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The Moon Treaty of 1979 is widely regarded as an impediment to space development efforts. However, I believe that the Moon Treaty could be transformed into an instrument that promotes space development.
The Moon Treaty provides for the eventual establishment of an international regime to govern the exploitation of lunar resources. The United States could offer to approve the Moon Treaty on the condition that the international regime is established now and that the regime adopts a set of laws that allow the private ownership of lunar land and resources.
Is this a good idea?
Morris:
You wrote that sometimes capitalism "is correctly used to refer to an economic philosophy." Yes, putting an "ism" on the end of "capital" is a way to refer to an economic philosophy known as capitalism. However, the term capitalism is usually used to refer to an economic system characterized by the private ownership of capital goods (accumulated goods devoted to the production of other goods).
You also wrote, "At other times it [capitalism] seems to be used to refer to economic laws. Economic laws are going to apply regardless of the political system." At the most fundamental level of analysis, economic laws describe the flow of energy through an ecosystem. However, it should be noted that in a human society legislated laws can significantly alter energy flows. In other words, economic laws can be changed politically. The law of the jungle can be domesticated.
Prometheusunbound wrote "Historically, collective ownership has not succeeded in bringing much benefit to the 'owners' beyond mere survival." The Hutterites are an example of people who practice collective ownership and who have high standards of living (low infant mortality rates, good diets, and long lifespans). Capitalists and other people who advocate the private ownership of land and capital goods should study the Hutterites. In doing so, they will gain a deeper understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of capitalism.
The Moon Treaty of 1979 provides for the establishment of an international regime to govern the exploitation of lunar resources. That international regime has not yet been established so there is not currently an internationally recognized means of acquiring title to lunar land. But we could ask the parties to that treaty to establish an international regime that could allow the issuance of titles to lunar land. We could propose a set of model land tenure laws that the international regime could adopt. We could help to fashion an international regime that will promote the settlement of Luna and thereby speed the development of technologies and social institutions that can be applied to the settlement of Mars.
In an article titled "US public land policy and applications for the Moon and Mars", Sam Dinkin wrote, "The United States should commence international negotiations to amend the 1967 Treaty of Outer Space or withdraw from it to make such auctions possible."
The United States could withdraw from the Outer Space treaty and then assert sovereignty over Luna and adopt laws that provide for the auctioning of lunar land. However, the other nations of Earth might take exception to the United States simply taking Luna as its own territory. If the United States asserted sovereignty over Luna it would, in essence, be issuing a threat to use force against the people of other nations. I believe that it would be a mistake for the United States to make such a threat.
The Moon Treaty of 1979 provides for the establishment of an international regime to regulate the exploitation of lunar resources. The United States could become a party to the Moon Treaty and then advocate the implementation of the international regime provisions of that treaty. The international regime could be established and it could lease a portion of Luna to the United States. This would allow the United States to adopt laws that provide for the auctioning of subleases on parcels of lunar land in the area leased by the United States. When lunar civilization becomes mature, the United States could allow its lunar lease to expire. The people in that territory could then (1) become an independent nation or (2) apply to become a state of the "United States of America and Luna."
Article 1 of the Moon Treaty anticipates that "specific legal norms" may be adopted for Mars and other celestial bodies. In an essay titled "The Problem of Owning Mars", I proposed a set of legal norms for Mars. Those legal norms, in the form of a "Constitution of the Provisional Government of Mars", would allow the establishment of settlements that adopt ordinances for their governance. Such ordinances could provide for the auctioning of parcels of land within the boundaries of the settlement. My essay is posted on the web at http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … t956282743
Scott:
You wrote that the latest version of your Mars settlement simulator includes “Example settlement templates for larger settlements.” You also wrote that “Any other suggestions would be appreciated.” I suggest that you include a template for a settlement the size of New Euthenia (see http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm ).
I have devised a technique for drawing an Olympic symbol. My technique is based on the rules of geometric construction that were adopted more than two thousand years ago by Greek geometers. I posted a graphic example of my technique on the web at http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … ibit12.htm
In a letter dated August 1, 2004, I suggested to the Director General of the International Olympic Committee that the IOC amend the graphic standard for the Olympic symbol. I believe that the IOC should amend that standard so that the Olympic symbol can be drawn the Greek way -- with a straight-edge, a drafting compass, and a pencil. I further suggested that this amendment be announced during the next Olympic games, which will begin in a few days in Athens, Greece.
