Dr. Conca opines that we are going to return to the Moon. No question. And long-term human settlement will follow at some point, mainly to develop mineral and energy resources available on the Moon, but also to install protective systems aimed at avoiding large asteroid impacts of the type we were all recently made aware with that grazing meteor strike in Chelyabinsk and the simultaneous near-miss by big-rock DA14. Shortages in the foreseeable future of key inorganic elements, such as rare earth elements, for electronic gadgets and renewable energy systems, platinum and other related metals, and even helium 2 and 3 for medical equipment and energy in the future suggest that we may need more non-renewable resources than Earth can provide (REE, nickel, platinum shortages).
So it is with perfect timing that a long-awaited Special Publication from the Energy Minerals Division of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists has been published. And it has to do with outer space via AAPG Memoir 101: Energy Resources for Human Settlement in the Solar System and Earth Future in Space. Since a long lead-time is necessary for such ventures, now is a good time to begin the discussions in earnest.
For all 9 Chapters of Memoir 101, see: https://i2mconsultants.com/downloads/corp/Memoir101-T0fC2016.pdf
Original working URL: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2013/05/05/beyond-earths-atmosphere-energy-needs-for-space-colonization/#1e9a843e1e3b
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