[Beetle01]

With India making its first trip to the moon.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/10/22...index.html

It sparked aquestion in my head. Do we Americans have the right to the moon? While we obviously didn't discover it, we were the first ones to reach it. Thus I think making it ours. I don't consider this a big deal and it doesn't matter anyways. I was just wandering what if other countries tried to set up colonies on the moon. I know this is futuristic, but work is very boring today.

[ComfortEagle]

I would think that no one owns the moon, kind of like the oceans here on Earth.

[Beetle01]

But people do own oceans on Earth. I don't remember the mileage, while most of it is international waters, is it something like 15 or 50 miles within our coast is considered America.

[ComfortEagle]

But people do own oceans on Earth. I don't remember the mileage, while most of it is international waters, is it something like 15 or 50 miles within our coast is considered America.

Alright, yeah, there's a certain mileage there but the majority of it is international waters.

I still don't think we own the moon. Even if we did, it's not like we're using it so much that we can't allow India to visit.

[Beetle01]

I wasn't saying we shouldn't let them visit. We should let anyone visit. I don't know just made me think, we went there, put a flag up like we were claiming it. I was just trying to see what other people thought. Be interesting if it was found to have some great resource what would happen.

[DevilsWin]

Give it to India. Maybe they'll all go there and Food and Oil prices will go back down......

[Beetle01]

Give it to India. Maybe they'll all go there and Food and Oil prices will go back down......

Yeah but then who will I call when my Dell messes up?

[Amun-Ra]

Yeah but then who will I call when my Dell messes up?

[ComfortEagle]

That was a good one.

[thecavemaster]

That was a good one.

Surely we are not debating with any seriousness who owns the moon?

[Beetle01]

Surely we are not debating with any seriousness who owns the moon?

LOL no.

It would be interesting to see what types of minerals exist inside the moon. Too bad there can't be any fossil fuels. Be interesting if there were though.

[thecavemaster]

LOL no.

It would be interesting to see what types of minerals exist inside the moon. Too bad there can't be any fossil fuels. Be interesting if there were though.

I say let the moon be an object of beauty and mystery as it was for thousands of human years. "Let's pave paradise and put up a parking lot."

[ComfortEagle]

The Outer Space Treaty provides a legal framework for the international use of space for peaceful purposes, including the moon and other celestial bodies. Widely considered the "Magna Carta of space law," this treaty lays down the fundamental principle of non-appropriation and that the exploration and use of space shall be the province of all mankind.

According to the treaty, states bear international responsibility for national activities in space, including by non-governmental entities. The Outer Space Treaty says governments cannot claim ownership of the lunar surface and that stations and installations on the moon shall be open to others, said Hedman.

The Moon Agreement builds upon the Outer Space Treaty but also says that any natural resources found on the moon are part of "the common heritage of mankind" - in other words, they must be shared.

While 98 nations, including all the major spacefaring ones, have ratified the Outerspace Treaty, only 13 countries have approved the Moon Agreement -- Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Uruguay and Mexico, to name four.

But Hedman said this does not mean the other 179 countries that have not ratified the Moon Agreement are free to make a lunar land rush.

"They are still bound by the fundamental provisions [of the Outer Space Treaty]," he said, adding that "when enough states of the world have ratified a treaty, and it becomes binding, then certain fundamental provisions become binding even on states that have not ratified it."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/05/19...index.html - read more here.

^Hmmmmm.....

[thecavemaster]

Didn't know there was such a thing as an "Outer Space Treaty." Interesting.

[Beetle01]

SO basically all the countires who will never make it to the moon, want anything to be found there to be shared, no matter who puts forth the effort and work? These people must be democrats.

[thecavemaster]

SO basically all the countires who will never make it to the moon, want anything to be found there to be shared, no matter who puts forth the effort and work? These people must be democrats.

If crude oil were in abundance on the moon, would you ruin the environment of the moon to drill for it so that cheaper gas would be available?

[Beetle01]

If crude oil were in abundance on the moon, would you ruin the environment of the moon to drill for it so that cheaper gas would be available?

First I'm gonna ask about what enviroment your talking about? I was unaware a desolate, lifeless vacuum of a chunk of dirt was considered an enviroment. However, I'm for drilling in ANWR, so of course I'd be for drillin on the moon, although shipping costs would make it unfeasible.

Though one would have to consider how the changing of the mass of the moon over a period of time would effect gravitational pull of the moon, possibly severely affecting the tidal flow of the oceans, also it could cause it to come crashing into the Earth or go flying off into space.

Other than that I'd say suck every drop of oil out it, and only Americans can have it.

[thecavemaster]

First I'm gonna ask about what enviroment your talking about? I was unaware a desolate, lifeless vacuum of a chunk of dirt was considered an enviroment. However, I'm for drilling in ANWR, so of course I'd be for drillin on the moon, although shipping costs would make it unfeasible.

Though one would have to consider how the changing of the mass of the moon over a period of time would effect gravitational pull of the moon, possibly severely affecting the tidal flow of the oceans, also it could cause it to come crashing into the Earth or go flying off into space.

Other than that I'd say suck every drop of oil out it, and only Americans can have it.

In that the external combination of physical elements that affect and influence the growth and development of organisms is at least one definition of "environment," you have point. May I ask this, though: do you think everything that exists exists for the purpose of the "enhancement" and comfort and convenience of human beings? Thus, nothing has any value in and of itself outside its use to human beings?

[vundy33]

If crude oil were in abundance on the moon, would you ruin the environment of the moon to drill for it so that cheaper gas would be available?

Of Course...

[thecavemaster]

Of Course...

I woudn't.

[VHSL-helper]

I seem to rem. some new element on the moon when I was a kid.
was in Moonium? Did Bugs come up with that? Marvin the Martian?

[RavenBoy]

Is the Moon real?

[BFritz]

Brad Fritz owns the moon

[thecavemaster]

I seem to rem. some new element on the moon when I was a kid.
was in Moonium? Did Bugs come up with that? Marvin the Martian?

Reading this, wish I had the x-14 human disintegrator...

[Braves_Fan_26]

This has to be the dumbest thread I have ever seen. No one country or people own the moon. It is part of outer space so therefore cannot and should not be owned by anyone. Thats another thing that kills me about this world, its all about money, power, greed, ownership, etc. People think they can put a price on everything. If that was the case, then I guess people should be owned also. If so, who owns me, you, everybody. Ill tell ya who, no one. Also, those comments about people from India were really uncalled for and just proves my point even more, Americans are racist assholes. Whether it was a joke or not, It was wrong. Im not the kind of person that gets offended by anything anyone says, I just think that was completely out of line. But like I have said before, thats typical americans for ya. I see now why every other country in the world hates the USA.