Many times we have seen banners like the one attached here with the objective of making people aware of the importance of protecting planet Earth, our only and limited natural habitat. For many decades we considered that it would be impossible and science fiction to think of finding another habitat that would suit our immediate needs. However, entrepreneurs like Elon Musk believe that it is possible to expand our presence on other planets, such as Mars. Therefore, the discussion is no longer about the technological capacity to colonize other planets in the Universe, but about the ethics and morality of such an action.
According to Petranek, editor-in-chief of Discover Magazine and editor-in-chief of the Washington Post Magazine, "Colonizing Mars is the best insurance for the human species. It is an existential necessity for Humanity." It is a fact that it is impossible to live indefinitely on Earth and for the human species to survive forever, because we are not only exposed to the "whims of the Universe", such as the sun swallowing the Earth in the future or the possible impact of a large asteroid, but also to the self-destruction of the environment on Earth.
I dare say that the measures that societies are taking to mitigate the consequences of climate change are far from giving the expected results. The impact of the increase in global temperature is already visible and diminishes the quality of life not only of individuals but also of the fauna and flora, which struggle to survive the sudden changes in the behavior of the climate. Climate refugees already exist and will cause social and political problems in the medium term. The economy, interdependent in the 20th century, will suffer greatly from the potential scarcity of natural resources due to rising sea levels, increased droughts, floods and violent storms.
Despite the continuation of the struggle for the implementation of efficient measures to achieve a sustainable economy, the defeatists consider that it is already too late. It is no longer a question of saving ourselves but of saving the human species, which will only be possible if we colonize a planet that has not yet been polluted. But why save the human species if we know that it only generates destruction and imbalance? If we did not know how to change our way of life when we considered that we only had planet Earth to live on, why would we make the effort to become more sustainable knowing that once we pollute one planet we can jump to another and live in the same way?
It would be unethical to "move" to another planet to pollute it. We do not know how our pollution, extended to other planets, can affect the functioning of the delicate mechanism that is the Universe nor what other living species we can affect with this destruction. Selfishness, an inherent characteristic of human beings, must be fought, finding a way to live harmoniously with Nature without affecting its fragile balance.
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