Kyle LaBerta

Jennings

10/14/12

Honors English III

Mars colonization: Mans Next Great Accomplishment

Mars; The red planet closest to earth in both proximity and habitability. The colonization of Mars is the solution to many of the problems that we face here on Earth including, but not limited to: population crisis, failing economy, world peace, and a dying human spirit.

The earth is running out of space for people to live. Overpopulation.org projects that by

2033 there will be 8 billion people on the earth. As population increases, the sustainability of life on earth decreases. (CARBON FOOTPRINT AND NEEDED RESOURCES PER PERSON) So many people living on the earth puts a massive strain on would be renewable resources such as freshwater and food. Not to mention the ecological affects, such as global warming, that are destroying earth faster than it can regenerate itself. By putting people on mars we reduce the strain that there is on earth allowing it to regenerate itself.

Our economy is falling apart. Unemployment in the United States alone is at 7.8 percent and the unemployment rate of people with degrees in engineering is at 5.1 percent. This endeavor will be massive requiring many people with many skill sets form collecting raw materials to building intricate machinery and technology for sustainable Martian life. By preparing to go to mars we will be fueling the economy with money to advance in these areas and we will need people to work. The colonization of mars could also create new industry on mars for people to work in.

The mission to mars is much greater than the United States; this mission is bigger than

any country. If you look at the colonization of America, you will see that it was nowhere

near as efficient as it could have been. But where did the Europeans go wrong? They all

fought over this new land and didn’t pool their resources. By making this an endeavor not

of any one country but of the human race as a whole, we bring together all of our strength

and technology. Like J. Hector St. John Crevecoeur said in regards to the “Americans”

living in the British colony, “Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of

men, whose labors and posterity will one day cause great changes in the

world.”(Crevecoeur). A simple farmer noted the incredible power of the human race

without the flag of any one country, so surely it must be truly incredible. We could surely

amaze ourselves at the efficiency of a global effort and create long lasting bonds of

friendship through shared trials and hardship. Like how soldiers who serve together form

bonds stronger than that of even some blood relatives. Going to mars could create that

powerful unity Crevecoeur noted in the British colonies once again on an even larger

scale.

(NIEL DEGRASS TYSON) The last point for mars is the rejuvenation of the slacking human spirit. Humans naturally want to grow, and we have most definitely outgrown our planet.

On mars there is 144,798,500km2 of surface just waiting to be colonized. And the calculated usable surface of earth compared to mars is almost the same (Stratford). Humans are becoming lazy and losing their interest in advancement. When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, the world was invigorated with interest in technology and many children went on to become scientists because of it. Landing on the moon again won’t have the same affect, but colonizing mars? It will be thousands of times more meaningful than the moon landing. Colonizing mars is the kick we need to become a galactic race and start putting our stake in the universe.

Of course, there are valid reasons to be discouraged about a mars colony. The first of which is materials. It will be taxing on the earth to come up with the materials to go to mars but once we get there we will be rewarded. Mars is comprised of strategic metals. Strategic metals are to industry as precious metals are to jewelry. Earth and mars are the only two planets we know of with the combination of geological activity and water required to turn rock into strategic ore. These strategic ores include platinum, palladium, gallium and much more. It is theorized that palladium is 5 times more common on mars than it is on earth and that it could reduce the price by as much as 1 fifth (is this).

Another potential setback is danger. We have no experience on mars or knowledge of if any of our methods of colonizing will work and if they don’t or if we are missing crucial intelligence on the red planet, it could come at the expense of the lives of the Martian pioneers and the expensive equipment they will have. For some background on risk we look back to the colonizing of America. For all the Europeans knew, their first ship could be eaten by sea monsters. But they took the risk and expanded to new lands and the risk paid off big time increasing the land holdings of the European empires immensely. So while the mars mission would be dangerous, I think we should wager against the sea monsters and take the risk, because the rewards are well worth it.

So by risking it all and taking the leap to colonize mars, it is likely that we will vent our population crisis and ease stress on earth, rejuvenate our down economy, unite the world into one human race through a daunting challenge, and breathe new life into our increasingly lazy and uninspired spirits. Through assessing the argument, it is clear that the rewards outweigh the risks like an elephant outweighs a mouse. We have too much to gain to avoid this inevitable human advancement.

Works Cited

"Is this really possible? - Mars One." Home - Mars One. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.

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Stratford, Frank. "The Space Review: Why should humans go to Mars?." The Space

Review: essays and commentary about the final frontier. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Oct. 2012.

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"World Overpopulation Awareness." WOA!! World Ovepopulation Awareness. N.p., June 2005. Web. 24

Oct. 2012. .

Crevecoeur, John G. "Letter III." Letter III. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012.

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