The Olympic games bring people together from all over the world. Those games foster international cooperation and goodwill. My plan for the exploration and settlement of Mars is based on the Olympic example and spirit. I refer to that plan as The Euthenia Project. That plan would bring people together from all over this world. Those people would work together to carry out the exploration and settlement of Mars.
Morris:
You wrote, “Livestock is very labor-intensive and requires large amounts of biomass daily.” It would probably not be practical to try to raise cattle in these circumstances. Smaller critters like goats and sheep could be kept in a neighborhood setting.
Animals that are raised for slaughter could be allowed to graze in the greenhouse domes (MUTs) operated by agricultural neighborhoods in the city of New Euthenia ( http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm ). However, breeding stock should probably be kept in well shielded underground facilities.
Clark:
You asked, “Wouldn't 'Euthenia' and the technology developed by creating this city reduce the capital costs, thereby providing the foundation for the land rush scenerio?”
The people of The City of Euthenia would be working together to build a daughter city (New Euthenia) on Mars. The Euthenians might periodically draw lots to decide which families will be provided with transportation to Mars and with title to or leases on dwellings in New Euthenia. I do not foresee these matters being decided by a land rush in which people literally race to Mars to take possession of various dwellings. That sort of chaos would certainly result in a grievous loss of life.
John:
You wrote, “If the goal is social engineering then the issues are: What are the objectives: freedom, crime rate, mental health, education?”
The primary goal of the educational system of The City of Euthenia would be to socialize children; to prepare children to perform the functions that keep their society running. A secondary but very important goal should be to teach children how to control the evolution of their society. They should be taught to question the efficacy of their traditions, to imagine more effective and enjoyable traditions, and to experiment with new traditions. They should not be controlled by “the dead hand of tradition” -- they should be in control of their sociocultural evolution.
You also wrote, “If there is a land rush, perhaps people of similar values may settle in similar areas.”
There will NOT be a land rush to colonize Mars for the same reason that there has not been a land rush to colonize the floor of Earth's oceans. The capital cost of colonizing these areas is far, far, far beyond the means of a husband and wife.
In the 1800s a man could buy a wagon and a team of oxen. He could then join a wagon train and take his family West to settle unoccupied, fertile valleys. This “Westward Ho” scenario cannot be repeated on Mars and the romantic notion that it can be has generated a lot of woolly headed and thoroughly unrealistic speculation. In contrast, the scenario that I have suggested (The Euthenia Project) does have the potential to generate a political consensus, and a legal and financial foundation, and technological systems that will prepare people to establish permanent human settlements on Mars.
Martian Republic:
You wrote, “I think the United States should end the argument by making a forty to fifty year commitment to build a city on Mars of a hundred thousand population.”
I agree that there should be a long-term commitment to building cities on Mars. However, I believe that achieving this goal exceeds the capacity of the United States alone. I have therefore proposed the establishment of an international regime to accomplish this goal.
I disagree with your proposal that a Martian city should have a population of 100,000. When cities become that large they usually have corruption, crime, and poverty problems. I believe that a city of about 15,000 people is much easier to manage and will provide a higher quality of life for its residents.
A NASA grant provided $250,000 for fusion experiments with a focus fusion device. This device might be able to provide electrical energy to power a Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). This kind of rocket could get to Mars quickly but it probably could not be used for launching payloads into Earth orbit.
For more information, go to http://www.focusfusion.org]http://www.focusfusion.org
“The goal of the Focus Fusion Society is to help to develop an environmentally safe, cheap and unlimited energy source. We will do this by funding research into hydrogen-boron fusion using the plasma focus device. The successful development of Focus Fusion Energy will eliminate the environmental destruction of fossil fuel use, free the world economy from the crushing burden of high energy prices and eliminate the continual wars aimed at maintaining control of oil resources. It will give to everyone decentralized, small-scale power, eliminating corporate control of energy. It will provide the cheap energy needed to eliminate world poverty. It will make possible a new space propulsion system that will radically cheapen and speed space exploration. It will free the world from 19th-century energy sources and provide power for the Third Millenium.”
