Moon Base

[Deepwater6]

I can agree with all those ideas save for one. The nuclear waste disposal/treatment facility. If we get to the point where nuclear waste could be safely and economically sent into space, I wouldn't want to take a chance of polluting our closest neighbor.

 

If our civilization lasts long enough we may one day need to colonize the entire surface/subsurface of the moon. I think we would be better off sending this material off into space or into the sun for disposal. This way we wouldn't have to deal with it twice.

[moonguy]

While I agree with the basic sentiment of your point about nuke waste, the practical issue is that unless we boost nuke waste to solar escape velocity, we will have to deal with it again. Hmmmmm. Change 'nuclear waste disposal . . .' to 'Solar sail manufacturing'?

[Boerseun]

Ah... moon bases. The stuff of legendary sci-fi.

 

I'm all for it.

 

Because, as mentioned in one of the previous posts, it is exactly what makes us human. Currently, the socially responsible take on our budgets is that there are better things to do at home than to blow it in space. Like feeding all the hungry kids in (pick a country). Or the wealth gap. Or whatever. You can only feed so many hungry kids in Africa or India or wherever before you realize that feeding those who can't feed themselves only enable them to breed to generate a whole new even bigger generation that's completely dependent on international altruism.

 

If we don't venture out into space I think humanity will die of boredom.

[moonguy]

Agreed. I never bought the logic of doing one or the other.