Terraforming Mars - right or wrong?

Why can't we just let it R.I.P. ?

And let a perfectly good planet go unused?

This planet as already been used by its own living population long ago. It would be wrong to take advantage of this dead planet by giving it CPR in the form or terraforming, and instead of letting its people live on, we pushed our problems onto it.

Wrong by what criterion?

it is wrong to push our problems onto someone else. in this case the someone else is another planet. It is immoral. we already are ruining our own planet but we still are going to be capable of fixing it. also we should spend time learning how to fix our own planet. Because even if it was not immoral, there is not an infanite number of uninhabitated planets that could be capable of supporting human life.

it is wrong to push our problems onto someone else. in this case the someone else is another planet.

No, a planet is something else.

The situation would be much more complicated if Mars was inhabited. But if it has no inhabitants at all, then the only creatures who can value Mars (either in its natural state or in a terraformed state) are humans.

I don't kno if we have duties towards planets. Maybe, maybe not. I'ts an interesting quesiton.

If we do, though - surely in that case it might be our DUTY to bring Mars back to life by terraforming it?

green planet's comment is typical of people who do not understand humans nor science. it is not a question of ethics. we will colonize mars as we have done
this world. one can ask was it ethical of columbus and the europeans to colonize america though it caused the virtual extinction of the indians.
not a question because we have built the best country in the world. colonizing is part of our nature and we will do it regardless of ethics which does not apply here.
get it green planet???? as for ruining mars, how can you ruin a barren world. we will simply transform it to make our occupation there more habitable.
so get off this ecological crap and face reality. it is out nature and you or no one will alter that. and a little history for green planet and others like him/her..
this planet has been through a lot more hellish attacks than humans. we have not wiped out 67% 83% and 89% of all life as three huge meteors have in the past.
Earth can take a lot more than you give credit for. it will be ok and we will be fine and besides, the article is saying centuries to transform, not tomorrow like so many of you environmentalists or environmental cases as i call you.

Ignoring all other conversation prior and just going straight back to the original comment by Rick: you must be psychic!
This is actually one of the themes of my continuation to 'The Science Fiction Writer' (and just to give myself the plug, you'll find what I've written so far in the science fiction section of the forum ). So don't get too passionate about all this people or you may end up with an interplanetary war! I may or may not be hinting to what happens.

http://www.redcolony.com/art.php?id=0109020

good site but ruined my idea of lichen.

Hey thanks for that link! Very interesting