Planet earth is an amazingly complex organism, little more than a speck of dust in the cosmos and taking about 4 billion years to its current creation. Until the industrial revolution, it was a reasonably well-balanced entity with all lifeforms living in mutual harmony.

Human intervention changed everything. Now we have a climate crisis, and for humans, it has become overwhelmingly over-populated, it’s full of inequality, with corruption and political stalemate everywhere – even a latest AI system would be challenged to fix this mess.

Given this situation, which is unsolvable any time soon, we need to start to collectively focus on who we are, and where we are going, especially if our goal is become a successful interplanetary species.

There is no practical solution on trying to make changes to planet earth’s current system, given its history and limited resources.

But the current conflict and wars cannot go on indefinitely. The limitation of basic rights amongst our species must get overturned and a new ‘collective’ system of governance at least discussed. Thinking beyond planet earth will also release mankind’s current focus on limited resources, including energy and its creation.

Everyone needs to be fully engaged on earth matters and, through appropriate political process, be part of every key decision – at least 66.67% of the world population anyway! Smartphone democracy may be a realistic form of future planetary governance. Individual countries governance would still be at the heart of local planning, but some form of NATO directive would be required for key global issues like selection of the locations of Giga cities (with integrated vertical farming), floating mega cities (to harvest the wind and tide), and selection of a Hyper-Loop route across the planet.

Here are some ideas which will eventually eliminate the need for continuous conflict.

1. Who currently owns all the stuff in the Solar System anyway – is it USA,CCP, India perhaps?
   Option A:  All assets and resource found throughout the Solar System needs to become collectively owned by all the current living population of our species. Spaceship ventures would operate on a basis like current cargo ship carriers on Earth today – they don’t own the property they transport. These space travellers will be suitably rewarded for the cargo they carry and all additional risks.
   Option B Through some form of licencing process goods resource anywhere outside the planet earth belong to through our current he provider and on returning to earth will be bartered in the usual way i.e. sold to highest bidder.
2. NATO will manage and control this overall process including the issue of licences, collection of revenues etc. It may also provide extra financial incentives to encourage further exploration into new territories.
3. Entrepreneurship is a basic human need and must continue to be actively encouraged. Competition must continue to be actively supported on earth as well as in space. Education will be available to every person who seeks it. It is mans/woman’s destiny to travel.
4. Everyone who works on any planet, asteroid or space city within the solar system will have the same voting rights as every earth dweller. We will all work in the same Solar System. Using AI techniques, all the wealth continuously generated within the Solar System will be regularly/equally distributed to every person of voting age.
   With the future wealth that’s created outside planet earth shared equally, everyone can finally become millionaires! With poverty finally eliminated and disputes managed finally sensibly through a court (not by guns and deprivation), human beings en masse will finally achieve happiness and contentment our species deserves.

Other ‘hidden’ intelligent beings within our own galaxy may finally see us gaining the ‘civilised status’ badge and perhaps then invite us to join their club.

This is just a beginning; please share your views and beliefs to expand this blog.

Ian Linnegan

As time goes by, you will be able to add your own.