When we talk about colonising other planets and building self-sustainable civilisations there, one of the first things that comes up is building some sort of underground cities.
The atmosphere on other planets is not hospitable to us and so we would need to wear spacesuits all the time. But that's not practical at all. That's why the idea of living in underground cities is often suggested, where we could roam around freely and have some semblance of normal life.
While this idea of underground cities is quite reserved for planetary colonisation, it may also hold some merit for our future here on Earth. Some believe that these might even safeguard us from catastrophes and apocalypses.
It is really something to think about. People in the 20th century thought we would have floating cities in the 21st century and instead, we are talking about living underground!
Safeguard Against Apocalypse?
The recent happenings with the coronavirus pandemic are proof that we can be caught off guard really easily. We always assume that we are prepared enough for any disaster that may strike, but time and time again, we are proven wrong.
There may be far worse disasters waiting to happen and we must do everything we can to protect ourselves from them. Some suggest that living underground may help against some of the imminent disasters.
We all know that climate change is happening around the globe. The debate whether it is caused by us humans or not doesn't matter. What matters is that it will affect human life drastically. It will make a lot of places simply inhospitable. If we could learn to build cities underground and carry on normal life, it will ensure that there is no mass migration of humans across the globe.
There are many parts of the world where such practices are already in play. But we would need to do this on a much larger scale for densely populated cities and areas.
At the moment, this is just an idea of sorts. But many people say that it just might work. What I think is that there could be a mix. Some people live above ground and some below it! It would definitely help with a proper distribution of an ever-growing human race.
Morlock and Eloi, I'm not sure becoming either of those appeal to me. I can see a lot of issues with underground living, there is the air circulation, the air cleaning and exchanging, and if being underground is because of bad air on the surface, well there is a lot of work to be done in the arena of cleaning/replenishing the air. Waste management also becomes a really big issue.
I am not sure but I think as far as a group of people trying to live in a 100% Self Sustained environment, nothing coming in or going out is not that long of a period. If I remember right the biosphere 2 experiment did not go to well. Many may point out the space station, but it has stuff coming and going on a regular basis.
We have a lot to still learn about the physical needs of ourselves and of our environment. I think a more practical solution than going underground would be domes that ride in the oceans kind of like in some movies.
An interesting example of Morlock and Eloi!
Yeah, I would definitely not live in an underground colony. But I was talking about underground cities that had free movement with the surface world. So, it wouldn't be like two secluded groups of population but kind of like how different cities exist in the same country. But yeah, living underground seems like a drag!