Earth and Mars share many similar
properties.
However, Mars today is too cold, too dry, and its CO2
atmosphere is too thin to support life. However, all of these are related
and could be changed by human intervention.
- Increase the atmospheric CO2 to Earth-like pressures, then
the temperature would rise by the Greenhouse effect to a point where water
would melt.
- Increase the atmospheric N2 slightly to meet the metabolic needs
of plants and microbes.
- Increase the atmospheric O2 slightly to create an ozone layer
that would shield living things from the Sun's harmful UV radiation.
There are probably
sufficient ingredients
in the Martian polar caps and
upper surface layers to make this transformation possible.
