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As Lunar Mining Looms, a Change of Perspective Could Protect Earth's Ancient Companion

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday September 02 2020, @01:56PM   Printer-friendly
from the loonie-bin dept.

upstart writes in with an IRC submission for RandomFactor:

Can the moon be a person? As lunar mining looms, a change of perspective could protect Earth's ancient companion:

Everyone is planning to return to the moon. At least 10 missions by half a dozen nations are scheduled before the end of 2021, and that's only the beginning.

Even though there are international treaties governing outer space, ambiguity remains about how individuals, nations and corporations can use lunar resources.

In all of this, the moon is seen as an inert object with no value in its own right.

But should we treat this celestial object, which has been part of the culture of every hominin for millions of years, as just another resource?

[...] 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.

[...] Can we support the legal concept of personhood for the moon with actual features of personhood?

Journal Reference:
Eytan Tepper, Christopher Whitehead. Moon, Inc.: The New Zealand Model of Granting Legal Personality to Natural Resources Applied to Space, New Space (DOI: 10.1089/space.2018.0025)

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2020, @04:49PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2020, @04:49PM (#1045462)

    > Helium-3
    > We're not ready for it yet, but once we master fusion that will be a valuable fuel that's been collecting on the moon's surface for billions of years.

    Oh you're right on the borderline, but I'm going to go with +1 Funny.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2020, @04:50PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2020, @04:50PM (#1045466)

    First they laugh.
    Then they lol.
    Then they rofl.

    • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday September 02 2020, @06:38PM (1 child)

      by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 02 2020, @06:38PM (#1045533) Journal

      First they laugh at you.
      Then they fight you.
      Then they ignore you.
      Then you lose. (or more popularly: "loose")

      --
      To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2020, @06:52PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 02 2020, @06:52PM (#1045541)

        Then you lose. (or more illiterately: "loose")

        There. FTFY.