Blue Moon

Posted on November 8, 2020 by Pam Lazos

[photo courtesy NASA]

 

Blue Moon

Maybe the Man in the Moon has never been thirsty, but if he were, things are about to get better for him.  According to NASA, there is water, not only on the dark side of the moon, but on the sunny side, too.  Not much, still about a hundred times less than what’s in the Sahara, but perhaps enough for one man.  Now that we are planning to send the first woman and the next man to the lunar surface in 2024, it is best they get some training in diplomacy in order to establish “a sustainable human presence there by the end of the decade.” 

However, if go the old fashioned route, colonizing the moon as has been done on other continents, fighting and tripping over each other to get at the resources — because the thought of such economic opportunities is indeed grand — then the life of the Man in the Moon will be in great danger indeed.

Do we dare recall a few things from our history?  Let’s give it a shot.

[Blue Moon over Central PA — All Hallows Eve — 10.31.20]

Colonizers have never played fair, not anywhere, not in Australia, not in Asia, neither in Africa, nor the Americas.  Just ask the Native Americans, or the Aztecs, or the Aborigines, or any people so overcome.

We hope to have fixed it all with Indigenous People’s Day, — finally reaching a moment in our history where we say no to serfdom and yes to common effort, working together to treat each and every human being with dignity and rights —but we still have a ways to go on that and so we keep working. 

Why am I writing about all this when I promised you a Blue Moon?

Well, my fear is that the news about water on moon will be met by corporations across the earth wanting in on the pirate’s booty, looking to get their hands on whatever the moon has to offer — minerals, water, even just moon dust probably has a value here on earth — and in so doing they will exploit the moon as they exploit the earth, without regard to the effects on humanity, on the environment, or on the interactional activities between the moon and earth since something that can cause the oceans to rush in and out each day is obviously packing some serious mojo.

Before we muck up the balance on yet another planet in an effort to cash in on its resources, there should be a few ground rules, or maybe moon rules, that will result in fair access to lunar resources that benefit The Commons and support all of humanity, not just a few corporate interests.

For example, we should not think of the moon as a possible landfill for earth’s waste.    Instead, let’s adopt policies of sustainability, policies that do not deplete the moon’s resources in a few decades or even a century, basically the opposite of how we’ve done things here on Earth.  We’ll need much more than a Youtube tutorial to adopt such a system.  Since we’re starting from scratch, why not adopt the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals at the beginning of this ride and not after the fact which always leaves us destined to play catch up.

[Blue Moon over Central PA — All Hallows Eve — 10.31.20]

I suggest universal legislation as a way to make exploration of the moon fair and equitable for all.   (I can hear businesses groaning already — not more legislation!)  International treaties can help avoid the worst scenarios such as in the Amazon, Colorado, and California, which happen to all be burning right now. 

Most importantly, just because you can do something — smart or stupid — doesn’t mean you should.  Foresight makes infinitely more sense than hindsight where overuse of a resource that belongs to all of us — think mining, extraction, excavation, digging, dredging, and/or despoiling — is an abuse of power and ultimately an unsustainable use of that resource.

In these situations, rather than the tragedy of the commons, let’s apply the rule of the commons.

 

What if we approach the Moon as a common resource shared by all, serenaded in all cultures, the light on all lovers’ paths, the aspiration for dreamers, the home of one man that entertains the dreams of all men?  

And when we finally find Mr. Moon, let’s be diplomatic and democratic — because he was there first, and it is his house.

pam lazos 11.8.20

About Pam Lazos

writer, blogger, environmentally hopeful
This entry was posted in corporate pilfering, moon, NASA, pirate's booty and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

28 Responses to Blue Moon

  1. jeanleesworld says:
    December 24, 2020 at 1:00 pm

    HAPPY CHRISTMAS, PAM! Any time people talk about the Moon like this, I just think of that old show Space: 1999. I do hope people use history to learn some lessons and avoid history repeating itself, but as you say, businesses do like to rule the day. Ugh. We watched Scrooged last night, and it’s amazing how so much of that business-think takes over creativity and innovation. Here’s hoping that at least this Christmas, we can focus on what truly matters: our loved ones, our faiths, our hopes for the future. A most blessed Christmas to you and your family, Friend! xxxxxx

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Pam Lazos says:
      December 24, 2020 at 3:44 pm

      Enjoy the kiddos and the hubs and take a little time for yourself, Jean, cause even Mama Bears need a rest sometimes. Merry Christmas 🎄 🎁 and many blessings to you and your family. I’m listening to the chronicles of narnia on YouTube. Five hours of instrumental music. 🎶 Perfect for writing. ❤️🥰

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. lampmagician says:
    November 9, 2020 at 11:09 am

    You are right dear Pam; the greed of man to occupy is incomprehensible. thank you for this brilliant read. 🙏💖

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. hilarymb says:
    November 9, 2020 at 10:56 am

    Hi Pam – I was thinking this morning about ‘where are we’ going in space life – but then I guess people have different competencies – I was listening to physicists – so perhaps it’s satisfying the human need to learn more. I sincerely hope we don’t contaminate the world out there … we’re making a mess of this one – with luck the scientists will be able to keep up and protect us. But I’m delighted we have blue sky thinking now … congratulations USA … take care and all the best – Hilary

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. TanGental says:
    November 9, 2020 at 10:33 am

    We managed it with Antarctica so why not?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Rosaliene Bacchus says:
    November 9, 2020 at 12:27 am

    Excellent post, Pam! You raise some important points that need to be addressed before the Moon Invasion.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Yeah, Another Blogger says:
    November 8, 2020 at 6:33 pm

    Greetings, Pam. Speaking of blue: Biden/Harris!! 👍👍 🔵🔵

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  7. shehannemoore says:
    November 8, 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Well said, sister. WELL said. Great post. xxxxxxx

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  8. Ally Bean says:
    November 8, 2020 at 5:23 pm

    And don’t you wonder what the man in the moon will make of us?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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