Space: The Final Frontier

The US government should allocate more money to fund space colonization, because research strongly indicates that space settlement could be the solution to overpopulation and could combat climate change amongst other benefits. The main hurdles of establishing colonies in space are insufficient technology and an inadequate budget. If the government provided more funds for space exploration, then this money could be used to develop the necessary life-sustaining technology sorely needed to have successful civilizations on other planets. Additionally, a surplus of money would decrease the deficit between the proposed cost of colonizing space and the budget originally allocated for space colonization. Therefore, eliminating, or at least minimizing, the two largest vicissitudes to being triumphant in space colonization. According to Richard Gott, a professor of astrophysics at Princeton, space colonization could lead to asteroid mining and more efficient solar-powered satellites. These new industries would entail a large profit, and as a result, they would return the US government’s initial investment and eventually become profitable.

Critics of the funding for space colonization argue that history shows colonization often ends in the displacement of or death of indigenous groups. However, scientists have not found evidence proving the existence of any life in space, so the normal effects of colonization would not apply to space colonization. Louis J. Halle, a former member of the US Department of State, argued that space colonization could protect humanity in the event of nuclear war. Based off of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the prospect of nuclear war is not unimaginable, so if the colonization of space could potentially ensure the survival of the human race, wouldn’t it be a worthy investment for the US government to partake in? Stephen Hawking and Michael Griffin, the former director of NASA, both agreed that space colonization could be the salvation of humanity. Again, doesn’t a project that has the potential to prevent the extinction of humans deserve a large amount of government funding?

The Earth is currently dealing with the effects of overpopulation. The increased number of people living on Earth has depleted Earth’s resources, by either excessive consumption, overuse, or pollution. Climate change is a result of these harmful actions, and the environment is suffering because of it. Scientists assert that extraterrestrial resources could act as a replacement for Earth’s resources, which means that the life on Earth would be sustained without further destroying it for resources. If colonies were established in space, humans could begin moving off of Earth, which would decrease the strain on the Earth’s resources and increase the longevity of the planet. Since people would be living spread out in space, they would have more room and land to live on instead of being cramped and confined, like on Earth.

The US government has been avidly searching for ways to combat climate change and reduce the effects of overpopulation, but they've already found one: space colonization. They just need to substantially increase the budget for it because the benefits outweigh the initial cost.