should we make mars earth like?

[JustAFriend]

And kind of a pointless question right now anyway SINCE WE CANT EVEN GET OUT OF LOW-EARTH ORBIT....

 

[Lindley]

Eh, we just need a space elevator, then everything becomes easier.

Especially if we use a space siphon to throw water at the planet.

 

[Bonzo the Fifth]

If we transform mars, I say do it.

Are there any life forms that originated on Mars? If so it might be considered unethical to terraform it.

Unicellular life on Mars isn't going to evolve into anything intelligent unless it is given a helping hand.

So are you saying life on earth was given a helping hand? By whom?

Unless I'm wrong, I don't think that he's referring to anything religious here, or that Earth had anything like a 'helping hand.' the conditions on Mars are such that it's highly unlikely, even if life existed, that it would ever get beyond the 'simple' stage. It's a simple matter of environment. It's arid, with a thin atmosphere and no ozone layer. It's absolutely inimical to higher life as we know it. Earth, on the other hand, has much more going for it in terms of life support... a bit of a tautology, for sure, since I've essentially invoked the Anthropic principle, but I felt it needed to be said here.....

None of this is to say that any kind of 'higher power' made life on Earth, just that we may have to move things along if it turns out Mars does have something going on there... the 'helping hand' would, in fact, be US.

 

[Neopeius]

And then, there were the environmental groups in the story, like Redpeace, who wanted mankind to keep away from Mars, and leave it in its natural state. I would envision that when we DO have the ability to terraform worlds, that there will be some environmental groups that will agrue against such undertakings.

Similar themes pop up in Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. His books have three basic responses, the Greens, in favour of terraforming, which end up including most of the transnationtional corporations on Mars, the Reds, who are against terraforming with many turning to terrorism. Finally, there are those who believe in Areophany, meaning that Mars will provide it's own meaning, and that Mars will never become a second Earth, but rather it's own unique place. That's more what I think would happen should we ever try to terraform the planet.

Pencil me in the Red camp.