The real-life storyline in the second episode of season two of Mars, “Worlds Apart,” focused on Greenpeace’s efforts to disrupt the operations of a deep sea oil rig located in international Arctic waters. As I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts, this season has done an excellent job of portraying the tension between environmentalism and industrialization, and I think this episode goes one step further in providing a riveting real-life example of this clash in relation to the ever-prevalent issue of climate change. As activist Sini Saarela puts it, she understands that the oil rig workers are just doing their jobs, but she wishes she could ask them “how they sleep at night knowing they do this work.”

I think this story raises some important questions. How worried should we be about preserving the environment on Mars?  Can we treat it like we treat the Earth?

To begin answering these questions, I found an interesting article that detailed some of the reasons it might actually be a poor idea for humans to colonize Mars. For one, we will contaminate Mars. The article cited the 2018 launch of Elon Musk’s red Roadster and it’s dummy “driver” Starman (Bharmal). The original goal of the launch was to propel the Tesla into orbit with Mars, yet it has been widely criticized as being “the largest load of earthly bacteria to ever enter space” because it was not sterilized (Bharmal). Given that the Tesla missed its intended orbit and is now 88 million miles away from the red planet, there’s no telling where it will take this contamination (Bharmal). Using similar reasoning, it’s not difficult to see how we could bring mass contamination to Mars if we decide to colonize it. The trillions of microbes on human hosts may end up on the Martian surface, rendering it nearly impossible to conclusively distinguish between Earthly and Martian microbial life (Bharmal). Perhaps best summing up the argument for the preservation of Mars is Carl Sagan’s writing in Cosmos: “If there is life on Mars, I believe we should do nothing with Mars. Mars then belongs to the Martians, even if the Martians are only microbes … the preservation of that life must, I think, supersede any other possible use of Mars”(Bharmal).

As an environmentally-passionate prospective aerospace engineer, the case for the preservation of Mars is particularly compelling. While I dream of one day sending the first manned mission to Mars, the environmentally-conscious side of me feels strongly that nature must be left alone. If there’s one thing humans can learn from the current climate change situation, it’s that we need to fully respect the natural environment, its processes, and the life it sustains. I worry that the mass industrialization that would come from colonization would cause similar levels of environmental destruction to those we see on Earth, destroying potential Martian ecosystems. Imagine needing to create a Martian Greenpeace!

Overall, I think it is essential to articulate and agree upon the steps that will be taken to preserve the Martian environment on an international level before humanity can move forward with colonization. While I do think that one day humans will find themselves on Mars, I hope it is with a genuine respect for the new environment welcoming them. After all, whether we like it or not, Mars may just have to be our Planet B.

Sources:

“Worlds Apart.” Mars, season 2, episode 2, National Geographic Channel, 19 Nov. 2018. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/81048722

https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2018/aug/28/the-case-against-mars-colonisation

Images:
https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/greenpeace-norwegian-coast-guard-arrests-arctic-sunrise-activists

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/nation-now/2018/02/07/watch-spacex-just-launched-tesla-car-into-orbit-now-you-can-ride-along-via-live-stream/315314002/

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/219458-we-should-colonize-mars-before-world-war-three