# Colonizing another planet doesn't fix anything! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 2002, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410 "2002-12-04T12:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/21 "2002-12-04T23:13:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RTFirefly \* > \*\*Other than the questionable choice of forum for a rant/debate topic, I have to agree with the OP. > \*\* Sorry, I couldn’t think of a better place. It’s not really a debate, just a rant at stupid people who spout this cliche. I guess the pit might’ve been more appropriate, but it wasn’t really harsh. Btw, in general, I was only referring to the idea that our population problems would be solved by colonization, which seems prevalent in your average Joe, for some reason. Mining asteroids for metal, etc. might yield good results. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/22 "2002-12-04T23:16:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > \*\*Of course it won’t solve the population problem. But it’s other benefits are liable to be worthy pursuits anyway. > > And am I the only one who finds it surreal that when living standards improve the birthrate goes down? Just when one can provide for more children one stops having so many. > > Man, humans are a contrary species. \*\* It bothers me quite a bit. I had an argument with someone once who thought Europeans and their descendents were pure evil, and forced noble third world countries into poverty, blah blah. I mentioned that these people couldn’t be that noble if they were having 15 kids they knew would just starve. The defense was “Well, often their kids are their only hope for a better life.” Great, people having starving kids as lottery tickets. Noble, indeed. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/23 "2002-12-04T23:22:21Z")
I’ve always held the opinion that the colonization of our solar system and the industrialization of space Would help our overpopulation problem. A. It would provide a good safety valve allowing key portions of humanity to move away and concentrate their energies and creativity towards a constructive end rather than a destructive one should they remain here on earth. B. The economic windfall from rapidly expanding space based industries and colony development would help raise the standard of living for workers here on earth. Higher living standards generally go hand in hand with lower birthrates. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/24 "2002-12-05T00:45:42Z")
Yes, **lokij** , but it’s an _indirect_ effect – as opposed to many people’s simplistic expectation of an exodus. A model is Europe’s colonial expansion. It did not result in Europe “emptying”; even the “mass” migration from Europe to the Americas (mostly USA and Argentina a distant 2nd) between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries was “massive” from the POV of the _receiving_ countries, not the sources – except for being groups that were already small and facing hardship IN Europe such as the Irish or Jews. Europeans basically “seeded” the Americas and Australia, and the transplant populations filled them. One thing about it: all those people “moving away and concentrating their energy” in building new better lives for themselves did little to prevent the stay-put Europeans from concentrating energies in new and spectacular levels of slaughter; or indeed to prevent themselves from going at it with each other as well. ON THE OTHER HAND… the expansion of the Europeans as empires or hegemons DID result in that the colonies/former colonies/trading partners became a stupendous source of resources, capital and ideas that helped raise the overall living standard of the home continent. That had influence in controlling the European birthrate though it’s hard to tell how determinant, since industrialization and World Wars happened contemporaneously with colonial expansion. However, this happened because it was _economically feasible_ to make profit from colonization and trade. Again, serious space-exploitation is likely to be delayed until there is actual money to be made from it, or at least on first or second derivation, that can’t be made more easily or quicker while earthbound. That does not, by itself, require large expat populations, unless someone realizes that maybe a renewed frontier society can be a fertile breeding ground for new _ideas_. But try selling that to the stockholders. And it would be no place for the tired, poor huddled masses… BTW… it’s not a matter of getting people to “stop breeding”, it’s a matter of getting them to stop breeding _so much and so fast_. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/25 "2002-12-05T01:10:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CalMeacham \* > \*\*Well, you could always use the moon and planets as a place to dump your excess prison population. \*\* Oh, yeah. _great_ idea. Then in 2076 they’ll start throwing big rocks at us and demanding their independence.😉 ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/26 "2002-12-05T03:47:41Z")
I knew it was just a matter of time before SeñorBeef posted something with which I could agree wholeheartedly. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/27 "2002-12-05T04:38:37Z")
Did anyone else read this as “Colorizing another planet doesn’t fix anything?” and wondered what that meant? ---
**Author:** ![Mooney252](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7c8e57/32.png) [@Mooney252](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooney252)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2002, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410/28 "2002-12-05T04:56:19Z")
You knowa, I wasa justa telling Cristopho Colon da same 'ting! Dis New Worlda 'ting, it’s all a so predictable! We go-a ova dere and take da spices; dey folo da Popah and everyting’s so mucha betta! Queena Isabella [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colonizing-another-planet-doesnt-fix-anything/140410.md?page=1)