XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.physics   
   From: invalid@invalid.com   
      
   On 10/11/2016 11:38 PM, JF Mezei wrote:   
   > On 2016-10-11 19:10, Jeff Findley wrote:   
   >   
   >> False, Mars has a mostly CO2 atmosphere, albeit a very thin one.   
      
   > From a plant life point of view,  it si doubtful you could get plants to   
   > grow "outdoors". And if your plants are indoors, the CO2 they will get   
   > will come from humans, not outside air (since the indoor habitat will do   
   > everyuthing to keep that nasty CO2 out).   
      
   > Maybe one day one could genetically engineer plants that can survive the   
   > weather extremes on Mars, and change its albedo to retain more of the   
   > sun's heat. But that isn't anytime soon. The Mars habitat might be the   
   > right facility for scientists to develop and test such plants though.   
      
   > It would be extremnely challenging to develop sustainable human presence   
   > on Mars of the type seen in Total Recall or even Babylon 5.   
   >   
   > Initial settlers into North America, were dependent on manufactured   
   > goods from their countr of oorigin (France, Britain, Netherlands,   
   > Spain)., but were generally self sufficient for survival (food, water,   
   > air, shelter, wood for heat). Eventually started to build manufacturing   
   > facilities and dependence on europe dwindled and eventually north   
   > america exported to europe (competing against the original companies   
   > upon which they used to be dependent).   
      
   > The problem with Mars is that initial settlers will be dependent on   
   > Earth for ALL their supplies for a long time, and it will be even longer   
   > time before they start to have ability to manufacture goods locally from   
   > locally mined iron/aluminium/coal etc.   
      
   > In fact, is there any information on whether mining for minerals can be   
   > done on mars ? Would there be veins of iron, bauxite, gold or some coal   
   > wrth digging for ?   
   >   
   > Or could mars be just one big rock where m,inerals needed for   
   > industrialisation would be distributed evenly everywhere with no high   
   > concentration worth digging for ?   
   >   
   >   
      
   excellent question,   
      
   there may not be any coal or oil on Mars if no huge plants growing in   
   its past like on earth. "=> no fuel on Mars"   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)