Finders keepers So , as long as humans can find a way
|
|||
to share the resources fairly , we can |
|||
take what we want , right ? After all , |
|||
we will need those resources to help |
|||
us explore further and study other |
|||
planets . Well , don ’ t grab your asteroidmining |
|||
equipment just yet . If spacefarers |
|||
want to learn from the Vikings , |
|||
that ’ s a good place to start . But if we |
|||
want to do better than the Vikings , |
|||
is there more to think about ? Can |
|||
we maraud the galaxy in a way that |
|||
preserves it too ? |
|||
Everybody needs good neighbours Take aliens , for example . What if we
|
|||
|
land on Mars and find evidence of alien
bacteria ? We know that , on Earth , life
thrives in water , and we have found
evidence of water on Mars . Those
bacteria would be our closest living
neighbours , and we need to do our
best to look after them .
Space agencies prepare for this by
making sure our landers and rovers
are biologically clean before sending
them to space , which means that
there are as few Earth germs on there
as possible . This will hopefully stop a
situation where any possible Martian
bacteria are attacked ( or even made
extinct ) by an invasive Earth species .
FUN FACT HORN
The risk of Earth life contaminating
other planets is called forward
contamination . But the reverse
is also possible : backward
contamination , where alien
pathogens could be picked up
accidentally on other planets and
brought back to Earth . Taking actions
to prevent forward and backward
contamination in space missions is
known as planetary protection .
|
Forward thinking That ’ s a good starting point , but
is it enough ? Say we protect alien
bacteria , but then we go and take
all the available water for ourselves .
That means we are taking a resource
away from an alien species – a
species that could , millions of years
from now , evolve into intelligent life
if left alone .
Or what if we find evidence of alien
societies from the past , just like
how we dig for evidence of past
civilisations here on Earth ? Is it OK
for space archaeologists to take
artefacts from other life forms ? What
about digging up bodies in an alien
graveyard ?
Interplanetary conservation Another concern is protecting the
natural wilderness of other planets .
If we just treat everywhere we go
as a mine of resources , we may
not do a very good job of looking
after it . On Earth , however , we ’ re
learning to protect natural areas for
their cultural , scientific , historical
|
and aesthetic value , which is why
we still have natural wonders like
Niagara Falls and the Great Barrier
Reef . Are there places in the Solar
System worth preserving for the
same reasons ? Is it important to keep
them safe for future generations of
humans , or even for alien visitors ?
Unfortunately , the current rules and
treaties we have in place don ’ t cover
all the answers to these questions ,
but scientists , space lawyers ( yes ,
that is a job ) and governments are
thinking hard about it . What do you
think is a good solution to ethical
space travel ? Can we balance our
need for resources with our duty
to preserve ? Or should we avoid
marauding in space altogether ? The
answers are important and exciting ,
even if they ’ re not always easy to
agree on . We may be
citizens of Earth right
now , but by taking
responsibility for
our planet , our Solar
System and our galaxy ,
we can become true
citizens of the universe .
AWESOME
ACTIVITIES ALERT
SCAN ME
|
Words : Bee Rich . Illustration : Kevin Ward |