From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 17:41:55 +0000
Subject: RE: (urth) Thoughts on pollution  esp.




On 13/03/2002 17:26:49 Dan'l Danehy-Oakes wrote:

>>    Considering this, my inquiry perhaps should have
>> been the following: "what would possibly motivate us
>> to take the initiative towards leaving Earth".
>
>Basically, if it becomes possible, some humans will do it. The
>desire is clearly there, even if it is not universal. (Make it
>possible for _me_ to leave Earth, and, baby, I'm outahere.)
>
>It's equally reasonable to ask "what could possibly motivate
>those who stay behind?"

This put's me in mind of Arthur C Clarke's "The City and the Stars"

In simplest terms the adventurous emigrated leaving the conservative
behind. Human society in the galaxy subsequently left the whole of earth
behind.

Then we have Typhon returning to a forgotten backwater - Urth.  Would this
not be a world from which the adventurous had emigrated for generations
leaving behind those who were not and that would underpin the cultures of
Urth, Commonwealth and Ascia alike.

Matthew



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