Colonizing Mars

First of all I would like to start off by saying that there was no time limit given for the resolution to take place in. I am arguing that we should begin expanding to colonize Mars. Rome wasn't built in a day.C1)Your time argument can be countered in two parts:a) There was no time limit given for the resolution so technically this project could take place over an infinite amount of time. The resolution states that the US Federal Government should expand to colonize Mars, which I will defend but this does not have to happen now.b) Rome wasn't built in a day. Should Columbus have given up when he first reached North America? "It'll take too long to settle this giant new land, we should just not even try." This argument is fallacy. Just because something will take a while doesn't mean that the endevor shouldn't be undertaken. C2) Yes, right now the economy isn't doing so hot but that doesn't mean this project can't be started. Right now the US could start planning, budgeting, confering with experts on the idea to start putting a plan together. By the time any significant tests or building can start there will be a good chance that the economy will be back up and running properly. The GDP grew 2.5% in Q3 2011 [1] which isn't great but its better than nothing. By the time this project can get off the ground. Start off slow and let the idea gain momentum over time as the economy progresses and gets better.C3)By the time we need to put people into space the economy should be back on its feet and cost shouldn't be that big of an issue. Even if it is this would be a cost put up in the name science. The International Space Station (ISS) cost NASA roughly $35 billion dollars [2]. If NASA and the American public were willing to blow $35 billion on a space station they will be more than willing to pay equal to or more to start up a Marsian colonization project. While the costs are a little high all new technologies have high start up costs. C4) "Although Biosphere II has been correctly criticized on scientific grounds, it was a remarkable engineering achievement and provides some confidence that self sustaining biospheres can be built for space settlements."Essentially you countered your own argument. With improved technology and a team of scientific experts (the same department who put men on the moon and invented Tang) a biosphere, which has already been proven to be a viable field of study, moves into the realm of plausible and then even probable. Now, once we get the biosphere system working it could sustain the first settlers while they get the ground work laid for a permenant settlement on Mars through a process known as terraforming.terraforming - (literally, "Earth-shaping") of a planet, moon, or other body is the hypothetical process of deliberately modifying its atmosphere, temperature, surface topography or ecology to be similar to the biosphere of Earth, in order to make it habitable by Earthlings. [3] Terraforming MarsTerraforming Mars would be a slow and steady process but a process that can be achieved.Mars's atmosphere is 95% CO2 [4] making it condusive to plant respiration. Now if we managed to dig an artificial lake and fill it with enough salt water as not to freeze, perhaps by putting it under a dome of some sort, we could introduce a type of algae or plant that can survive in such atmospheric conditions. Then we expand this process to include more and more plants. Slowly, ever so slowly the atmosphere of Mars will begin to stabilize to sustain life.Other ways to help sustain atmosphere: Large orbital mirrors that will reflect sunlight and heat the Mars surface. Greenhouse gas-producing factories to trap solar radiation. Smashing ammonia-heavy asteroids into the planet to raise the greenhouse gas level "NASA is currently working on a solar sail propulsion system that would use large reflective mirrors to harness the sun's radiation to propel spacecraft through space. Another use for these large mirrors would be to place them a couple hundred thousand miles from Mars and use the mirrors to reflect the sun's radiation and heat the Martian surface. Scientists have proposed building mylar mirrors that would have a diameter of 250 km (155.34 miles) and cover an area larger than Lake Michigan. These gigantic mirrors would weigh about 200,000 tons, which means they would be far too large to launch from Earth. However, there is the possibility that the mirrors could be constructed from material found in space.If a mirror this size were to be directed at Mars, it could raise the surface temperature of a small area by a few degrees. The idea would be to concentrate the mirrors on the polar caps to melt the ice and release the carbon dioxide that are believed to be trapped inside the ice. Over a period of many years, the rise in temperature would release greenhouse gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which you can find in your air conditioner or refrigerator." [4]So as you can see, Mars cannot support life NOW but in the future, its completely possible. With a thickened atmosphere radiation would be stopped, temperatures would rise and gas levels would equilize allowing life to be able to slowly evolve and grow. C5)The Earth may not be over populated now however UN predictions put the world in a dire situation in years to come.2050: 10.6 billion2300: 36 billion[5, pg 26] As you can see, while the Earth may not be in immidiete danger of overcrowding and overpopulation the threat is certainly real in the long run and cannot be overlooked. By the time this project becomes feasible the world will indeed be, by our standars, overcrowed and overpopulated. Other poptential benefits of colonizing Mars:* mineral resources - mining* new frontier for exploration, inovation and developement* an area for people to expand to preventing wars and overcrowding* opens the door to future extraterrestrial colonizationWhile this project cannot happen overnight it is something that can be attained. In order to further humanity, combat future threats to our planet and our race it would be beneficial and in the spirit of man to expand to Mars and colonize something outside of our own realm.Thank you.[1] http://www.nytimes.com...[2] http://www.msnbc.msn.com...[3] http://en.wikipedia.org...[4] http://science.howstuffworks.com...[5] http://www.un.org...