Re: Conservation principles....
Terraforming Mars promotes growth, and I believe growth is a good thing. The human race gets in a dangerous position when we stagnate. We need frontiers and challenges.
If the human race would put in all the resources we that we use for war and preparing for war, I bet we could get mars terraformed in a few generations.
Terraforming Mars would teach us a lot. It would be a great classroom for the human race.