Greenhouse effect could make Mars livable

[DRoseDARs]

My concern is for science being served, not Humanity's need for pretty flowering plants and fluffy bunnies. Mars presents a different climate to scientists to study. I'm thinking of the geologic features as well. Radically changing the atmosphere will irrevicably alter the landscape. Scientists ought to be able to study Mars before we drastically change it to suit our biological and psychological needs. Who knows if we'll ever reach the stars and have an opportunity to study such climates or geographies again. Then there's also the matter of any native Martian life, either presently living or ancient. Might it not behoove use to research such things before tinkering with the planet? I'm all for terraform Mars one day, but in due time. Far too often Humanity has sought to change things without using proper caution or studying what they're doing before they do it and thus paying a price for it later.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
It think Mars should be studied extensively for a long period of time before any decision for any form of deliberate terraforming is made.

I think it's not so much important as to how long we study it as to how comprehensive the data collected is. Mars would require very intensive and comprehensive global scientific surveying before any signficant terraforming or else we would lose important data forever due to the distortions of direct and indirect effects of the climate change.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by techumseh
Do cold, dead balls of rock have rights? Are you so sure that there is no down side to ecological experimentation on an entire planet? Isn't one fubar planet enough?

We already have plenty of fubared planets in our solar system so what's wrong with one more? Venus, Mercury and pluto are pretty severely fubared and mars probably already fits into that category. There is in fact little that humanity could do to make the environment on Mars much worse than it already is.

[The Mad Monk]

It will be more useful to us if it stays that way.

No environment to damage = more efficient exploitation.

[DRoseDARs]

It is a matter of how long we study it. We've had many millenia to informally study Earth and only a few centuries to apply the scientific method to our observations vs. we haven't even stepped foot on Mars and our minimally-equiped probes have been there only about 30 years. It takes time to collect data, especially comprehensive data. I don't think it would takes centuries more to study Mars as well as we have Earth given our current state of research ability and the advancements we're sure to make in the next few decades, but certainly decades will be needed after we get there before we've given ourselves enough time to satisfactorily study the planet in its "pristine" form. Then we can and probably should consider terraforming.

[Geronimo]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
My concern is for science being served, not Humanity's need for pretty flowering plants and fluffy bunnies. Mars presents a different climate to scientists to study. I'm thinking of the geologic features as well. Radically changing the atmosphere will irrevicably alter the landscape. Scientists ought to be able to study Mars before we drastically change it to suit our biological and psychological needs. Who knows if we'll ever reach the stars and have an opportunity to study such climates or geographies again. Then there's also the matter of any native Martian life, either presently living or ancient. Might it not behoove use to research such things before tinkering with the planet? I'm all for terraform Mars one day, but in due time. Far too often Humanity has sought to change things without using proper caution or studying what they're doing before they do it and thus paying a price for it later.

I should have read the whole thread before I posted

Well said.

In any case we would want to collect extremely comprehensive data before starting even if only to guarentee the terraforming would work so hopefully the data collection effort wouldn't need to interfere with a terraforming effort in the least.

[Dis]

mars will never be livable- not without constant resupply ships from earth.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
It will be more useful to us if it stays that way.

No environment to damage = more efficient exploitation.

I'd be wary of mining operations as well. Even though it isn't our atmosphere, it's still an atmosphere. Industrial processes and mining processes can (and often do) produce greenhouse gasses...exactly what we ought not be pumping into Mars' atmosphere just yet, at least not before scientists in various fields have had enough time to study the planet without significant changes.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Dissident
mars will never be livable- not without constant resupply ships from earth.

Then there's that line of reasoning. No way to prove nor disprove it until we try, but certainly worth considering.

I disagree. Initially yes, no colony would be 100% self-sufficient. But given enough time and enough concerted effort to terraforming, it should be possible to terraform Mars enough to be Human-livable. Pardon the pun, but I'm not holding my breath for a Human-breathable atmosphere on Mars, but a carbon-heavy atmosphere may be a better alternative that'll warm the planet and make plants happy. I'd consider terraforming Mars such that I need nothing more than an oxygen mask and a heavy coat to walk on the surface a success.

[The Mad Monk]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs


I'd be wary of mining operations as well. Even though it isn't our atmosphere, it's still an atmosphere. Industrial processes and mining processes can (and often do) produce greenhouse gasses...exactly what we ought not be pumping into Mars' atmosphere just yet, at least not before scientists in various fields have had enough time to study the planet without significant changes.

Given the rate at which these things seem to go, I expect there will be plenty of time for research, even if we attempt to industrialize Mars at the fastest possible rate.

It is an entire planet, after all.

[The Mad Monk]

Terraforming will do a hell of a lot more damage to potential xenogeology and xenobiology studies than any amount of mining that we would be capable of.

[techumseh]

The arrogance! The arrogance! It is to weep.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
My concern is for science being served, not Humanity's need for pretty flowering plants and fluffy bunnies.

That's nonsense and you know it

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Mars presents a different climate to scientists to study. I'm thinking of the geologic features as well. Radically changing the atmosphere will irrevicably alter the landscape.

We got plenty of cold, dead balls of rocks around in the solar system. Bring on the greenhouse gases, I say.

[monolith94]

None of this is feasible within our life times of course. And it'll be many lifetimes before such a plan is economically viable.

My question is, if you start a greenhouse effect, how would you stop it? We wouldn't want Mars to become another Venus.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk


Given the rate at which these things seem to go, I expect there will be plenty of time for research, even if we attempt to industrialize Mars at the fastest possible rate.

It is an entire planet, after all.

Ergo my wariness and not opposition. Frankly, mining the Asteroid Belt would be more efficient and profitable imo. I have no facts to back this up.