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01/20/2004 Archived Entry: "More reasons to get to the moon"

MORE REASONS TO GET TO THE MOON. A helpful fella who calls himself the Ex-Rocket Scientist or The Lawyer Formerly Known as an Aerospace Guy sends this compelling reason for getting to the moon.

Helium-3? It's a fusionable substance so potent that a single shuttle load could power the U.S. for a year while producing little pollution or radioactive waste. It may not be the reason Bush wants to go to the moon. But in the long run perhaps it could be a powerful reason for being there, nonetheless. Let's hope some space entrepreneur gets it before the Busheviks do. (And how come we're only hearing about this stuff in obscure space journals?)

(LATER: Okay, okay! I give in. I've just heard from three -- count 'em, three -- physicists or other science-genius types who tell me this whole idea of helium-3 is still at the science-fiction stage. A great idea, but unproven and economically absurd. One said there are fuels right here on earth capable of doing very much the same thing for vastly less $$ and there's still no economic incentive to utilizethem. Their messages were friendly, erudite, astute, and not even as patronizing as I might really deserve. Although I'm tempted to ask if I can blog some of their comments, as well as any rebuttal the Ex-Rocket Scientist may care to offer ... well, enough's enough. I was born to be the arty type and I'm stickin' to that. Sounds as if it'll be up to our kids or grandkids to explore the value of helium-3. Now, after this brief intermission, we'll continue with the blog entry ...)

But speaking of Bush's reasons, his "research base on the moon" sure fits in with America's base-o-mania. Chalmers Johnson writes of "America's Empire of Bases." Even if you already have an idea of the scope of U.S. military presence abroad, it's a stunning account of just how vast (and profitable to certain parties) our global government presence is.

A base on the moon seems perfectly logical, since we've filled just about every available spot on this planet with bases, already.

(Thanks to MJY for the find.)

Posted by Claire @ 09:40 AM CST
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