National Space Society Blog

Beyond Augustine by Dennis Wingo in On Orbit

There are many ideas that have been scoffed at or sidelined, like In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) that could be brought back into the mix. Ion propulsion space tugs are also much closer to reality than what most people think. Advanced computers and electronics could be introduced into space as well. There is no reason for not flying state of the art computers, software, and advanced analysis capability. This reluctance to use the advances in computers in space that we take for granted on the ground is a major impediment to lowering the operational costs of space exploration.

Dennis makes great points in this article that, if we are slowing down our post Shuttle/Station Program we can use the time to figure out how to go beyond LEO cheaper and better, even if it is slower.

Dr. John Bossard has come up with this new term.

“Exvironmentalism”. The word environment comes from the word “environ”. Your “environs” would be the places in you immediate region around you. It comes from the old French word which literally means “to turn in a circle inwards” (en- in, viron- a circle or circuit, virer- to turn). So the environment is the firmament in which you circle around in, inwards. Thus, the word exviron would connote “to turn in a circle outwards”. The exvironment would thus be the firmament that we would circle out into.

We can use the definitions to reframe our considerations, to open up the notions life-expansion and life preservation, and to use the best of the ideas of environmentalism and the transition of mankind off the planet and out into the cosmos. We can positively combine these ideas, these philosophies, to make something better than the sum of the parts. This then, is the essence of Exvironmentalism: the synergy of the space movement, the environmental movement, and perhaps many others, to productively encourage, identify, and promote the expansion of life outwards from the planet Earth, and into the Cosmos.- from Plasma Wind’s Contribution to the Space Settlement Blog Day

Exvironmentalism is just what we need to pursue. Expanding the biosphere beyond Earth. While using space resources to allow the preservation of Earth’s biosphere. Space and environmentalism are not in conflict.

In fact the only way in the long term to protect Earth’s enivronment is to gain acess to resources off of Earth. If our desendants are limited to Earth eventually they will use every posible resource avalible in order to survive regardless of how many species it drives into extintion, or how few trees there are left standing. A closed system is finite and all non renewable resources will eventually run out as well as all renewable resources which do not renew fast enough. If given a choice between survival and environmental protection most people will pick survival every time. If we do not gain access to space resources we will be putting our descendants in that position.

Space Solar Power is a perfect example of Exvironmentalism. Space solar power is clean, carbon free, baseload power. If made from lunar resources it will have virtually no effect on earth’s environment.
Terrestrial solar on the other hand can damage sensitive desert environments, wind can kill raptors, neither provides base load power. This not even considering the effect of the smart grid running new power lines through sensitive areas to take renewable power to existing cities.  Or the fact that for the cost of the Smart Grid we could be delivering Space Solar Power right out side of the major cities.

We need to think in terms of Exvironmentalism and combine space development and evironmental protection. Earth is the only planet which we know can support life it is precious, we must protect it.  Humans are the product of millions of years of evolution, we have a rare gift intelligence we must use our intelligence to protect our less intelligent cousins from the dangers of the universe as well as from our own greed and thoughtlessness.

Post Script -Right after I finished writing this post I found an article which shows the alternative to expanding the resource base. The Radical Population Control And Eugenics Agenda Of The Global Elite