A picture of the planet Mars taken by NASA
by Kori Cooper
Elon Musk was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert recently discussing his plan to put humans on Mars. This planet has been the focus of worldwide attention because it is the planet most like Earth. Before you scoff at Musk’s idea, consider that the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has stated that by 2030, humans will be consuming resources at a rate of two planets each year. As the data piles up, it is becoming increasingly apparent that sustainability means the difference between whether we all get to continue living on glorious, life-friendly planet Earth or start packing our bags for a more icy landscape.
Earth still has so many hidden treasures and unseen lands, but we may never get to realize them if we cannot curb our waste and pollution. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and contains 97 percent of the planet’s water, yet more than 95 percent of the underwater world remains unexplored. What fact better helps illustrate the point that the time of humans on Earth has only just begun? I, for one, am not ready to leave Earth behind so soon.
Yet some of you may be saying, “Earth Smearth! Why worry about sustainability if we can go to Mars?” After all, humans have been known to adapt to all sorts of inhospitable climates and there are perhaps good reasons to consider starting over. However, the environment on Mars is incredibly hostile. The most important distinction is that there is no air to breathe. So if we need to resort to plan B, we will be relying on technology pretty heavily and the risk will outweigh the benefits for a very, very long time before conditions could possibly improve. Ideally, exploring the new frontier in space could be an option, not a necessity.
In the event that we pollute and abuse the environment’s resources past the point of no return, the plan is to travel to Mars. People all over the world, including the president of the U.S., are speculating on how this will be accomplished. Having a backup plan is always reassuring but I am not ready to live on Mars and I suspect you aren’t either. With that in mind, do your recycling, try growing your own food, and look up more tips on sustainability that can fit into your daily schedule. Help sustain life on Earth by ceasing to take it for granted.