The Discovery Enterprise: Oceans 911

Typical, one does not have to know a thing to respect a thing, nor does one having knowledge of something automatically give them respect for it, in fact it seems as we move into an area and learn more about it we exploit it more, and do damage upon it. This is in fact why the rain forest is going away. If we just stay the hell away from the rain forests of the world we wouldn't be losing them.

And "fixing problems here on Earth first" argument couldn't be more tired or wrong. If every society waited till everything was perfect before exploring new areas then we all still be living in one cave, in one small part of the world with no civilization to speak of. These societal issues have always been there, in every society, and NEVER should be used as a reason to become introverted, and stagnant in our quests to move forward. We only do ourselves greater harm in doing so. History proves this without a doubt...

I love it, how people just jump at using words like ignorant, because some one doesn't agree with you does not make them or their point ignorant, nor their arguments any less sound.

Now one would say yeah the issues here on Earth "need" fixing, but lets break down these issues, dwindling resources, well if a greater portion of man kind was out in space in colonies ( such as the L5 society wanted back in the mid 70s) then there is less people here on Earth needing those resources.

Over population, (happens to be one of the reason rain forest are getting cut down we need more room) Well the above space colony fixes that too.

Unlimited resources for people here on Earth, without taxing Earth environment. Hummm space station colony that also beams power down Earth side. Looks like if we didn't drop the ball in the 70s like we did we would be stetting pretty good right now. No, the world still would not be a perfect place, and as always there still be world issues, but they would not be the worries we have to day.

Though there is one last issue I would like to point out, the poor and impoverished. They have always been the first to hit the frontiers in hopes for better, this is how great things happen, how new frontiers are truly opened. I would venture that if we did start building space station colonies back in the 70s like L5 wanted, right about now we would be seeing the same migration into space that Europe seen when America came about. It is the grand future we all have been robbed of, as Author C. Clark said, an idea has three fazes.

1. Oh that will never work we don't have the tech.
2. Yeah maybe we have the tech, but it will cost way to much.
3. That was so easy why didn't we do it sooner!

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, "sailor.barsoom" wrote: