Earth Port Authority had its answer ready.
Item: terrafonning.
Terraformingremaking the planets into near-images of
the Earth, so that Earth-normal people could live on them.
Port Earth was prepared to start small. Port Earth wanted to
move Mars out of its orbit to a point somewhat closer to the
sun, and make the minor adjustments needed in the orbits of
the other planets; to transport to Mars about enough water to
empty the Indian Oceanonly a pittance to Earth, after all,
and not 10 per cent of what would be needed later to terra-
form Venus; to carry to the little planet top-soil about
equal in area to the state of Iowa, in order to get started at
growing plants which would slowly change the atmosphere
of Mars; and so on. The whole thing, Port Earth pointed out
reasonably, was perfectly feasible from the point of view of
the available supplies and energy resources, and it would cost
less than thirty-three billion dollars. The Greater Earth Port
Authority was prepared to recover that sum at no cost in taxes
in less thap a century, through such items as $50 rocket-
mail stamps, $10,000 Mars landing fees, $1,000 one-way
strap-down tickets, 100-per-desert-acre land titles, and so on.
Of course the fees would continue after the cost was re-
coveredfor maintenance.
And what, after all, the Authority asked reasonably, was the
alternative? Nothing but domes. The Greater Earth Port Au-
thority hated domes. They cost too little to begin with, and the
volume of traffic to and from them would always be miniscule.