BOULDER, Colo. -- The second day of the International Mars Conference opened this morning with a call to members to get over the idea of conquering a new frontier.
Kim Stanley Robinson, the Hugo-award-winning author of the "Red Mars" trilogy and the recent "Antarctica," urged an audience of about 600 people to view the proposed exploration of the red planet not as manifest destiny, but as an ecology mission.
"We need to think of going to Mars as part of environmentalism. It's a green project," said Robinson, explaining that the greatest benefit of planetary exploration is that it helps us learn about our own planet. Nothing in outer space could replace the comfort and fertility of Earth. Those who think of a developing Mars as a refuge to which people can flee overpopulation and ecological degradation are escapists, he said.
Robinson's comments seemed to stab at a sentiment within the society that people should explore Mars because it's a human right and duty, and because it would be a great adventure. His comments were delivered with such eloquence and good sense, though, that the membership seemed to relax with a collective sigh of relief, as if some vague sentiment had finally been stated clearly.
The concept of "manifest destiny" should never be used as a reason for going to Mars, because the phrase "reeks of murder," Robinson said. Similarly, people should not view Mars as a frontier because the idea is so uniquely American that it tends to alienate the rest of the world.
During a brief question-and-answer period, several people voiced gratitude for Robinson's statements. One member disagreed, saying that each member has his or her own reasons for wanting to go to Mars, and those reasons are all valid.
Robinson politely disagreed. He said some of the reasons people express for wanting to go to Mars smack of elitism, and the whole idea of exploring Mars has little appeal to most of the general public.
"More people would be interested if our reasons were better," he said.
In conclusion, Robinson urged the Mars society to be careful of the mire many small organizations fall into, where the group's members argue more among themselves than they do with those on the outside who truly oppose the group's goals.
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