You may have heard of the Mars One project. It’s a privately funded venture that aims to put permanent settlers on Mars starting around 2025. This venture is the result of NASA’s unwillingness to commit to human Mars exploration. Last year the first group of applicants were accepted; 200,000 will be narrowed down to 4 sometime this year or next. Application may be opened once a year but landing parties will only be sent every 2 years, commencing in 2024-2025.

Here is the site if you’re interested in learning more about the program http://www.mars-one.com/

I frequently hear a common fear, that we’ll just pollute Mars like we’ve polluted Earth. Life on Mars will be very extreme for a very long time. We won’t even have the Chance to pollute it, we’ll be too busy just surviving. Also I feel, as a planet, that we’re more spiritually evolved than we were when we landed on the Moon [I consider the point moot, if we did or if we didn’t; we have had the technology to do so for a long time.] Our actions from here on out will be much different than if we’d gone to Mars in the ‘60’s. As a whole humans just think differently now.

I truly feel that humans on Mars will actually benefit Earth; life on Mars will require continual out-of-the-box thinking. Nonstop. NO ONE can possibly conceive of all the issues that will be encountered on the Red Planet. As Einstein said “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” You have to admit we’re not really taught to think…at all! We memorize, or are taught how and what to think. Solutions for Martian problems will likely lead to solutions for Earthly problems.

If you find yourself thinking of the worst possible scenarios, all the ‘What if’s’…that’s the State of Fear the earth has been living in. And it needs to stop. Now. The majority of what anyone ever worries about doesn’t ever happen! What if’s have stopped all kinds of amazing progress.

For the technological world that we Should be living in compared to how we Are living…it’s like we’re still in the stone age. That’s not acceptable. All technological breakthroughs seem to get nabbed up by the military; for war, for death, for secrecy, for money, for power. ENOUGH!!

We are not war mongerers. We are not killers. We are intelligent creatures. We are curious. We are pioneers. We are kind. We are loving. We are caring. We are creators of life. We are explorers!

Exploring and settling on Mars will make us appreciate Earth that much more. We will see the hardships endured by those living on Mars and appreciate every beautiful moment of every day. Our attitude of taking life for granted will cease as we watch – live – the sacrifice those brave souls are making for the future of humankind.

I narrowly missed the deadline for the application last year, I won’t miss the next one. I would be VERY honoured to be chosen to represent Earth in this monumentous endeavor and am fully aware of all that that choice entails. It will NOT be easy, but it will be worth it!

I feel it will save Earth; not by providing humanity with another home but by changing how we think and live on this beautiful pale blue dot.