EASY ACCESS TO SPACE

But I thought global warming had been disproved? A few scientists with integrity hold this view. But when smoking was shown to be linked to lung cancer in the 1950s, people were hired to confuse the public by denying the link. The same thing has happened with global warming: individuals have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to deny it (See George Monbiot’s book, Heat, Chapter Two “The Denialists” for names and amounts). Such people are guilty of an enormous crime, to my mind: their greed for money could contribute to millions of deaths, possibly even the end of the human race.

But I thought there was enough coal for hundreds of years? True, but this is the exception. Most metals will be in short supply by 2100, and at the present rate of consumption, oil will run out in around 2050.

Why not use the space rockets we already have? They are wasteful of energy, inefficient and expensive. A space elevator is a better alternative. It is a fifty thousand mile cable stretching upwards from the equator with a weight on the end, kept taut by centrifugal force. We need it within a few decades.

Why the urgency? Building a space elevator will require energy and material resources. Once we get into times of scarcity, the opportunity will have passed.

What next? The cable will need to be made of stronger material than we have now. Carbon Nanotubes are a promising possibility. Vehicles to climb the cable are progressing.

 What happens if we don’t exploit space? The future becomes very uncertain. In the worst case, we can expect major resource wars which will dwarf the conflicts of the twentieth century.

What can I do? Pass on the word. Invest in the necessary technologies. Reduce your own consumption.