And The Solution Is... The Moon

This may seem crazy at first (by this point you should not be surprised) but hear this one out. i think that the solution to our environmental woes is tourism on the moon.

As an Environmental Science Major in college during the late 1990's there was lots of talk surrounding simplicity vs. technological faith. Throughout the environmental movement of the period many environmentalist felt that people put too much faith in technology. The threat was in the fear that people had faith in future advances to solve all problems so changing behavior or taking any kind of action was unnecessary.

Why recycle? Why worry about the ozone hole? Scientists will figure out ways to fix it. Why don't we launch our garbage into the sun? Why not take all that extra ozone in the LA smog and blow it through tubes into the hole over Australia?

The counter to this was returning to a simpler, less polluting life style. Some took this to extremes suggesting we go back to the less polluting horse and carriage transportation and the rejection of unnecessary and frivolous electronics.

Well, i don't usually think of my iPod as evil (except when it freezes up... you damn, stinkin'...) nor do i have a whole lot of faith in my fellow man's ability to do the right thing and exhibit any type of self control. My faith lies in the intelligent of our society and the hope that they can either educate the rest, or at least enough, of our society that change can occur, or that they can come up with logical solutions appealing enough to the masses. Talk about an idealist!

Reading excepts from interviews with men who have travelled and/or walked on the moon i was struck with the solution of Lunar Tourism. Getting to the moon, turning, and seeing this small blue planet in the context of the enormity of the vast universe had a significant effect on every man who went there. The humbling effect. The realization that this is such a small and special place. The absence of distinguishable borders.

Our perspective plays an incredible role in the decisions we make. Most people have little perspective in regards to the planet we inhabit. It seems like some vast, infinite source of materials. If more people were able to see this fragile little world we live in from an outside perspective, the moon perhaps, then i can only image the effect it would have on their day to day decisions.

If Lunar Tourism can't change their minds maybe we can switch to one way ticket sales only.