Environmentalists are backing manned space exploration

[bananas]

Manned space exploration is so inspiring, it even changes Lovelock from a doom-er to a do-er!

2010: A new space odyssey beckons

The world is on the verge of new manned exploration of the solar system – and, this time, environmentalists are backing it

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James Lovelock, inventor of the Gaia theory, said: "I strongly support space travel. The whole notion of Gaia came out of space travel. It seems to me any environmentalist who opposes space travel has no imagination whatever. That gorgeous, inspirational image of the globe that we are now so familiar with came out of space travel. That image has perhaps been of the greatest value to the environmental movement. It gave me a great impetus.

"There are the unmanned spacecraft, which are relatively inexpensive, that I certainly think should continue. The more we know about Mars, for example, the better we can understand our own planet. The second sort, the more personally adventurous sort of travel, offers great inspiration to humans. And, were it not for space travel we'd have no mobile phones, no internet, no weather forecasts of the sort we have now and so on. There's a lot of puritanical silliness about it."

Dr Steve Howard, the chief executive of the Climate Group, said: "I don't think space travel is an 'either/or'. Sometimes we feel that we will have to stop other things if we go to the Moon or Mars, but man has always been an explorer. At a time of global recession we have to budget and plan carefully and it needs to be a collaborative venture."

Colin Pillinger, professor of planetary sciences at the Open University, said: "Every space mission has spin-offs which are unforeseeable. The Wellcome Trust funded Beagle 2 on the understanding that the team of highly talented people would look at ways the technology could be used for medicine. We have developed an instrument that can diagnose TB in a day. Our instrument, which is going to be tested in Malawi, could save hundreds of thousands, if not millions of lives."

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[Mythsaje]

1. I really think it's our only "out."

If we don't get out there to exploit all that raw material just floating around, we WILL implode. Space exploration and exploitation is a necessity for the continued survival of the human race.

[timeforpeace]

2. Au contraire. The human race can't survive in space.

Without living in tin cans and all. End the wars, feed the planet, space will wait. No sense traveling those distances with our current technology. Patience.

[Mythsaje]

3. Technology will catch up.

The need for raw materials is just around the corner.

We don't have time to be patient.

[timeforpeace]

5. I swear, we don't have time to be patient, may be the most convoluted statement I've seen lately.

[bananas]

4. This is how we develop the technology.

Learn by doing.

[One_Life_To_Give]

6. I suspect every explorer heard those words

From the first Homonids to leave Africa, to Columbus, the Mountain Men etc. We are a product of both the unsung here who stayed behind and built the great societies and those who ventured forth to pave the way for future expansion. Cutting off one or the other is like deciding to remove either the left or right arm. We need both, IMO.