With new technology and scientific breakthroughs left, right, and centre, Mars could be the second home of humanity. The possibility of living on the red planet sounds exciting, but stop and think: is it a good idea?
According to an expert from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, settlements will exist on the moon and Mars in the next few decades. “I believe a colony on Mars is going to happen, but between 2040 and 2050 is more feasible,” said Professor Serkan Saydam. Humans on Mars still might be a while away, which allows time to ponder, is this truly what humanity needs?
Humans have been fascinated by space for a long time, going back to ancient civilisations such as Greece or Babylonia. As technology advanced, so too did the human understanding of the universe. More recently, scientists have theorised that Mars once had plenty of liquid water, essential for life. Unfortunately for potential settlers, that was around 3 billion years ago. Now, scientists are looking at what water is on Mars and where. They believe that there is water in the ice caps and possibly underground.
Beyond the lack of water on Mars, there is no breathable atmosphere. Basic survival will be immensely difficult without two of the essential requirements for life. Aside from the engineering and technical issues with moving to Mars, there are many cultural complications.
In any organised group of human beings, there is a governing body or system in place to ensure interactions are smooth and positive. A Mars colony would require its own government, which creates a lot of questions. Who leads on Mars and why? Who owns Mars? Can property be bought like any other place? Will this lead to a bunch of billionaires owning ridiculous portions of the red planet, resulting in the removal of valuable resources from and harming the environment of Earth, to facilitate a rich person’s dream of a Mars mansion?
Undoubtedly, there will be conflict. Even on Earth, humans cannot live together harmoniously. Wars, extreme wealth and poverty, nations, militaries and weapons, and politics all prove humanity is simply too immature to start a new functional culture.
“A space colony is a tyranny-prone environment,” says Charles Cockell, an astrobiologist from the University of Edinburgh, “If somebody gets control of oxygen, they could very well have control over the whole population and threaten dire consequences in return for extraordinary levels of power.”
An established civilisation on Mars could possibly break away from the influence of Earth. Take North America for example, originally inhabited by natives, conquered and settled by the British, then finally declaring independence from the Empire. Instead of a united human race spread across the solar system, there may be two planets vying for survival and supremacy.
Some argue that, while the politics of setting up a community on Mars may lead to conflict, it could bring everyone together. According to an article published on PubMed Central, the project could unify people and result in international peace, as it would require collaboration and a lot of expertise and resources to realise.
That sentiment creates hope, though with wars in Ukraine and Gaza, racism and sexism still hanging around, humanity is not ready yet.
Among the positive reasons for the colonisation of Mars is a “Planetary Backup”. With climate change affecting Earth so severely, the idea of a second chance for humanity is welcome. According to the article from PubMed Central, Mars could be a safe place to retreat to, should Earth become inhospitable due to man-made or natural causes. This way, human society and other species from Earth can live on.
Natural disasters, such as asteroids colliding with Earth, cannot always be stopped. However, climate change can. There are currently at least 8 billion people living on Earth. In the event of a global catastrophe, it is unlikely everyone would get to go to the Mars colony. Space exploration requires a ton of resources, which would be better invested in saving the planet we already live on. Launching rockets is not great for the environment either. Colonising Mars as a planetary backup would be giving up on Earth.
Why be the culture who moves from planet to planet using up all the resources, when humanity could live harmoniously with the environment on the planet we already call home?
Sources:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/astronomy/mars-meteorite-liquid-water
https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/exploration/curiosity-mars-uninhabitable
https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/astronomy/ice-water-flow-ancient-mars
https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JE008608
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20141030-five-steps-to-colonising-mars
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10884476
https://www.britannica.com/science/astronomy/Ancient-Greece
https://www.britannica.com/science/astronomy/History-of-astronomy
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/population-new-years-day.html
https://bbc.com/future/article/20220713-how-to-make-rocket-launches-less-polluting