Morris:
You asked, "Do they want to embody these values over the long run?” I cannot speak about “the long run” (500 years). The Cobb Hill values and cultural practices might be studied by those residents of The City of Euthenia ( http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm ) who have been chosen to live in the city's “experimental neighborhoods.” Those residents might ask the systems dynamicists of Cobb Hill to help design the structural, mechanical, electrical, educational, and governance systems of the experimental neighborhoods.
The question that most interests me is whether the residents will adopt an educational system that is based on systems thinking. People who have taken college classes in systems thinking frequently report that the classes transformed their worldviews – they became systems thinkers. If Euthenia's school system has a curriculum based on systems thinking, and if the city achieves the goal of building a daughter city on Mars, then the worldview of most Martians will probably have a systems thinking foundation. And since systems thinking induces people to think about the long-term consequences of social processes, Martians probably will adopt the Cobb Hill emphasis on “sustainable land management.”
EarthWolf:
You asked, “Should Martian colonies be ruled directly from Earth and not allowed any self-rule or should any Mars colony be governed with an eye toward eventual independence?”
I have proposed that the people in Martian settlements be authorized to adopt ordinances by which they can govern themselves. My proposal may be found in an essay titled “The Problem of Owning Mars,” which is posted on the web at http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … ngmars.htm
Under my proposed “Constitution of the Provisional Government of Mars” a settlement of Libertarian Martians could adopt ordinances which provide for very limited collective ownership of land and other resources, and, in contrast, a group of Hutterites (Christian communists) could adopt ordinances which prohibit the private ownership of land or anything at all.
Under my proposal, Martians could, after the establishment of two settlements, convene a Parliament and amend the Constitution or repeal it and adopt an entirely new Constitution.
My proposed constitution prohibits taking weapons to Mars and it provides for a 1-kilometer-wide buffer zone between settlement boundaries. These provisions are intended to minimize the possibility of warfare. I hope that Martians will recognize that these limiations are in their own interests and that they will keep these limitations in their constitution. If they delete these limitations or fail to honor them then they are setting themselves up for an arms race that will waste trillions of dollars and probably result in warfare that kills hundreds, thousands or millions of Martians.
In summary, I believe that Martian settlements should be self-governing and I hope that Martian leaders will govern with wisdom and kindness.
The first settlers will probably be farmers living in “agricultural neighborhoods” of about 100 people. Eventually, a growing settlement will have enough agricultural neighborhoods that it can support the construction of an urban core. This development pattern is represented by a drawing posted on the web at http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm
Scott
Shaun:
You wrote, “If the choice is between a coal-burning power station and a nuclear plant, we are probably better off with the latter.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the geothermal energy field under Nevada contains enough energy to power our ENTIRE civilization for thousands of years!!! So please don't let politicians (e.g., George Bush and his oil men) tell you that we have to drill oil wells in the Arctic Wildlife Preserve.
According to Dr. Marvin Herndon, the Earth's core is made of uranium. So geothermal energy is really a form of nuclear energy. See http://www.nuclearplanet.com]http://www.nuclearplanet.com
Rxke:
You asked, “So, Scott, do i understand this right you in fact propose Mars to be some kind of 'socio/political' lab environment, and have everyting set up in a way an enourmeous amount of flexibility is actually possible and actively encouraged from day one?”
Yes, “Socio/political laboratory environment” is an apt description of The Euthenia Project, http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … /sosse.htm The City of Euthenia would be an “experimental community” in the sense that behavioral scientist B. F. Skinner used that term. In a science-fiction novel titled Walden Two, Skinner wrote, “The main thing is, we encourage our people to view every habit and custom with an eye to possible improvement.” This is the “main” idea of Walden Two and the implementation of this main idea produces a society full of cultural revolutionaries who are always looking for better ways to do things. This idea of continuous improvement is also found in the quality management systems promoted by the International Standards Organization (ISO). Within the last few years, NASA has adopted ISO management systems so I believe that the folks at NASA would feel comfortable with what I am proposing.
You wrote, “...the evolution towards some kind of sociopolitical system doesn't fit with NASA/Earth politicians, that could cause some problems, to say the least.” Yes, there could be political frictions between Euthenians and their sponsors, but the international nature of The Euthenia Project would tend to inhibit any one sponsoring nation from demanding that Euthenian culture evolve in a particular way.
