Science Forum, 13 Feb. 2004, <http://www.sciencegroups.com/viewtopic.php?t=9915> [20] 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.