Dark, long, lava tubes extending for tens or hundreds of unexplored kilometers, on a hard to reach planet, far from the conveniences of Earth (like air, water, and toilet paper), full of unknown life forms...Sounds like a good Sci-Fi action thriller, or has this one already been done?
-----Original Message----- From: texascavers-boun...@texascavers.com [mailto:texascavers-boun...@texascavers.com] On Behalf Of William H. Russell Sent: Monday, October 10, 2005 1:24 PM To: Texascavers@texascavers.com Subject: [SPAM] - Re: [Texascavers] Caves on Mars in the news - Bayesian Filter detected spam The ethic for exploration has shifted just in my time of cave exploration. To a much greater extent we now cave softly; no trash in caves, no names on walls. But the greatest harm to the cave environment is not from exploration, it if from the activities of the non cave explorers. Destructive land use, urban sprawl, and other environment ills do immensely more harm to the underground than all the cavers put together. If cavers support conservation, through cave centered orginizations such as the TCMA, and being involved in local conservation efforts, cavers will do much more good than harm. Cave softly, but carry a big environmental stick. We will never know if the lava tubes on Mars have life until we explore them. Bill Russell >I have always had mixed feelings about "cave houses". I know that any >human activity in caves will have an impact. Caving by its very nature >has an impact. We leave footprints and scuff marks. If we dig or move >rocks; that changes things. If we survey--that has an impact. But at >what point does the creation of a living dwelling (or exploration) >within a cave become ecologically inappropriate ? What IF the lava >tubes harbor whatever life there is clinging to existence on that red >rock planet ? After we have plundered everything wild and pristine on >this planet...then is it acceptable to do the same on another planet ? >We have become much more effective in our means to explore. But It >seems to me; that the paradigm and ethic for exploration has shifted very little in the last 20,000 years. >Yeah---you could seal those lava tubes. But is it the right thing to do ? > > >On 10/9/05 10:23 PM, "David Locklear" <dlocklea...@ev1.net> wrote: > >> New Mexico caver Penelope Boston was mentioned in this month's >> issue of Discover magazine about a proposal to use the assumed lava >> tube caves on Mars >> to house future astronauts. There is a sketch of the proposal which >> involves sealing the cave entrances and installing the living >> environment in the cave. >> >> I think we need to try that on earth first. Any cavers >> up to it? >> >> >> >> David Locklear >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Texascavers mailing list >> Texascavers@texascavers.com >> >> http://mail.texascavers.com/mailman/listinfo/texascavers_texascavers. >> com > > >_______________________________________________ >Texascavers mailing list >Texascavers@texascavers.com >http://mail.texascavers.com/mailman/listinfo/texascavers_texascavers.co >m -- William Hart Russell 4806 Red River Street Austin, TX 78751 H: 512-453-4774 (messages) CELL: 512-940-8336 _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list Texascavers@texascavers.com http://mail.texascavers.com/mailman/listinfo/texascavers_texascavers.com This document/email may contain confidential, proprietary or privileged information and is intended only for use of the addressee/recipient named above. No confidentiality or privilege is waived or lost by any error in transmission of this document/email. If you are not the intended recipient of this document/email of Calendars.com L.L.C., Calendar Club L.L.C. or SRV LLC you are hereby notified that you must not use, disseminate, or copy it in any form or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this document/email in error, please immediately notify me at (888) 422- 5637 and permanently destroy/delete the original document/email and any copy of the document/email and printout thereof. _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list Texascavers@texascavers.com http://mail.texascavers.com/mailman/listinfo/texascavers_texascavers.com
