Humans are a curious race. We constantly yearn for unacquainted frontiers and unfamiliar adventures, perhaps without ever establishing ourselves on the last. Our ambitious nature has led us to constantly be in motion, ruthlessly pushing for greater heights. This has lead to constant technological advances, many of which could be dubbed progress. Surviving Progress grappled with the idea of what progress truly was. The word ran its ethereal thread throughout the documentary – being used many times but never being strictly defined. Whether it was author Ronald Wright’s view of “progress traps” (things that seem to only be beneficial but in the end are unsustainable) or economic historian, Michael Hudson’s view that progress is companies proclaiming
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Mars, and even its surrounding asteroids, are brimming with resources from metals – such as gold, silver, and platinum (NASA) – to gases – such as deuterium, a natural gas not abundantly found on earth, which has the capability to produce a copious amount of energy (NASA). These natural resources provide an immediate reason to attempt to make meaningful contact with Mars as they could be used on Earth; they are also an economically viable buffer as we spend time attempting to colonize the planet. Zubrin, believes that Mars is “singular in that is possesses all the raw materials required to support not only life, but a new branch of human civilization” …show more content…
However, the Earth and Mars both have rich supplies of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon; Mars has these elements in the forms of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and ice. What is infinitely more vital, however, is whether we would be able to transform these resources in such a way that we would then be able to actually inhabit Mars. There is an answer to this question, albeit untested. Using the process of a controlled global warming through a method called outgassing (Terrestrial), we would be able to terraform the planet to a point that biological life could thrive without the constant need for technology (Terrestrial). This process could make Mars very similar to the Earth in terms of its overall atmosphere, climate, and environment. Mars’ resources alone would make this venture economically feasible and shows that the red planet has endless potential to support human
Mars, and even its surrounding asteroids, are brimming with resources from metals – such as gold, silver, and platinum (NASA) – to gases – such as deuterium, a natural gas not abundantly found on earth, which has the capability to produce a copious amount of energy (NASA). These natural resources provide an immediate reason to attempt to make meaningful contact with Mars as they could be used on Earth; they are also an economically viable buffer as we spend time attempting to colonize the planet. Zubrin, believes that Mars is “singular in that is possesses all the raw materials required to support not only life, but a new branch of human civilization” …show more content…
However, the Earth and Mars both have rich supplies of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon; Mars has these elements in the forms of nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and ice. What is infinitely more vital, however, is whether we would be able to transform these resources in such a way that we would then be able to actually inhabit Mars. There is an answer to this question, albeit untested. Using the process of a controlled global warming through a method called outgassing (Terrestrial), we would be able to terraform the planet to a point that biological life could thrive without the constant need for technology (Terrestrial). This process could make Mars very similar to the Earth in terms of its overall atmosphere, climate, and environment. Mars’ resources alone would make this venture economically feasible and shows that the red planet has endless potential to support human