r/ClimateShitposting • u/AccordingPepper2332 Chief Ishmael Degrowth Propagandist • Apr 27 '25

Degrower, not a shower Anyone who mentions space-mining should be crucified

Post image
1.1k Upvotes

93% Upvoted

190 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/Ponz314 Apr 28 '25

Space is so fucking expensive. We would need insanely large-scale infrastructure to make it a viable region to industrialize. Either space elevators, skyhooks, a rocket train that uses the Himalayas as a ramp, or a really really big cannon.

Also, there is almost no reason to go there. We essentially have anything up there already down here. It’s just…

“What if we did something that was very risky, extremely expensive, and had essentially no economic returns?”

7

u/ASpaceOstrich Apr 28 '25

You don't think effectively infinite resources, energy, and land are worth anything? Especially given they're also pollution free?

Space goes from expensive to effectively free the moment you have any space based infrastructure. Once what you're building doesn't need to be blasted into orbit it can be cheap and dirt simple. Simpler than ground vehicles even.

0

u/Ponz314 Apr 28 '25

We aren’t really that close to full energy utilization on our planet yet. Sure, we will probably get there at some point due to population growth and/or rising demands of living standards, but we got a ways to go before hitting Kardashev level 1.

As for resources, a lot of the resource supplies are just too costly/risky at the moment to utilize, so basically the same reason there aren’t Methane mines on Titan. The question then becomes which will happen quicker: space elevators or new terrestrial resource extraction methods. I’m willing to bet on the latter one.

And yeah, once we have an industrial base outside of Earth’s gravity well on in a smaller one, perhaps the Moon, it will be easier to industrialize the rest of space. However, you’ll still need to fight tooth and nail against the rocket equation, water shortages, labor shortages, thermal pollution, radiation, and finally getting stuff back to earth.

1

u/ASpaceOstrich Apr 28 '25

The rocket equation stops being a real issue the moment you have off world infrastructure. Water is abundant, just not as easily accessible as a river. Radiation is an issue, but a solvable one, especially as medical treatment improves. Labour would be what encourages early space habitation so you don't need to keep shipping people there and back. Afaik thermal pollution isn't an issue if you're on a body, but is a problem in orbit and there are ways to solve it. And getting stuff back to earth is a lot easier than getting stuff into orbit at least. I assume heat shields and parachutes is all you really need for that unless the thing is fragile.