MEDIEVAL ENGLISH CISTERCIAN ECOLOGY AS A PRINCIPLE FOR [1] [2] ETHICAL SPACE COLONIZATION. A.A. Mardon and B. G. Fawcett , [1] Antarctic Institute of Canada (Suite 103, 11919-82 Street NW, Edmonton, Alberta, [2] Canada,
[email protected]), Newman Theological College (10012 84 St NW, Edmonton, AB T6A 0B2,
[email protected])
Introduction: The expanding human population, as well as the various threats posed by climate change (itself a result of poor ecological management), as well as the basic human impulse towards expansion and exploration, make the colonization of outer space an attractive venture. The fact is that, given the mass consumption of metal on earth today, mining asteroids (which have much richer platinum grades than terrestrial metals) is already a sensible and prudent course of action to pursue.[1] The mining of asteroids would also finance “stepping-stone” projects such as the use of lunar lava tubes as emergency resource depots and as regions for habitation[2], a kind of trial run for the same sort of work that could be done on Mars.[3] But before we begin this work of colonization and utilization, we must establish certain ethical standards to govern our conduct. Privately-funded meteorite recovery missions give us a sense of the ethical problems which would arise in space colonization: The findings of meteorite-seeking expeditions should be the heritage of all humanity, not the exclusive specimen of private collectors.[4] Codes of ethics must be in place which ensure that the same mistakes which have been made on earth are not made on the moon or other planets: that outer space is valued for its own sake, not merely as a utility, and is stewarded and preserved for future generations.[5]
Proposal: To get a sense of how we may avoid going down the exploitative and wasteful path with the resources of space that we have gone down here on earth, we could consider an alternative form of industrialism which existed in Medieval England. The Cistercian monks were already on the brink of an Industrial Revolution, engaged in breeding of sheep for their abundant wool and building advanced waterways, but their work was governed by a respect for the land. For example, it was an offense to cut down a tree without permission, and they always favoured re-appropriating waste land or swamp rather than destroying areas to build or plant. These could have been the principles governing industrialism had Henry VIII not sacked the monasteries and set history on a path of exploitation and ruthlessness, but this new opportunity of scientific growth and exploration gives us an opportunity to return to this potential industrialism. The monks especially serve as an excellent model for space colonization because they tended to favour wild and untamed districts to build monasteries in, much like outer space and the moon today are our “untamed wilderness”.[6]
References: [1] Mardon, A.A. (2010). World Metal Consumption and Space Mineral Resource Utilization. Lunar and
Planetary Science Conference. Retrieved August 5, 2015 from http://tinyurl.com/obegff2. [2] Mardon, A.A. (2009). Use of Lunar Lava Tubes as Habitation Structures on the Moon. Annual Meeting of Lunar Exploration Analysis Group. Retrieved August 5, 2015 from http://tinyurl.com/qeopccg. [3] Mardon, A.A. (2013). Using the Moon as a Stepping Stone to Reach Mars. International Scientific Workshop on Golden Spike Human Lunar Expeditions. [4] Mardon, A.A. (2009). The Use of Geographic Remote Sensing, Mapping and Aerial Photography to Aid in the Recovery of Blue Ice Surficial Meteorites in Antarctica. Golden Meteorite Press. [5] Mardon, A.A., G. Zhou (2013). Ethical Conduct to Lunar Colonization. Annual Meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group. Retrieved on August 5, 2015 from http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/leag2 013/pdf/7003.pdf. [6] Mardon, A.A. (2001). The Ecology of Medieval English Monasteries. Pacific Journal of Science and Technologies, Vol. 2, No. 1. Retrieved on August 5, 2015 from http://tinyurl.com/nafvjvw.
