Mars is a dry frozen world today but colonists from Earth will someday be
colonists from Earth will someday be
colonists from Earth will someday be looking for ways to make it more like
looking for ways to make it more like
looking for ways to make it more like home the first and most important step
home the first and most important step
home the first and most important step in making Mars habitable is to warm it
in making Mars habitable is to warm it
in making Mars habitable is to warm it up the fundamental problem with Mars
up the fundamental problem with Mars
up the fundamental problem with Mars today is it’s too cold
we’ll have to warm Mars from its average
we’ll have to warm Mars from its average of 80 below zero to about 25 below to
of 80 below zero to about 25 below to
of 80 below zero to about 25 below to get terraforming started in the warmest
get terraforming started in the warmest
get terraforming started in the warmest regions near the equator and it would
regions near the equator and it would
regions near the equator and it would take something pretty dramatic to
take something pretty dramatic to
take something pretty dramatic to generate that kind of heat one person
generate that kind of heat one person
generate that kind of heat one person who has pondered the problem is Robert
who has pondered the problem is Robert
who has pondered the problem is Robert Zubrin an aerospace engineer author an
Zubrin an aerospace engineer author an
Zubrin an aerospace engineer author an ardent proponent of colonizing and
ardent proponent of colonizing and
ardent proponent of colonizing and terraforming Mars initially I thought
terraforming Mars initially I thought
terraforming Mars initially I thought about wide array of techniques some of
about wide array of techniques some of
about wide array of techniques some of which involved kake significant violence
he considered hydrogen bombs to melt ice
he considered hydrogen bombs to melt ice and heat up the atmosphere or corralling
and heat up the atmosphere or corralling
and heat up the atmosphere or corralling space rocks from the asteroid belt
space rocks from the asteroid belt
space rocks from the asteroid belt and crashing them into Mars
but he’s had second thoughts about that
but he’s had second thoughts about that I’ve come to realize that while some of
I’ve come to realize that while some of
I’ve come to realize that while some of them might be workable in principle that
them might be workable in principle that
them might be workable in principle that none of them are really workable in
none of them are really workable in
none of them are really workable in practice zubrin’s long-range vision of
practice zubrin’s long-range vision of
practice zubrin’s long-range vision of Mars involves people permanent colonists
Mars involves people permanent colonists
Mars involves people permanent colonists calling the planet home and they’d want
calling the planet home and they’d want
calling the planet home and they’d want to survive the process of warming it up
to survive the process of warming it up
to survive the process of warming it up the people who are actually going to
the people who are actually going to
the people who are actually going to terraform Mars are going to be the
terraform Mars are going to be the
terraform Mars are going to be the people who live on Mars they are the
people who live on Mars they are the
people who live on Mars they are the only ones who will have a significant
only ones who will have a significant
only ones who will have a significant enough stake in the outcome of
enough stake in the outcome of
enough stake in the outcome of terraforming Mars to want to expend the
terraforming Mars to want to expend the
terraforming Mars to want to expend the resources that would be required to
resources that would be required to
resources that would be required to change a planet so they’re not going to
change a planet so they’re not going to
change a planet so they’re not going to want to do things like exploding
want to do things like exploding
want to do things like exploding hydrogen bombs on the South Pole in fact
hydrogen bombs on the South Pole in fact
hydrogen bombs on the South Pole in fact there is an easier way and we’ve been
there is an easier way and we’ve been
there is an easier way and we’ve been practicing it on earth for the past 150
practicing it on earth for the past 150
practicing it on earth for the past 150 years we know how to warm up planets
years we know how to warm up planets
years we know how to warm up planets we’re demonstrating that we know how to
we’re demonstrating that we know how to
we’re demonstrating that we know how to do that right here on earth where it’s
do that right here on earth where it’s
do that right here on earth where it’s probably not a good idea by burning
probably not a good idea by burning
probably not a good idea by burning fossil fuels the carbon remains of
fossil fuels the carbon remains of
