The materials of the universe are made up of everything we know and more. Earth essentially is a giant forged rock of ‘universe stuff.’ Thus, most (if not all) resources utilized on Earth exist in mass quantities all over the galaxy and beyond. Think of the universe as a colossal bowl of ingredients being whipped around; the Earth is only a meager fraction of the total substance in the bowl. Yes, this is a bold statement, but empirical evidence hints the universe is littered with resources that can be used, thanks to science, for mankind’s prosperity. Just a few hundred years ago the majority of the civilized word believed the Sun revolved around us. Today, developed economies are making plans for commercial flights around the moon and back just for the sake of “because I want too.” With our current technology and understanding of the universe’s laws we, the human race, should be investing massive amount of resources and time… For nothing more than the greatest gamble ever known to man.Let’s take a look at reality for a moment - if we don’t take the limited time available now to spread our seed among the outer limits then our species is ultimately going to be facing the day-of-doom much sooner than if we were to remain cooped up on Earth.
The greatest opposing issue to this ideology are the concerns our ever-wise politicians have about spending money in areas that are deemed “unnecessary.” How can a new space race not be a lucrative route to take? The most developed countries should begin a global contribution of their resources for a new space race to untapped treasures. Conquering space will allow humans to survive much longer than if we remained on Earth. In the a few hundred years it’s a good chance the world will be drained of its resources and shriveled up like a giant space raisin.
Since the beginning of Earth as we know it, more than 99% of the life forms that have ever existed here are no longer present today. The notion of such an imperfectly formed primate as homo sapiens as the “chosen” species that will break the mold and last to antiquity is quite presumptuous. In the complete lifespan of our planet, humans have only just now begun to take up enough time to be considered even a relative blink of an eye. To think that the human race is going to somehow outlast the resources and usability of our pale blue dot is obviously quite arrogant; but when rapidly developing weapons systems that grow more deadly at an exponential rate, and the ever-growing tensions between races, religions, and political ideals are taken into consideration, such an assertion borders on the absurd. This planet was here long before we set foot upon it’s soil, and will certainly exist long after we are gone.Man cannot even govern himself on this planet; we are a war-hungry, envious, overly emotional mammal who has been hell-bent on our own destruction from the beginning. The solution to this problem does not lie in some wanton refocus of our efforts to the spreading of our tainted seed beyond our home planet. Running from our problems with the hopes of them solving themselves by some unknown theory of what may be “out there” just because we can is the definition of grasping at straw men. Instead we should be taking the fundamental problems on, by their root causes, and nothing more.
Change the way men believe, interact, and think as a whole. Rid the world of piety and dogma. We have managed to lower infant mortality and raise life expectancy to the point where we have moved past the need for mass reproduction for the sake of survival, offer some incentive for NOT over-reproducing. Educate the populous with valid, usable, pertinent information that will benefit all of mankind. Keep the hypothetical, over-zealous, imperial space colonies in their proper place as fiction; for we have plenty to worry about here already without trying to bring some sort of Trekkie space fantasy to fruition. I am all for the search for truth in whatever form it may come, but to actively pursue colonization and attempt to “harvest” resources from places less suited for life than Earth is a lottery ticket too expensive for humankind to gamble with purchasing when the potential payoff is likely so low. Let’s keep our focus on solutions, not the creation of new problems.