M. Beech
Terraforming: The Creating of Habitable Worlds
Series: Astronomers' Universe
▶ Explains how other parts of the solar system and even exoplanets can
be made fit for human settlement and how our solar system offers an
abundance of resources
▶ Shows how geological and chemical activity in Earth's atmosphere
allow Earth to support life and how other solar system objects might
be fashioned similarly
▶ Explores in detail the current thinking on how a terraformed, lifesustaining Mars might be possible, given that Mars was once a much
wetter and denser planet
2009, XI, 291 p.
Printed book
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We all know that Earth’s population is growing at an alarming rate, and vital resources
are becoming scarce. There simply isn’t enough space to grow the food the bulging
human populations will need in the future. An energy crisis is also upon us. What happens
when the oil runs out or becomes too costly to support us in the lifestyles to which we’ve
become accustomed? What do we do?
There are no easy solutions. Planned population growth would certainly be a possible
solution, but there are probably already too many mouths too feed, and few nations
would be willing to pass or enforce laws limiting their country’s birth rate.
Some scientists have suggested the answer lies in humankind’s spacefaring nature and
fantastic engineering capabilities. We know that there are other terrestrial bodies in our
Solar System that share some features with Earth. Can they be made habitable, or at least
be used to grow food or supply energy to Earth’s expanding populations? What would it
take? Which of those bodies are our best hope? Can we create an atmosphere where there
is none or change a poisonous atmosphere to one we can breathe?
These and other questions concerning modern-day realities and the future possibilities of
terraforming—the science of making of new worlds (even extrasolar ones) habitable for
humans—are tackled in this engrossing and revealing study by Martin Beech.
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