Göran Askeljung: This is my private blog and does not necesserily express the views or share the motives of any organisations I work for. All rights reserved © Askeljung 2006

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

How to reduce CO² emission

At the present rate of world-wide population growth rate and the growing industrialization of China and the third world, we are definitely running into problems with the environment. But what if there were less people around to consume and more forest to handle the CO² emissions?

Be fruitful and multiply; and fill the earth (Gen 1:28) God commands Adam and Eve, which they made a good start of; but then something went terribly wrong. The world today is not in good stewardship, as God wanted from us. Our false God – Consumption – is driving us in a wholly different direction.
For a long time perspective on CO² reduction to work, we either need to reverse industrialization (not going to happen) or reduce consumption (also not going to happen) or take the variable out of the equation totally: People!

Have you ever thought about that, even for just one second? I’m not proclaiming genocide here – God forbid – no; I only want to tease a creative idea I think is worth having a closer look at.

Consumption is the root cause of CO² emissions and people is the root cause of consumption. It’s that simple. So how do we significantly reduce the world population?

Genocide is not an option, so we need to entice people to leave the planet, i.e. invest is space exploitation! Yes, exploitation. If people had an attractive alternative, they will always go there. So we have to create a new Klondike, a new gold rush where people will go to make their dreams come true. Today, that is over the border from Zimbabwe to South Africa, or from Africa to Europe, etc. Tomorrow – in a few years – that can be Space instead. Thus it has to be space exploitation and not just exploration; otherwise the masses won’t be enticed to go there. If there’s not a buck to make, then no one’s interested!

How do we make this happen? If the world’s governments are serious about CO² reduction and all of them put trading of emission certificates in place, we would have a source for financing the initial endeavors’ into space. This could be a source of funding for NASA and other national space programs but also for ESA and other international agencies, seeking to develop the technologies needed to make space travel and exploitation possible. Furthermore, there should be government funding and tax reductions made effective for any commercial developments that seems viable to this end.

But will not space travel be a burden to the environment? Yes, initially and today, this is true. We do not need to look far ahead though, to see new technologies made available to seriously reduce any impact on CO² emissions to this end. In Science Fiction, the possibilities of Plasma Engines and Space Elevators have been debated for years. In material research, we already have promising technologies today, which on a massive scale could support this very cause.

So where will people go? A few scenarios: Terra forming of Mars, commercial exploitation of the Moon and the Asteroids and even the Leisure Industry would create massive opportunities for people to get involved in. If I could go on hols’ to the Moon in 25 years, I’d save a while for the ticket (but only if Paris Hilton isn’t!). The pioneers of modern Space travel, like Sir Richard Branson shows the way. Given a massive support from a financial perspective and the opportunity to “play it for keeps” when it comes to the fruits of space exploitation, I think we should seriously think about this long-term perspective for saving out precious planet.

By Göran Askeljung

Mr. Askeljung is a Guru in GTD Methodology, Director of immediate effects and Board Member of eBlizz, Inc. His private passion has always been Space Exploitation and Evangelism.

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