It has occurred to me that my design for New Euthenia might cause the people of that settlement to regard their settlement as a terraforming machine, and to regard themselves as components of that machine. This “cog in the machine” mind-set might prevail for several hundred years, until the atmosphere of Mars is breathable and people can begin to establish individual family farms and think of themselves as “rugged individualists.” Whatever happens, I am sure that the Martian worldview will evolve in synchrony with the Martian ecosystem.
Shaun:
You wrote, “I understand the aspirations of many people here at New Mars, who have gone to enormous trouble to outline how the politics of Mars should be organised, but I think they're wishful thinkers if they imagine human beings will go along with any plan designed to orchestrate their behaviour on Mars (apart from the obvious survival requirements).” I agree that Martian settlers should not be expected to live according to a masterplan that is drafted by terrestrial bureaucrats. That is why, in my design for a prototype Martian settlement, I specified that ProtoMartians would design their own systems. This would take place in the resident-designed “experimental neighborhoods” of the prototype settlement (see http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm, paragraphs 4 and 5).
I have borrowed this “resident design” idea from a community development model named “cohousing.” The Cobb Hill Cohousing Community is an interesting example of a cohousing community that aims to operate in an ecologically sustainable manner. (“Cobb Hill is an intentional community of people who want to explore the challenge of living in ways that are materially sufficient, socially and ecologically responsible, and satisfying to the soul.” http://ww.sustainer.org)]http://ww.sustainer.org)
Cobb Hill is populated by systems dynamicists, some of whom teach at Dartmouth and are associated with the Sustainability Institute (http://sustainabilityinstitute.org).
An article titled “Terraforming Mars One Piece at a Time” (http://www.universetoday.com/index.html, Mar 10, 2004) contains the following paragraph: “A local strategy to change Mars, according to biologist Omar Pensado Diaz, director of the Mex-Areohab project, can best be compared to transforming Mars one oasis at a time. The minimum size of the oasis extends to the diameter of a dome-shaped plastic cover, much like a greenhouse with a space heater. In this way, microterraforming is the smaller alternative for a planet that otherwise is an open system leaking to space.”
I believe that this “One Piece at a Time” strategy has merit. I have drawn a Mars settlement site plan that incorporates this OPT strategy. That site plan is posted on the web at http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … thenia.htm The plan shows an urban core surrounded by several dozen small agricultural settlements. Some of the people in each of the agricultural settlements would probably make daily trips into the urban core to sell their produce at the “farmers market.” Their agricultural domes would produce and release oxygen and thereby contribute to the gradual development of a Martian atmosphere that can sustain human life.
Larry:
You wrote, “The banking system on Mars has to be a government owned banking system, so the future Martians can finance there own internal development.”
I disagree that the banking system “has to be government owned.” Under my proposal (Section 8 of my draft Constitution of the Provisional Government of Mars) the people of a settlement can adopt an ordinance that establishes a settlement-owned bank, or an ordinance that allows the establishment of numerous privately owned banks. They can adopt an ordinance that defines their currency unit in terms of gold, silver, or some other standard, or they could allow each private bank to define the currency unit that it issues. Or they could decide to use Swiss Francs or some other terrestrial nation's currency. Or they might use the currency of an older, neighboring settlement that has a mature, time-tested monetary system. Or they might decide to use money issued by Mars Development Bank. Ultimately, these matters should be decided by the people of a settlement.
As a practical matter, I expect the people of the first settlement to use money issued by Mars Development Bank, since that is what they used in the prototype Martian settlement in which they lived prior to emigrating to Mars. As the settlement becomes self sustaining, its people might decide to establish their own central bank and/or ordinances that allow the establishment of private banks. I drafted my proposal in a way that accommodates this sort of evolutionary development.
“Section 8. The Government may establish and maintain a Mars Development Bank. The Bank may lease portions of Mars to people, companies, and states for periods of up to 100 Martian years. A lease may prohibit or restrict the establishment of settlements in the leased area. The Bank may also issue money for use at the Terrestrial Embassy and Consulates and at Martian stations and settlements and at prototype Martian stations and settlements. This law shall not be construed as prohibiting a settlement from adopting ordinances that provide for the issuance of money for use within the settlement. This law shall not be construed as prohibiting a settlement from adopting ordinances that provide for the use of another settlement's money or that provide for the use of a terrestrial nation's money.”
