Global Priorities: Earth or Mars?

By Pierce K. Kozlowski

The Issue at Hand

Long ago, we conquered the Earth, and over the passage of time, we built massive cities of glass and steel. Then we mastered the sea and even the sky, and eventually, either out of pride or virtue, we sought the heavens and marched upon the moon. Because of these labors, we have reaped great fruits: the skies are watched by satellites, the heavens are studied by space stations, and the depth of the great celestial expanse is determined by probes. All of this amounted to many fantastic and grand findings, and great was this feat, for the triumphs of our day were the very substance of our dreams before. And to this day, because we – like children – still wonder about the sheer infinitude of the universe and all of its mystery, we cherish both the activity of space exploration and all the benefits to our knowledge that followed. We have become trailblazers and revolutionaries, going further and higher than any other species of our kind! Therefore, since such things have been true, a journey to the closest planet is the most natural next step in that development! Right?

At least, that is what some believe. Despite the vastly impressive feats of space exploration and the scarily high potential we possess to probably reach other planets, this does not mean that jumping to the next most ambitious milestone should be the first priority. And by extension, a journey to Mars, as glorious as such a feat would be, should not take center stage in terms of large-scale global projects . . . at least for right now. This attitude is not uncommon, as a Pew Research Study found that a majority of Americans believed that sending a human settlement to Mars was largely unimportant, ranking 8th in terms of what NASA’s priorities should be (Funk). The priorities which preceded Martian exploration, however, related to things from research on the effects of space travel on human health, to research on Earth’s natural resources, with the first priority ironically pertaining to research on climate efforts – something which directly relates to things here on Earth. So while there are many good reasons to visit Mars, there is equal reason to address Earth first, and some of the more pressing problems therein.

Practical Considerations

So, if problems have arisen on our planet, and if they take priority over space exploration, then what are those problems? Before answering this question, it should be noted how unrealistic and impractical it would be to visit Mars in this lifetime, specifically with regard to technological complications and the like, all of which are without any scientific solutions at the moment. For example, writers from The New York Times have pointed to the outrageously “slim margin of error” that astronauts have to work within when operating newer technologies, the interpersonal conflicts being naturally exacerbated by the confined living quarters of spacecrafts, and even the negative health considerations of microgravity (Regis). And even if the commute to this planet were successful, other writers such as Skyler Verrone have pointed to the unlivable conditions of the planet because humans are not the slightest bit biologically adapted to foreign planets, much less Mars (Verrone). This isn’t an unfounded point either, since homosapiens and our previous ancestors, according to Israeli Historian Yuval Harari, have spent the last estimated 6 million years evolving according to the atmospheric, environmental, and gravitational conditions of the Earth (Harai 5; Coolidge 12). And in the case that modern equipment could help astronauts withstand the radioactive and environmental threats of that foreign planet, columnist Louisa Rochdi makes note that there is a complete lack of food and natural resources on Mars, and zero methods to continually produce and sustain such resources despite both of those things being the cornerstone of any successful colony (Rochdi).

Ethical Considerations

While these arguments put space exploration efforts into a more grounded frame of mind, there is the other side of this coin that deals with the issue of putting the welfare of Earth before the exploration of Mars. And this leads us to the second point, which is that NASA's space projects – such as potentially traveling to Mars for example – come directly out of American pockets, but why should Americans be paying compulsory taxes into programs which don’t address existing problems across the country, all of which directly affect those same Americans? Just last year, roughly 50 million Americans were subject to food insecurity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic (Food Insecurity p.3). Furthermore, with rent increasing at the highest rate since 1986 (Smialek), coupled with record high inflation, the homelessness rates have been increasing, resulting in shelters across the U.S. reporting surges of the incoming homeless population (Bhattarai and Siegel). As of 2020, during the midst of a pandemic, as many as 31.6 million people in the U.S. were uninsured or without any type of healthcare coverage, and 3.7 million of those were children (Cha and Cohen). While famine, no healthcare, an economic recession, and homelessness in the richest country in the world could be argued as being “easily solvable” problems (all of which have yet to be solved, along with many others), this does not even begin to scratch the surface of the broader issues in need of attention.

