The Price of Air

Abstract

The amount of liberty available to colonists in extra-terrestrial settlements will be determined by a number of factors. At a fundamental level, the availability of oxygen will influence how the colony develops and how this affects the populace. In this essay, the economic factors that will decide oxygen availability are investigated. Firstly the context of colonization through history is described, focusing on how economic factors affected colonists. Then the three potential situations; where oxygen is either scarce, controlled by market forces, or abundant; are described, and the implications for the colonists of each situation investigated. Depending on the economic system that arises in the colony, individual colonists may be subject to centralized control from the state or corporations, and may have to alter their consumer behavior according to oxygen availability. Oxygen scarcity might also lead to social stratification in the populace, caused by differences in an individual’s genetics or economic situation. Finally the growth of any such extra-terrestrial settlement will be controlled by the availability of oxygen and willing colonists, which will mean that colonization of other planetary bodies will not be able to proceed until technological development makes it economically viable.