There's a plus side to global warming ... at least in the eyes of space travel enthusiasts.
The facts about global warming haven't changed, mind you. The Earth is still getting hotter, the sea levels are still rising, and our atmosphere is still thickening from all the pollution and gases that human activity has caused.
This global commotion, though, has provided the extra reasoning needed to support the idea of space travel. For the first time, there is a widespread fear that our home planet might not be able to sustain us for long. The question that space travel enthusiasts ask is: Where do we go when we can't live on Earth anymore? The answer: Mars.
Back to global warming for a second, though. The one aspect of global warming that seems to be overlooked is the sun's involvement in the rising temperatures on Earth. People seem to forget that our sun is a star, and like all stars, it grows. It is getting brighter and hotter, increasing temperatures in our solar system. And like Earth, Mars is also getting warmer. Data retrieved back in 2005 by NASA shows evidence of Mars' ice caps melting. These are the beginning signs that Mars could one day become our new home.
The sad reality, however, is that Mars won't be ready for us for millions and millions of years. We can either wait for this natural process to unfold, or we can snap back to reality and realize that we're probably going to need a solution much sooner. We need a way to live on Mars now.
Let's state the facts. Of all the planets in our solar system to escape to, Mars is by far the most like Earth and would be the easiest planet to live on besides ours. But even though it's the most like Earth, it still lacks a breathable atmosphere and suitable temperatures for human survival. Many adjustments to the typical human lifestyle would have to be made in order for us to survive.
When comparing atmospheres, Mars' atmosphere contains mostly carbon dioxide, whereas Earth's atmosphere is abundant in nitrogen and oxygen. A temporary solution to this problem would be to use fancy converting machines that would extract oxygen from the carbon dioxide that could then be stored for human use. Hypothetically, this would mean that humans would have to either remain enclosed in air-tight spaces at all times, or would have to carry with them containers of oxygen.
Let's not forget temperatures on the red planet. Temperatures range anywhere from about -220 F to 68 F on Mars. The human body would not be able to adapt to such extreme changes in weather. The temporary solutions to this problem, which include something requiring space-suit-like amenities I imagine, would be pretty uncomfortable.
Fortunately, this lifestyle isn't the only possibility. Scientists are looking into the idea of terraforming, or simply put, completely transforming Mars until it replicates the atmosphere, plant life, etc., of Earth.
This process would take at least decades, if not more, some imagine. It would require extensive finances, and currently the complexities and ambiguities of the idea are halting the possibilities of Mars terraformation.
Nonetheless, the idea of living on Mars is becoming more and more feasible. And with the Mars missions already in preparation, we might be able to make human life on Mars a reality sooner than we think.
Still, are humans ready for the change? Are we ready to give up our beautiful, green, life-supporting planet? If global warming continues to hurt us at an alarming rate, will we be ready for the Mars travel in time? Do we really want to live in airtight "buildings" that are advertised with "wonderful dry red dirt views" and "the best atmosphere converter this side of the planet"? Are we ever going to be economically stable enough for terraformation? Are space travel enthusiasts thinking too far into the future?
The fact is we're not ready for the change. So why are we not really trying to save our planet? Sure, we use less paper bags and drive less, but in the big scheme of things, not much has changed just yet.
Think of it this way: A hurricane destroys your home, causing you to relocate to another. But instead, we are the "hurricane" that is instead destroying an entire planet, and currently there is no comfortable, let alone livable, real estate elsewhere in the solar system to where we can escape.
So, sorry space enthusiasts. It looks like us humans need time to grow up and learn how to take care of our home planet before we try living anywhere else. Besides, if we don't learn how to take care of this planet now, we will inevitably destroy the next planet we inhabit. History repeats itself, anyhow. For the sake of the earth and the future, let's quit searching for scapegoats and instead add a little love for our planet to our daily routines.