Scientists Propose 'National Parks' On Mars

colonist writes "Microbiologist Charles Cockell and astrobiologist Gerda Horneck want to turn seven areas on Mars into 'national parks', conserved in their pristine state. 'It is the right of every person to stand and stare across the beautiful barrenness and desolation of the Martian surface without having to endure the eyesore of pieces of crashed spacecraft scattered across the landscape,' they write. Cockell is not against colonization, though. He says that setting aside some areas for conservation would free up the rest of the planet for settlement."

Comments

Saxifrage Russell

[davejenkins]

Damn that Saxifrage Russell and his Greens!

On the contrary...

[isny]

Crash spaceship sites should be designated 'national historal parks'.

What a joke

[Anonymous Coward]

As if we were planning on paving the whole planet as soon as we landed.

Re:What a joke

[whoda]

You're right, we'll drill for oil first, everybody knows that.

Re:What a joke

[Anonymous Coward]

I think you're on to something... if you want the US to invest more in space exploration, tell them you're looking for oil, not water.

How could we have missed that??

Re:What a joke

[lateral]

...and those crashed space ships look awfully like WMD from here.

L

See?

[EdwinBoyd]

He should take solace in knowing that the massive amounts of radiation hitting the planet due to it having no atmosphere to speak of would likely burn out the eyes of the tourist.

Am I correct in thinking..

[oexeo]

So, America owns Mars now, right?

UAC?

[Mystic0]

Does the Doom III ad have anything to do with the article, or is that just a coincidence?

Re:Terminology please?

[ppanon]

Actually, I would bet on either the French or the Chinese in that kind of a scenario.

Most Americans aren't culinarily adventurous so they won't be willing to resort to cannibalism until after they're already the main course. Your average Middle Eastern resident is going to have to overcome double everybody else's religious qualms over 'long pig', with the same result. And as you point out, the Russians may be thrown out the airlock over their behaviour long before food stocks go low (or accidentally step out for a walk during a roaring drunk). That also is likely to happen to the Germans if they can't get over saying things like "Zat hydroponics pump vould nefer haf failed if it vass a *German* pump". Once any peacekeepers have been eliminated, the Japanese are likely to get tossed out the airlock by the Chinese as retribution for the Second World War.

So I'll bet on the Chinese or the French. Southern Chinese will eat any and all parts of any animal, and a good French cook will be able to whip a nice little burgundy, garlic, or herb sauce to make things palatable.

Re:Terminology please?

[fireboy1919]

Na, they should be designated "international McHistorical McParks" since any colonization on Mars will probably be done by a corporation that will eventually run everything. After all, if we have a nuclear holocaust before we go to Mars (which would be a good reason to try to colonize there despite the enormous expense), what will be more important than food, and what kind of food will survive a nuclear holocaust? I guess it might also be "Hostess International Historical Parks" or even "McHostess International McHistorical McParks" at that point.

On the other hand, wouldn't Microsoft buy McDonalds before the holocaust as it expands in an ever-encompassing web of mediocracy? So...I guess it'd be "MSMcHostess MSInternational McHistorical McParks" or some similar variation.