Hi,

>Rick wrote:
>This could be done in conjuntion with a terraforming project. People
>could gradually expand into the canyons as the rest of the planet
>became habitable.

Sorry to burst your habitat bubble. But you can't terraform Mars.
http://www.geocities.com/alt_cosmos/whymars.html
Even if you tried, any water will flow down into the canyons where your
habitats are.

>Rick wrote:
>I remember reading of how in the early days of colonizing Australia, cow
>manure didn't break down. Pats began coating the ground.
>Turned out that the ships bringing the cattle had kept the decks
>washed. Thus getting rid of the bacteria that broke down the cow
>manure.

The bacteria that breaks down the manure is in the cows intestines or in
the ground. Washing the decks of boats would have no effect whatsoever.
It's the bacteria in the Australia soil that was unaccustomed to the manure
and so took longer to break it down.

>Someday we may see a spaceship with a load of well-rotted manure
>heading out to a space colony.

U.S.S. Manure, Ammonia class starship LOL

Michael
in Australia
http://www.geocities.com/alt_cosmos/index.html

http://www.redcolony.com/articles/030613.html

It long shot thought. And we don't know alot about Rings yet...

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Michael wrote:
> Hi,
>
> >Rick wrote:
> >This could be done in conjuntion with a terraforming project.
People
> >could gradually expand into the canyons as the rest of the planet
> >became habitable.
>
> Sorry to burst your habitat bubble. But you can't terraform Mars.
> http://www.geocities.com/alt_cosmos/whymars.html
> Even if you tried, any water will flow down into the canyons where
your
> habitats are.
>
> >Rick wrote:
> >I remember reading of how in the early days of colonizing
Australia, cow
> >manure didn't break down. Pats began coating the ground.
> >Turned out that the ships bringing the cattle had kept the decks
> >washed. Thus getting rid of the bacteria that broke down the cow
> >manure.
>
> The bacteria that breaks down the manure is in the cows intestines
or in
> the ground. Washing the decks of boats would have no effect
whatsoever.
> It's the bacteria in the Australia soil that was unaccustomed to the
manure