How To Avoid a Scramble For the Moon and Its Resources 365
MarkWhittington writes "With the Chang'e 3 and its rover Jade Rabbit safely ensconced on the lunar surface, the question arises: is it time to start dividing up the moon and its resources? It may well be an issue by the middle of the current century. With China expressing interest in exploiting lunar resources and a number of private companies, such Moon Express, working for the same goal, a mechanism for who gets what is something that needs looking into. Moon Daily quotes a Russian official as suggesting that it can all be done in a civilized manner, through international agreements. On the other hand, law professor and purveyor of Instapundit Glenn Reynolds suggests that China might spark a moon race by having a private company claim at least parts of the moon. 'International cooperation will certainly rule supreme while there are no economic interests, while it is not clear where commercial profits lie. Scientists can't help communicating with each other and sharing ideas.'"
Re:nothing of any us to us on moon (Score:4, Funny)
Won't someone think of the native people?
Mooninites are people too! They're from the moon.
Re:nothing of any us to us on moon (Score:4, Funny)
It's not like the Moon has native wildlife that we might disrupt. It's an airless lifeless rock right now. Why would we want to bother trying to preserve it in that state?
Um, because humans have a tendency to royally fuck up every environmental factor we can get our grubby little meathooks on, and the Moon plays a vital role in the tidal flow of our oceans?
If we mine a shitload of material out of the moon, won't that affect it's gravitational effect on the planet?
Re:Why bother? (Score:4, Funny)
No, we NEED to go back. We can't let China - a communist nation that hates freedom - beat us at this. In fact, we need to one up them and send a manned mission to Mars. To do that, we should pour tons of money into NASA and various scientific organizations. That'll show those dirty, rotten commies.
(Waits for the "blindly patriotic" crowd to start chanting for more money to NASA and science.)
Re:nothing of any us to us on moon (Score:3, Funny)
no chance of just leaving it alone? arrogance abounds as abuse victims abuse everything
I'll leave it alone if you leave it alone.
But I'll prepare to pillage the lunar resources, just in case you make a move.
Re:lets work on getting folks THERE first (Score:4, Funny)
Nice plan, but I'd add two final steps:
7. After the Congress critters are sent up there, we send lawyers and other politicians.
8. Recall any science folks sent there to set up the place and let them run the whole setup into the ground in an isolated fashion.
Optional step 9: Broadcast the whole thing as a great new reality show: Politicians and Lawyers On The Moon!
Re:The moon should be controlled by the UN, perhap (Score:5, Funny)
Good idea. Why not the Moon after the UN did such a great job divvying up Palestine and managing any subsequent conflicts over the land/resources there.
OK, so the UN made one big mistake (fuelled by Great Britain's incompetence) in their history, but the organisation as a whole works pretty well. Just wish they could take over regulation of the Internet! They might get the moon bit sorted out first though.
Re:Is it really an issue (Score:5, Funny)
Why are there humans on earth to be kept alive?
Re:nothing of any us to us on moon (Score:4, Funny)
I think future history books would benefit from a Great Lunar War.
Re:Moot point (Score:4, Funny)
What's there left to discuss? If you want who is moon's owner, just check whose flag is planted on it.
Correct: the flag is pretty obvious. [cloudfront.net]