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Frontier Critique 1NC [2/3]
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Frontier Critique 1NC [2/3]Impact. Continuing to think of space as the next frontier means that we ignore the negative consequences of space exploration, such as the huge income inequality that will result from the fact that only a few nations will be able to reap the benefits of working in space. Ray Williamson, Professor of Space Policy and International Affairs in the Space Policy Institute, George Washington University, October 1987 “Outer Space as Frontier: Lessons for Today,” Western Folklore, However, the analogy between conquering and settling North America and settling outer space, with its utopian overtones, is seriously flawed.9 As Stoeltje points out, the images of the frontier that space enthusiasts resort to bear little relationship to the actual experiences of life on the frontier.10 The picture they show is rather a construct of images rooted in the eastern seaboard: a deliberate attempt to conjure a positive, romantic, masculine image of life in the West. They convey none of the loneliness, the exploitation, or the risks actually experienced by settlers." Except to depict them as an enemy, these images virtually ignore the Native Americans who inhabited North America before European intrusion; suppressed too are the violence and struggle for domination characteristic of the west. Clothing their aspirations in the mythic garments of a romanticized frontier is a way of ignoring or pushing aside the possible negative aspects of the exploitation of space. For example, although in space there are no Indians and no plasmoid buffaloes to exploit, the only nations that can afford to make use of the potential material wealth in space are those that can now afford the enormous expense to reach them. It is likely that in exploiting space we shall continue the same imbalances of resources and material wealth we experience on Earth. Frontier Critique 1NC [3/3]C. Alternative. Instead of thinking of space as the frontier with resources and opportunities for us to take advantage of, we should view space as a new environment we must protect and preserve. Seeing space more like a national park than a mine will allow us to approach it more productively. Linda Billings, Manager of Communications, NASA Astrobiology Program, 2/3/2006’ “To the moon mars and back: Culture, Law and Ethics in Space fairing societies.” http://lindabillings.org/lb_papers/space_law_ethics_culture.pdf The wilderness metaphor has been suggested as an alternative to the frontier. This metaphor is encompassed in the concept of “astroenvironmentalism,” the idea of applying the values of environmental protection and preservation to space exploration (Miller, 2005, 2001). Treating the solar system like “a space wilderness to protect” rather than a frontier to exploit could keep nuclear weapons, nuclear power, human-made debris, and environmental hazards out of space and prohibit private and sovereign property claims. The point is to “avoid making the same mistakes in space as we have on earth” (Miller, 2001, n.p.). One place where legal and ethical considerations of protection and preservation in space currently do intersect is in planetary protection policy. NASA and the international Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) have long-standing planetary protection policies in place directing solar system exploration missions to take steps to prevent the transport of terrestrial biological contamination to extraterrestrial environments and the transport of extraterrestrial biological contamination (should it exist) to Earth through solar system sample returns.10 The rationale for these policies is to maintain pristine conditions in extraterrestrial environments for the purpose of scientific exploration. An expert panel of the National Academy of Sciences has recently suggested that the space community consider expanding this rationale to include preservation of pristine extraterrestrial environments for their own sake – that is, the wilderness rationale (Space Studies Board, 2005). Moving from human interactions with the space environment to human interactions with humans in space, the idea of space jurisprudence – the governance of “relations between earthkind and spacekind and among spacekind themselves” – has been addressed by Robinson and White (1986). They propose “first principles for the governance of space societies” and a “spacekind declaration of independence” (p. xxii) for future space migrants and space natives. Noting that “the conception of space as the common heritage of humankind [is] the keystone of all…space treaties” (p. 38), they suggest it could well serve as a keystone for future space law (or “astrolaw”) as well.11 They acknowledge, too, the difficulties terrestrial experts face in conceptualizing social and legal structures for extraterrestrial human communities: “How do we design social structures and reflective legal regimes for human societies in space on the basis of empirical data generated by Earth-sitters” (p. 103)? Link – Generic[____] [____] Space exploration is described as analogous to settling the American West, a place to go to seek magical solutions to the problems America has created. M. Jane Young, Professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico, October 1987, “Parables of the Space Age-The Ideological Basis of Space Exploration,” Western Folklore, Stoeltje emphasizes that the metaphor of the frontier as applied to outer space is a false metaphor, a construct that maintains a sense of excitement while obscuring the reality that the endeavor is essentially a materialistic enterprise. Stoeltje adds that the term metaphor implies a similarity between outer space and the western frontier that is lacking; instead, it is the concept of the frontier as entitling myth, as unambiguous justification for an authorative plan of action, which shapes the U.S. space program. Williamson uses his unique position to explore the way in which the concept of outer space as frontier affects the direction of the U.S. space program, suggesting at the same time that the analogy between settling the American West and settling space may be seriously flawed. It has been suggested that the real motivation behind the early Apollo moon shots was political rather than scientific. In fact, a number of the scientists involved have complained that they were not given time between one shot and the next to analyze the material brought back from the moon, nor has such analysis been a major consideration since then.4 One needs only to consider the image of big business as a new frontier to realize that the prime aim of space exploration is not so much to obtain knowledge of the unknown as it is to obtain a replacement for earth's dwindling natural resources. It is only a small leap from this to the assertion that humans have begun to look towards outer space for an almost magical solution to the problems we have created here on earth by our excessively materialistic orientation. Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2011 2011 -> Voices of the Old Sea Norman Lewis 2011 -> Malevil Robert Merle 2011 -> The Elephant Keeper’s Children Peter Hoeg 2011 -> Jv packet •Mars Colonization Affirmative •Mars Colonization Negative 2011 -> Registration Form (Rev. 8-86) omb no. 1024-0018 2011 -> All America Looks Up to Virginia;” Virginia and the Declaration of Independence 2011 -> Rao bulletin 2011 -> Christopher Columbus was born between 25 August and 31 October 1451 in 2011 -> The Battle of Frenchtown (1855), Washington Territory: the Political and Demographic Context rev 9/4/11 2011 -> The harmony society Download 2.75 Mb. Share with your friends:
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