Mundaka:
You asked me to “explain Juneau.” The people of Juneau do not live in air-tight underground habitats. They do not have to manufacture their own air and water.
I will not be responding to any more of your silly and sarcastic ramblings.
Mundaka:
You wrote, “I asked why cold weather would result in socialism, and you give me a full page lecture about Mars that assumes cold weather produces socialism.”
In Alaska, people can gather wood and burn it in a stove to generate heat to stay warm and alive during the winter. The cost of this sort of heat generating system is small and can be paid by an individual.
There is no firewood on Mars. Building nuclear power plants on Mars will be extremely expensive. And operating and maintaining such plants will require the expertise of dozens of people.
Nuclear power plants generate heat and electricity and there will have to be systems that distribute heat throughout a settlement. This might be done by a hot water heating system. The cost of building nuclear heat and power systems on Mars is far beyond the financial capabilities of individuals and that will result in the social ownership and control of such systems (socialism).
The Golden Gate Bridge is publicly owned. That is socialism. The New York City subway system is publicly owned. That is socialism. The Rancho Seco nuclear power plant is publicly owned. That is socialism.
Do you expect the heat and electricity generating systems of the first Martian settlement to be privately owned?
Mundaka:
You noted that, “Some of the most rugged individualists in North America live in Alaska.”
Yes, back-woods individualists can survive in Alaska but they would not last very long on Mars because the atmosphere of Mars will not sustain human life. And, furthermore, on Mars there are no animals to hunt and no plants to gather. On Mars, people will live in pressurized habitats. Nuclear fission or fusion power plants will have to be built and maintained in order to provide the heat to keep those habitats warm and to generate the electrical power necessary to manufacture air and water.
I have considered these factors and I have come to the conclusion that the first Martian settlements will be even MORE socialistic than the socialistic societies of Scandinavia. If you realistically consider these factors then you will come to a similar conclusion.
Yes, the trash collection services in a Martian settlement might be provided by an investor-owned company that submitted the lowest sealed bid (call that capitalism) or trash collection services might be provided by the settlement's government (call that socialism). However, the critical systems (heat, power, air, water and sewer) will be socially owned and controlled.
Maintaining emergency food reserves could be socialized but in this case I believe that, as a matter of social policy, family operated farms should be invited to bid on public contracts to maintain emergency food stockpiles. If, in a settlement of 10,000 people there were public schools that provided lunch to students, it might make sense to have the emergency food stockpiles administered by school officials. They could purchase food for the school lunch program and divert some of that food to the stockpile. Concurrently, they could remove older food from the stockpile for use in the school lunch program. Under these procedures, the food in the emergency food stockpile would remain reasonably fresh.
In summary, I believe that it is reasonable to predict that Martian societies will be more socialistic than modern, cold-adapted terrestrial societies. However, I also believe that 50 to 60 percent of the economy of a Martian society will probably be family owned enterprises. And, as Martian societies become more mature, I would expect to see some large, investor-owned, professionally managed companies develop.
If I lived in a Martian settlement in which people were considering adopting a “Corporations Code” then I would propose that the Code provide that the stockholders of a corporation shall not be personally liable for the debts of the corporation if the difference in employee compensation rates is 10 to 1 or less (e.g., if the janitor earns $25,000 per year then the president may not earn more than $250,000). If this 10-to-1 ratio were exceeded then stockholders would be PERSONALLY liable for the debts of the corporation. This rule would, I hope, keep the gap between rich and poor relatively small and thereby contribute to the maintenance of a broad social consensus about what is right and wrong.
I recently searched the web to find a K-12 curriculum that could be used in The City of Euthenia's public school system. Optimally, that curriculum would prepare students to design and build sociocultural systems that can maintain and replicate themselves on Mars.
I was looking for a curriculum that is based on systems dynamics and my search took me to the Sustainability Institute. I discovered that some of the systems dynamicists who work for the Institute have built an intentional community. I believe that their community-building activities will yield lessons that ProtoMartians should study.
The following four paragraphs appear on their web site (http://www.sustainer.org).
