The problem with planetary colonization...

[psCargile]

What's the guarantee that terriforming is economical, controllable, successful, sustainable, or permanent? I think the idea is taken too much for granted. It's easier to destroy a climate than to make one.

 

[Dryson]

What's the guarantee that terriforming is economical, controllable, successful, sustainable, or permanent? I think the idea is taken too much for granted. It's easier to destroy a climate than to make one.

If a civilization is able to terraform a planet then the civilization would already have the economical aspects of the terraforming project down to a science.

 

[scotthm]

It's easier to destroy a climate than to make one.

How can that be? Destroying one climate creates another by default.
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[psCargile]

^
What are we talking about? Hospitable climates, or just any old climate, including hostile ones?

I'll award you a point for being right on an effing technically.

 

[Qonundrum]

If a civilization is able to terraform a planet then the civilization would already have the economical aspects of the terraforming project down to a science.

But evolution took centuries to create the concept of economy, which not all species share. Granted, if the spider in the basement asks me for change for a $10 I'd try to help him out with six $1 bills and two $2 bills... 'course, he'll want the $10 back since now all his eight legs are holding something when before only one was holding something (so economy isn't always about $, hehe...)