It’s the ancient and ultimate human get-out to leave our pollutants behind us to find pastures anew but, although the Hubble and Webb telescopes confirm that Space Water is out there, “it’s not water as we know it.”
So, as there’s no Planet B Oasis on our doorstep, we have to sort out the mess we’re continuing to make, every second, all around us while we remain rooted on Earth. Which means we have to learn to use and re-use everything we have, and waste nothing.
Whether you are Dorothy, Alice, Armstrong, or Shackleton, every giant adventure is accompanied by the hope of getting home safely. But if home becomes unsafe and full of toxic waste, no dream will bring it back, so we must be the generation that cleans up this planet and ensures it remains a ‘home sweet home‘ for ourselves and all fellow Earth life.
Did you know that even moon jellyfish go on space flights nowadays, but they take their water with them? Soon, astronauts will be on Mars, Europa, and further afield – all looking for clean, unpolluted water. More details at Oceanworld.
There are engineers on Earth looking at the possibility of using frozen water from deep below the surface of Planet Mars to create Martian Ice Houses.
Space water, space water everywhere but what if it contains toxic pollutants? We’d need to know how to purify it for use. That’s one act that we can prepare for, right here, right now! No time to waste. No matter where or how pollutants occur, we do need to learn how to remove them. It’s knowledge that future generations will refine over and over again for the rest of time. As long as our generation keeps on top of the pollution problem and learns how to balance our demands on the water cycle with that of Nature’s, there’s great hope for a healthy future. We can’t let our ancestors down, and we must not put a spanner in the works of our children’s future by leaving the problem to fester.
“Each generation becomes the caretaker of the moment and works as a good maintenance team does. There’s enough understanding of how to live through natural disasters, but we have very little understanding of how we can survive the problems we cause ourselves. There are no guidance books from the future that can magically be sent back in time to warn us of any mistakes we are about to make, so we have to proceed with care. There are endless accounts of the damage we have been doing to this planet for centuries, and now, as we’re seeing the cracks in the natural system continue to widen, we must all become the solution to the shared problem.” (Grant)
Further Reading
Some insightful books and resources that delve into the fascinating topics of space exploration, extraterrestrial life, and the search for water in the universe:
Books
- The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
A groundbreaking science fiction novel that explores interstellar communication and the complexities of planetary environments.
Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Three-Body-Problem-Cixin-Liu/dp/0765382032 - Mars Direct: Space Exploration, the Red Planet, and the Human Future by Robert Zubrin
An in-depth examination of Mars exploration and the potential for utilizing water as a resource on the Red Planet.
Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Mars-Direct-Space-Exploration-Planet/dp/0143121359 - Alien Oceans: The Search for Life in the Depths of Space by Kevin Peter Hand
This book investigates the possibility of life on water-bearing moons like Europa and Enceladus, offering insights into astrobiology.
Available at: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691179513/alien-oceans
Articles and Resources
- NASA’s Search for Water on Mars
Visit NASA’s official page to learn about discoveries related to water on Mars and their implications for future exploration.
Available at: https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/planetary-science/is-there-water-on-mars-we-asked-a-nasa-scientist-episode-18/ - Water on Mars: Exploration & Evidence
An comprehensive article by Space.com detailing the search for water on Mars.
Available at: https://www.space.com/17048-water-on-mars.html - NASA Confirms Evidence That Liquid Water Flows on Today’s Mars
A press release from NASA about the discovery of liquid water on present-day Mars.
Available at: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-confirms-evidence-that-liquid-water-flows-on-todays-mars/
Additional Concepts
- The Cosmic Water Hole by Bernard Oliver
While not a book, Bernard Oliver’s concept of the “water hole” in radio astronomy is crucial for understanding potential interstellar communication. You can find more information about this concept in SETI literature and radio astronomy resources.
Scientific Articles
- “Liquid water on Mars persists today” by Amirhossein Bagheri et al.
A groundbreaking scientific paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that presents evidence for the current existence of liquid water on Mars. This study uses innovative radar techniques to detect subsurface liquid water in the south polar region of Mars, challenging previous assumptions about the planet’s present-day hydrology https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2409983121