Are we going to Mars to save our behinds?

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Space travel is on of my favourite dreams. Since all those old Flash Gordon flicks, I have been intrigued with what’s up there. Our landing on the Moon had me outside to look at the Moon, then inside to see the lunar landing on TV.

For a night in 1969 I was a kid again. But that was 50 ago. We never did colonize the Moon as I had dreamed about. But today there’s a big rush to colonize Mars.

Granted the Red Planet is within reach thanks to technology. But that’s just for exploration. If you’re being sold on the idea of colonizing Mars as humanity’s second chance because we’ve burned out Earth’s usefulness, here a lesson in fiction and fact.

Fiction – we’ll just terra-form Mars. Then we can walk around in T-shirts and sandals. Fact – terra-forming Mars would take hundreds of years and infinite cash. Proponents often gloss over this by telling us we can create a breathable atmosphere on Mars by doing something we’re already good at – pumping tons of carbon dioxide into the Martian atmosphere. It could work, but there’s a problem – a very big problem.

Mars has no molten iron core swirling around to create an electro-magnetic field or magnetosphere. That’s what protects Earth from having its atmosphere blown away. Our magnetosphere directs deadly solar winds and radiation out and around our fragile little blue ball. Without it we’d be fried like the beacon at Saturday morning breakfast. And what would be left of our atmosphere would be noxious fumes.

That’s what happened on Mars. As Mars cooled so did its core. Eventually the core cooled to the point that it no longer rotated. Mars lost its magnetosphere along with its atmosphere. Solar radiation took over turning Mars into a dead end planet.

Rather than resurrect a dead horse, let’s take care of the one we’re riding now.

The problems are many. We have nearly reached the point where our food production and baby making are no longer balanced. We have to put the brakes on reproducing. Why bring a baby into a future world where it will starve to death?

Today’s technology can help turn deserts into fields of crops. Not to mention the fact that genetically-engineered grains and vegetables can be grown in greater numbers and in less-than-perfect conditions.

Let’s save our home planet. Because in the end, how are you going to transport 9 billion people to another one?

Stargazing By John Crossen

Questions or comments? Contact johnstargazer@nexicom.net

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