fossil fuels the carbon remains of ancient plants we’re pumping out carbon
ancient plants we’re pumping out carbon
ancient plants we’re pumping out carbon dioxide faster than the earth can take
dioxide faster than the earth can take
dioxide faster than the earth can take it back in in the process we’re
it back in in the process we’re
it back in in the process we’re increasing the ability of our atmosphere
increasing the ability of our atmosphere
increasing the ability of our atmosphere to trap heat from the Sun and we’re
to trap heat from the Sun and we’re
to trap heat from the Sun and we’re seeing the kinds of results the
seeing the kinds of results the
seeing the kinds of results the terraformers would like to see on Mars
terraformers would like to see on Mars
terraformers would like to see on Mars warming up planets is something we know
warming up planets is something we know
warming up planets is something we know how to do we would do exactly on Mars
how to do we would do exactly on Mars
how to do we would do exactly on Mars what we’re doing on earth we’re gonna
what we’re doing on earth we’re gonna
what we’re doing on earth we’re gonna have to set up literally little
have to set up literally little
have to set up literally little factories on Mars whose intent is to
factories on Mars whose intent is to
factories on Mars whose intent is to produce greenhouse gases it would be
produce greenhouse gases it would be
produce greenhouse gases it would be prohibitively expensive to bring fossil
prohibitively expensive to bring fossil
prohibitively expensive to bring fossil fuel from Earth and even if it weren’t
fuel from Earth and even if it weren’t
fuel from Earth and even if it weren’t it would take thousands of years to
it would take thousands of years to
it would take thousands of years to produce enough co2 to make a difference
produce enough co2 to make a difference
produce enough co2 to make a difference but there are more potent greenhouse
but there are more potent greenhouse
but there are more potent greenhouse gases that could be made from materials
gases that could be made from materials
gases that could be made from materials already on the planet at Caltech
already on the planet at Caltech
already on the planet at Caltech Marguerita mera nova has been studying
Marguerita mera nova has been studying
Marguerita mera nova has been studying them exposing them to infrared light to
them exposing them to infrared light to
them exposing them to infrared light to see how efficiently they capture heat
see how efficiently they capture heat
see how efficiently they capture heat some of them just let that energy pass
some of them just let that energy pass
some of them just let that energy pass straight through them but some of these
straight through them but some of these
straight through them but some of these gas actually absorbed the energy the
gas actually absorbed the energy the
gas actually absorbed the energy the most potent containing sulfur and
most potent containing sulfur and
most potent containing sulfur and fluorine have a super greenhouse effect
fluorine have a super greenhouse effect
fluorine have a super greenhouse effect thousands of times greater than carbon
thousands of times greater than carbon
thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide so they’re really put a lot of
dioxide so they’re really put a lot of
dioxide so they’re really put a lot of punch in for a very small amount of the
punch in for a very small amount of the
punch in for a very small amount of the gas
Florina sulfur are both contained in the
Florina sulfur are both contained in the Mars soil so you might imagine these
Mars soil so you might imagine these
Mars soil so you might imagine these factories pulling in Mars air scooping
factories pulling in Mars air scooping
factories pulling in Mars air scooping up Mars dirt going through a chemical
up Mars dirt going through a chemical
up Mars dirt going through a chemical process producing these super greenhouse
process producing these super greenhouse
process producing these super greenhouse gases and releasing them into the
gases and releasing them into the
gases and releasing them into the atmosphere in a sense the hardest part
atmosphere in a sense the hardest part
atmosphere in a sense the hardest part of this whole story of warming Mars and
of this whole story of warming Mars and
of this whole story of warming Mars and introducing life is that first step that
introducing life is that first step that
introducing life is that first step that first step of producing the super
first step of producing the super
first step of producing the super greenhouse gases on a planet with no
greenhouse gases on a planet with no
greenhouse gases on a planet with no infrastructure no facilities nothing
infrastructure no facilities nothing
infrastructure no facilities nothing everything has got to be built from
everything has got to be built from
everything has got to be built from scratch
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