🌕 Should we hit pause on mining the Moon? Two researchers say yes
A new paper argues for a temporary halt to large-scale lunar industry until there are global rules and a wider public debate.
The mystery
The United States, China and private firms are racing to build bases and dig up resources on the Moon. Few people on Earth know how big these plans are, or who would gain from them. Two scholars warn that damage done now may never be undone.
The answer
Florian Rabitz of Vilnius University and Xiao-Shan Yap of Utrecht University set out their case in the journal Global Environmental Politics, in a paper that calls for freezing industrial work on the Moon. They say heavy industry on the Moon could harm its environment permanently, get in the way of scientific work and erode the Moon's cultural meaning for people everywhere. Their remedy is a temporary moratorium, buying time to agree international regulations and to let the public weigh in. They also fear unequal access: whoever builds infrastructure first could in practice control certain areas, even though space law says no nation can own the Moon. Rabitz admits such a pause is needed but unlikely to happen. Still, he believes pressure from citizens, civil society, scientists and governments could influence how fast and in what way lunar development moves.
Now think about this
Who should decide what happens to the Moon — the countries that get there first, or everyone who looks up at it?
