So lets whinge about moon mining: Milky Way Galaxy edition.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

http://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/c...k_from_rspace/

http://i.imgur.com/51VsJTc.jpg

So it's inevitable that if we're going to ever get out of earth we'd need some incentive besides for the sake of it if it's to be sustained and moon mining definitely seems to be the way to go, especially if we can get metals that aren't even on earth and rare earth (moon?) metals from places not China. Unfortunately, however, I can only see environmentalists cockblocking us from our destiny even if we maintained decent standards.

To not mine the moon would be folly, to not exploit it's treasures when there's nothing that could be harmed in the process as opposed to clearing forests and driving out wildlife on our own planet would seem ultimately selfish.

What do you figure in all of this? Should we strike the moon and uncover their secrets?

[zorkuus]

Should we strike the moon?

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

I don't really see how enviromentalists would be upset because of moon mining... unless you're really digging deep and try to use the worst kind of internet heroes as the model for enviromentalists as a whole.

[Conspicuous Cultist]

Nuke it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

I don't really see how enviromentalists would be upset because of moon mining... unless you're really digging deep and try to use the worst kind of internet heroes as the model for enviromentalists as a whole.

Enviromentalism is just one of the things I could see cropping up because I have very little doubt that this won't go without a hitch of some description. Someone, somewhere will be triggered by moon mining and will have influence to some degree.

[Immitis]

as a proud sontaran once said. I DECLARE WAR ON THE MOON!!!

[Conspicuous Cultist]

as a proud sontaran once said. I DECLARE WAR ON THE MOON!!!

I know it was joking, but I feel there'll eventually be conflict over ownership of the moon even though technically nobody can own it nobody can say no if one guy has all the guns.

[cubby]

If it's got stuff we need, why not? It's basically just an asteroid.

I mean, let's not mine it so much that it alters it's affect on the Earth. But yeah, mine it and get some bases/colonies up there asap. From Moon to Mars.

[Deleted]

Dead planets that can not be terraformed, aka like our moon, should be stripmined, hell that would save the environments on earth so the enviromentalists should be all for it

[Notshauna]

It's humanity's future, to mine the moon. We'll either consume our solar system or reach singularity. My money is on singularity though, as it solves why we've not came into contact with advanced alien life forms yet, though I don't personally like it as a solution to mortality.

[Garnier Fructis]

Honestly the only reason I'm against it is because the moon is my favorite object in the night sky and I would like it to remain as pristine as possible. I literally don't have a good argument other than "Fuck off, I like guns the moon!"

Besides, we're going to be stuck in ownership hell for a while, and we have to craft laws, regulations and international agreements on how we're going to handle a whole host of economic and territorial space issues. Which will take a while, because we can't agree on anything.

[belfpala]

Which will take a while, because we can't agree on anything.

I disagree, there are some things we can agree on. Oh...

[Deleted]

Dead planets that can not be terraformed, aka like our moon, should be stripmined, hell that would save the environments on earth so the enviromentalists should be all for it

Fucking with the moon could be dangerous for Humanity itself. It's a pretty small celestial body which just hangs up there by nothing. Anything that would tamper with it at large scale could knock it off it's position and either send it towards Earth itself which will mean end of life on the planet and sure as hell end of Humanity, or on course that moves it away from the planet, which will cause large tidal waves that will swallow whole cities (which would mostly be the USA and UK territory - so mainly the ones who would be responsible).

I would outlaw any lunar mining operations or tampering with it.

[Flutterguy]

I hear it has cheese. Start mining for that.

[PACOX]

We still don't have economical means of transporting the material. No one wants to take upon the risk while we can still get the materials on Earth.

[Garnier Fructis]

Fucking with the moon could be dangerous for Humanity itself. It's a pretty small celestial body which just hangs up there by nothing. Anything that would tamper with it at large scale could knock it off it's position and either send it towards Earth itself which will mean end of life on the planet and sure as hell end of Humanity, or on course that moves it away from the planet, which will cause large tidal waves that will swallow whole cities (which would mostly be the USA and UK territory - so mainly the ones who would be responsible).

I would outlaw any lunar mining operations or tampering with it.

I'm pretty sure this is an unfounded fear. The moon is on the order of 10^22 kg, how would we possibly knock it out of its orbit?

[Super Kami Dende]

I'd rather them strip clean a barren lifeless rock in the sky, instead of Earth.

- - - Updated - - -

I'm pretty sure this is an unfounded fear. The moon is on the order of 10^22 kg, how would we possibly knock it out of its orbit?

I think he's been playing a little too much Majora's Mask.

[belfpala]

Fucking with the moon could be dangerous for Humanity itself. It's a pretty small celestial body which just hangs up there by nothing. Anything that would tamper with it at large scale could knock it off it's position and either send it towards Earth itself which will mean end of life on the planet and sure as hell end of Humanity, or on course that moves it away from the planet, which will cause large tidal waves that will swallow whole cities (which would mostly be the USA and UK territory - so mainly the ones who would be responsible).

I would outlaw any lunar mining operations or tampering with it.

The thing is moving away from us at about 4 centimeters per year. WE HAVE TO GET UP THERE AND STOP IT FROM RUNNING AWAY.

[Garnier Fructis]

The thing is moving away from us at about 4 centimeters per year. WE HAVE TO GET UP THERE AND STOP IT FROM RUNNING AWAY.

Too much work. Just attach rockets to Earth and catch up to it.

[belfpala]

Too much work. Just attach rockets to Earth and catch up to it.

We'll have to drop an anchor to the Sun first.

[munkeyinorbit]

The thing is moving away from us at about 4 centimeters per year. WE HAVE TO GET UP THERE AND STOP IT FROM RUNNING AWAY.

You win the thread. That was hilarious. But in all reality, we shouldn't go to the moon unless it's night time as god has perfectly placed earth in the best position. Any closer and we would burst into flames, any further out and we would be an ice ball. I have confidence that NASA knows how to do this as the other 36 times they went to the moon it was night time. How do I know? Duh in the pics and video, the sky was black. That means it's night time.

[Kuntantee]

As long as it is utilized by highly capitalistic motivations, it will not serve to humanity. So humanity's future my ass.