Cobb Hill is an intentional community of people who want to explore the challenge of living in ways that are materially sufficient, socially and ecologically responsible, and satisfying to the soul. As a rural community, we try to practice sustainable land management—organic farming, ecological forestry, minimization of waste. We are also developing the skills of community: sharing, responsibility, compassion, communication, consensus building, conflict transformation, appreciation of diversity, and love. We believe that these skills are necessary to bring the larger society to sustainability and sufficiency, and we want to learn them to the best of our ability.
Life at Cobb Hill will be frugal in terms of quantity, rich in terms of quality. We strive for a sane balance between privacy and communality, labor and leisure, freedom and order. Decisions are made, insofar as possible, according to what will be best for the community, for the land and for the world over the long term.
Cobb Hill members earn their living from the land, through work for the Sustainability Institute, through teaching or workshops inspired by the land, through arts or crafts based on the land, and through outside jobs. We pay taxes to the town of Hartland and participate in town affairs. We will work toward self-sufficiency of food, water, energy, building materials, and waste-processing.
Each member household owns its own living unit, plus a share in the commonly owned land, barns, and commonhouse. Decisions about operating budgets, capital investments, resale, and land use are made by the membership in a consensus process.
Clark:
You wrote, “Two men, one woman = violence.”
Your ethnocentrism is showing. In some places, Two men + one woman = polyandry.
You also wrote, “Some people are hot heads, some less so. Doesn't mean that people won't act out, even if bred to be less predisposed to violence.”
I agree that there will be violent incidents on Mars. That is why my plan for The City of Euthenia contains “a police station and jail.” However, if we pay adequate attention to the dynamics that drive people to engage in warfare then we can build a Martian civilization that does NOT waste trillions of dollars building war machines and slaughtering millions of people.
Cobra:
I agree that “aggression is a natural human response.” However, there is a huge difference between two men getting into a fist fight and an entire society spending hundreds of billions of dollars annually to manufacture weapons.
The Hutterites are the most successful people on this planet and they are pacifists. They do not spend their time and money building weapons. And they steadfastly refuse to participate in the organized killing of other people. For example, when two Hutterite men refused to participate in the First World War they were arrested by the Feds and then tortured to death in Federal prison.
We have a choice. We can plan to transform Mars into a world of peace and prosperity or we can plan to turn it into a place where people live under the constant threat of thermonuclear terror.
Mars could become a world of peace and prosperity if we (1) carefully regulate our own population and (2) follow this rule: People who want to take weapons to Mars shall not be allowed to go there.
I have drafted a Martian constitution that contains provisions intended to minimize the probability that warfare will occur on Mars. For example, settlements would be separated by a one-kilometer-wide buffer zone. Consequently, there would be no wars over disputes about exactly where an intersettlement border is located.
In contrast, Cobra Commander has drafted a Martian city-state constitution that contains provisions for declaring war.
I am currently reading Howard Bloom's “Global Brain.” On pages 98 and 99 Bloom writes about the Yanomamo. “[Yanomamo] men who slaughter the largest tally of humans from competing tribes are rewarded with the greatest number of wives and father far more children than any other villagers. Timid Yanomamo men or those who loathe bloodshed have very few kids at all. Experience with laboratory animals and guard dogs like pit bulls and Dobermans shows that aggression is a highly cultivable trait.
“Among some Eskimos, on the other hand, aggression is frowned on.
“One result: the Yanomamo are constantly at war. Eskimos experience a very different fate: they are blessed with relative peace.
“Just as the Yanomamo breed aggression in, the Eskimos breed it out.”
In the process of colonizing Mars, we could follow the Eskimos' example and undertake to breed aggression out. People who want to emigrate to Mars could be evaluated for aggressive tendencies. If any applicant for a Martian immigration visa is judged to be too aggressive, his or her application could be rejected for that reason. This selection process would tend to minimize the probability of warfare occurring on Mars.
Throughout human history, we have used warfare to keep human populations at ecologically sustainable levels. Now that we have birth control pills, condoms, and family planning services, we can control our own population without warfare. Warfare is obsolete and should be abandoned.
MarsDog:
Martian settlers will adopt the dogma that Phi is their world's most astonishing number.
(See The Golden Ratio: The Story of Phi, The World's Most Astonishing Number, by Mario Livio.)
ChristianDude:
The ghost of Giordano Bruno may have had something to do with that life-support systems failure.