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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Why bother? (was Re: Terraforming, sun shield)
Message-ID: <1991Feb26.162823.11719@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <5705@optilink.UUCP> <1991Feb22.164032.16901@zoo.toronto.edu> <1991Feb22.192438.26397@athena.mit.edu> <6956@harrier.ukc.ac.uk>
Date: Tue, 26 Feb 1991 16:28:23 GMT

In article <6956@harrier.ukc.ac.uk> sss3@ukc.ac.uk (S.S.Sturrock) writes:
>Nice idea this terraforming, why can't we make lots of new worlds for people
>to live on, then we don't have to worry about contraception, or the population
>problem, excellent plan guys.  We make a mega mess of this world, get all
>green and caring but still we don't consider the one all important green issue,
>our propensity to overpopulate....

You seem to think that terraforming has someting to do with overpopulation.
This is a curious assumption.

We will never be able to export population in sufficient numbers to avoid
having to deal with overpopulation here, regardless of whether there are
attractive places to go.  Too few people are willing to go and it is too
expensive to transport the ones who are.

The point of terraforming is diversity, and lifeboats, not replacement.
-- 
"But this *is* the simplified version   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
for the general public."     -S. Harris |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry