Billions to discover if Life ever existed. (page 2)

ThiChi

""while life on various parts of the earth fades away at an alarming rate. ""

Proof?

I have read that many new spices of life are being discovered every day. I say reach for the stars...

Here is just one example of misinformation exposed:

Greenpeace Founder: Forests Not In Danger

Source: Los Angeles Times
Headline: Commentary: Greens Don't See Forest for the Trees
Byline: Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace, president of Greenspirit
Dateline: Tuesday, March 26, 2002

"It has become a principle of the environmental movement to insist that wood and paper products be certified as originating from sustained, managed forests. ... Lord help those who don't fall in line, as big-box retailers and builders discovered when Greenpeace and the Rainforest Action Network became their judge and jury - hanging corporate reputations from the rafters with the TV cameras rolling."

"The environmental movement's campaign to force industry into accepting it as the only judge of sustainable forestry is pushing consumers away from renewable forest products and toward nonrenewable, energy-intensive materials such as steel, concrete and plastic."

"Wood is the most renewable and sustainable of the major building materials. On all measures comparing the environmental effects of common building materials, wood has the least impact on total energy use, greenhouse gases, air and water pollution and solid waste. So why isn't the environmental movement demanding that the steel and concrete industries submit to an audit for "sustainability"? ... Because emotive images of forests sell memberships."

"The environmental movement has unfortunately led the public into believing that when people use wood, they cause the loss of forests. This widespread guilt is misplaced. North America's forests are not disappearing. In fact, there is about the same amount of forest cover today as there was 100 years ago, even though we consume more wood per capita than any other region in the world. Isn't this proof positive that forests are renewable and sustainable?"

"When we buy wood, we are sending a signal to plant more trees to satisfy demand. If there were no demand for wood, landowners would clear away the forest and grow something else instead."

dh

you know mankind could easily do both, we could explore space AND feed and and house the poor and starving and still have plenty to go around.

the reason this will probably never happen is because of greed, ideology & paranoia, but if for example every country put its military budget into a pot for the good of mankind, and made the effort to do it, it wouldn't be difficult to get to the sun and back, and it sure as hell wouldn't be a problem to end the worlds hunger & poverty problems.

of course this is never going to happen.

Sirius Dogma

I agree that we need to take care of the population and give people all around the world the basics. However, I think that space exploration is one of the most important things human beings can do. What other species on the planet can spread the seeds of life throughout our solar system? I think humans have a basic need to explore and travel and space is our next big step. Only a few hundred years ago some wondered why you would want to circumnavigate the globe and now who could argue the benefits of such exploration? And if we move mining operations or industries to the other plantets I say go for it. Go build a factory on Mercury or Venus, pump as much carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere as you want, it won't make a bit of difference. And on the inner planets you can get tons of free solar energy to boot. :) Whatever it takes to keep this planet the heavenly jewel of blue green that it is. And if we do manage to destroy our lovely home planet space travel will be our option off of the earth. Anyway I can look at it, I wish we spend more money on the space programs if anything.

If you want to cut funding from somewhere, why not look to the military budgets which are much greater. A little more money for feeding and exploration and a little less for killing, eh? ;)

U.S. Nasa budget for 2004 - $15.5 billion

U.S. Military budget for 2004 - $399.1 billion

DanTheMan

I hope they discover proof that life did exist on Mars at some point.

What a cold bucket of water over the head of religious fundamentalists that would be.

frenchbabyface

... Well said !!! Thank you

shotgun

I'm not sure ThiChi I'm skeptical of many things too and maybe the number WHO uses of 40000 children dieing each day worldwide is exaggerated. You said where is the proof

""while life on various parts of the earth fades away at an alarming rate. ""
Proof?

I was referring to human life not life in general.

I thought the proof of masses of chidren and also ones who have contracted diseases like aids in Africa were pretty much facts which needed no further proof.

What would you require as more definite proof?

bisous

Although already said, I agree....It doesn't have to be one or the other. Your post implies that because we invest in space exploration, children go hungry. That if we didn't spend it this way, then the funds would be allocated to eradicate hunger, or other world evils.

There are more than enough resources (money, technology, human capital in the form of intelligence and willingness) to do it all.

Too bad spending billions wouldn't eliminate the greed and politics over humanity in the world. oh well.

darkuncle29

Wether the item is NASA and exploration of space or feeding vast polulations of people in need or even the huge millitary budgets, one thing must be kept in mind: when money is spent it just does not magically disapear.

It follows a path, a flow. For any one of the three that I mentioned, what is the flow?

In our current economic setup, ALL flows tend to lead to large corporations.

If a flow does not head to a corporation, it is diverted or it 'dries up'. You can crap on this idea all you want, I won't cry.

Billions to discover if Life ever existed.

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