Venus has been getting all the attention this week and rightfully so. But, maybe we should be paying more attention to a celestial body that’s a little bit closer to home as well? In fact, some people have suggested that we should even consider giving the Moon personhood.
It’s a far out there idea to be sure. But does it have merit? Well, at the very least it does have legal precedent.
The Conversation explains:
“Lunar resources include helium-3 (a possible clean energy source), rare earth elements (used in electronics) and water ice. Located in shadowed craters at the poles, water ice could be used to make fuel for lunar industries and to take the next step on to Mars.
As a thought experiment in how we might regulate lunar exploitation, some have asked whether the Moon should be granted legal personhood, which would give it the right to enter into contracts, own property, and sue other persons.
Legal personhood is already extended to many non-human entities: certain rivers, deities in some parts of India, and corporations worldwide. Environmental features can’t speak for themselves, so trustees are appointed to act on their behalf, as is the case for the Whanganui River in New Zealand. One proposal is to apply the New Zealand model to the Moon.”
Considering the damage that humans have already wrecked on Earth it makes sense to want to protect the Moon’s natural resources. I’m not saying that we should never use them. Using water found there to get to Mars could be invaluable. But at the same time it shouldn’t be a free-for-all. If granting the Moon personhood enables some level of decorum then that’s a good thing.
One small step for the Moon, one giant leap for Moonkind.
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