[p2p-research] Fwd: 20 Theses against green capitalism

[Ryan Lanham]

More time and research could make this much better (for which I
apologize)...but...

It is frightening to realize that this is the only planet and the only set
of resources humans in the next few hundred years are likely to use or
inhabit.  Space elevators and other technologies not withstanding...this is
the ultimate mothership.  There is no other, nor will there be by any
assessment I've seen from reasonable futurists.

We don't even begin to have the elements of technology necessary for deep
space travel...and many astrobiologists have said that, for now, we couldn't
survive it for long--our bones would, for example, decay in zero G over
time.  Even a trip to Mars for 3 people is highly difficult now and would
require upwards of 20 years to plan and get right.  I have read that the
risks are astonishing.  It is, for comparison, highly difficult just to keep
the space station in orbit and functioning normally.  Staffs of thousands of
people work on the problem full-time.  That is mostly to support an empty
ship not that high in space.

The energy challenges alone of deep space operations are incredible.  It is
speculated that most advanced species would be found near to stars so that
they can easily harvest energy.  Just travelling to the next nearest star
would take decades to centuries with anything like technology that is
feasible.  We have a perfectly stable star right here.  Why go anywhere
else?

We cannot yet live reasonably underwater more than 1000 meters for extended
periods--overwhelmingly the most resource rich portion of our planet.

To my mind, space research, space travel, space anything...is a colossal
waste of time and effort.  I'd much rather see resources go toward studying
our oceans and our sustainability problems.  I have heard it said that we
have 10 times more people in space related ventures than we do in deep water
ventures, yet water is 5/6s of the planet...and while it is very cold in
deep water...it is far warmer than in deep space.

Ryan
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