Glenn points out an article at MSNBC about a group that wants to fence off the Moon from development. They apparently want to use Antarctica as a model. This is in tune with many of the people who think that mankind is too immature to colonize space.

Mr. Smith says Mr. Steiner?s proposal fails to take into consideration how proposed lunar projects such as a solar-power plant designed to help fuel earthly activities could actually help the environment back on the home planet.

Mr. Steiner counters that the same kind of solar plant could be designed to operate in the moon?s orbit, without marring the lunar surface.

Which shows that he doesn’t get it. A major part of the solar power proposal is to utilize lunar resources for the construction. Putting the satellites in orbit might be a good idea for other reasons, but it doesn’t change the need to develop the Moon.

?You know,? he says, ?the moon is a stunningly beautiful place, and it shouldn?t be defiled.?

It’s the ANWR battle writ large–in which they want to close off development of an entire world, and there aren’t even any lunar caribou.

It kind of makes me wish that I were going to the Space Development Conference this weekend, just to see the fireworks when this is proposed to the assembled.

[Update at 5PM PDT]

The Times is covering this story as well.

And I just want to clarify, I don’t want to strip-mine the whole orb.

There are obviously some sites that need to be preserved–the Apollo XI and other Apollo landing sites, impact sites of some of the first Rangers, the Monolith from 2001, the B-17s and V-2 rockets that got lost and ended up there in WW II…