To gain a more holistic perspective, here’s an overview of just some of the most pressing global issues: concerning impoverishment, about 62% of the global population faces extreme poverty, living just under $10 a day (Roser). Since 2016, there has been a staggering 8% increase in global food insecurity, with more than 193 million people worldwide shouldering the blow as of 2021 (Guterres). With regard to mental health, there has been a 25% increase worldwide in both depression and anxiety, with an estimated 1 billion people possessing a mental disorder of some sort (World Health Organization). And according to the International Rescue Committee, there are 10 countries as of 2022 which qualified as being the host of the most damning humanitarian crises – countries which include: Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Nigeria, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan; each issue related to widespread agricultural problems, outbreaks of vicious diseases like Ebola, destabilized governments or violent deadlocks, economic destitution, and droughts (International Rescue Committee). Despite the heroic efforts of those organizations seeking to solve the direst issues on the world stage, there seems to be a movement both in the public and private sector strangely focusing on space exploration as though the other issues did not exist. To take an example relating to the public sector, medicare is allocated 5.9% of the federal budget, housing is given 5.7%, and education is 6.3% – interestingly (and perhaps concerningly), almost half of the discretionary budget goes to the military, giving NASA 0.4% of the federal income, which equates to roughly $23.3 billion (Adams). However, such funding may be allocated in vain since the space industry is being overtaken by the private sector, with entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos as the more significant investors — and while that poses its own set of considerations, such public funding is better spent on welfare programs helping parents who can’t feed their children as opposed to an over-glorified and mostly inactive space program which is unable to compete with the services of the private sector. Any world government that prioritizes an issue that is both non-pressing and non-humanitarian in nature over issues that are, is mismanagement of funds and an unethical approach to governance.

Conclusion

To suggest that we ought to move to Mars because “the future is near,” or that we ought to pour billions into traversing the expanse of existence and conquering the rocks of afar is arguable for two reasons. Firstly, while Martian exploration rests in the far future, it's unlikely to occur within the near future due to technological limitations. Secondly, there is a disquieting multitude of problems afflicting humanity the world over, all of which are urgent and humanitarian in nature. So, it ought to be asked, why would the idea of coming to another planet cross the minds of those who have yet to solve the problems of their own, especially if the current possibility of exploring this other planet was slim to none? What utter foolishness on behalf of our modern enthusiasts and optimists, for their heart rightly yearns for the stars, but their eyes ignore the state of the launchpad. Despite the problem that can be reasonably taken with those who profess the need to explore Mars, space exploration should not be dismissed as foolish in and of itself. Such a proposition should only be dismissed if it has been proposed before propositions concerning issues of higher urgency and greater importance, i.e., those issues which are properly considered humanitarian. Therefore, we are left with a principle: when the priority of Earth and Mars are considered absolutely, the most sober-minded counsel will dictate that the welfare of the former must always precede the importance of the latter. And based on the aforementioned reasons, it can be said with reason and good conscience, that before we go voyaging to Mars, let us first go about fixing our ports here on Earth.

References

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2. Bhattarai, Abha, and Rachel Siegel. “Inflation Is Making Homelessness Worse.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 6 July 2022, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2022/07/03/inflation-homeless-rent-housing/.

3. Cha, Amy, and Robin Cohen. “Demographic Variation in Health Insurance Coverage: United States, 2020.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Statistics ReportsNational Health Statistics Reports, 11 Feb. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr169.pdf.

4. Coolidge, Frederick L. “A Brief History of Life and Brain Evolution.” Evolutionary Neuropsychology: An Introduction to the Evolution of the Structures and Functions of the Human Brain, Oxford University Press, New York, 2020, pp. 12–25.

5. “Covid-19 Pandemic Triggers 25% Increase in Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Worldwide.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 2 May 2022, https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide.

6. Funk, Cary. “Majority of Americans Believe It Is Essential That the U.S. Remain a Global Leader in Space.” Pew Research Center, 19 Aug. 2021.

7. Guterres, Antonio. “Global Report on Food Crises - 2022.” UN World Food Programme, Saving Lives Changing Lives, 4 May 2022, https://www.wfp.org/publications/global-report-food-crises-2022.

8. Harari, Yuval N. “Part One: The Cognitive Revolution, An Animal of No Significance.” Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Harper Perennial, New York, 2018, pp. 3–8.

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Regis, Ed. “Let's Not Move to Mars.” The New York Times, 21 Sept. 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/21/opinion/lets-not-move-to-mars.html.

10. Rochdi, Louisa. “7 Reasons Why Going to Mars in 2024 Is Almost Impossible.” Medium, The Startup, 25 Aug. 2020, https://medium.com/swlh/7-reasons-why-going-to-mars-in-2024-is-almost-impossible-6117e9daf61f.

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14. Verrone, Skyler. “Colonizing Mars Is a Terrible, Awful Idea.” The Triangle, 2 June 2022, https://www.thetriangle.org/opinion/colonizing-mars-is-a-terrible-awful-idea/.