Customer Reviews

Gaia Selene - Saving the Earth by Colonizing the Moon

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While this DVD depends a little too much on environmental hysteria to make it's case, it does provide a solid rationale for a human return to the Moon to colonize it. The Moon, with it's desposits of helium 3 and it's access to solar energy, could be the Persian Gulf of the 21st Century. Only the energy will be clean, virtually limitless, and not on ground occupied by bad tempered Islamofascists. A must view for anyone interesting in summoning a future better than the present.

I am seriously conflicted about this DVD. I'm a life long moonophile abd was very excited when I heard about this DVD. Unfortunately, it has been a few months since I've had it and have yet to be able to stomach it enough to completion. The interviews in this DVD are very good (mostly), the computer animation passable, and the ideas in it for colonizing the moon are solid.

The problem is that the message is so wrapped in far left propaganda you can't separate the good stuff from the political message. I am a republican, but am not so far so that I dismiss all left leaning ideas out of hand. Unfortunately, this DVD is not just moderately left of center, but downright left of MoveOn. This DVD does not just claim that humans can screw up the Earth's environment if we're not careful, but that humanity and Earth will basically be irreversibly dying by 2050 if things remain unchanged. I don't even think the Sierra Club is claiming that. Another example of Gaia Selene's odd and extremely controversial ideology is the discussion of the US Army's Project Horizon moonbase in the 50's. We have a so called space advocate explaining how the Army wanted the Horizon base to act as a type of frontier outpost on the moon to facilitate colonial expansion like the old cavalry posts in the American West. Not too evil, taking care of colonists, right? Then the guy says that the Army also thought Horizon might be a good place to station ICBM's since they would be hard to first strike and be away from population centers (was it really a better idea to station nuclear weapons obviously targeted by Soviet forces in the Cold War next to major cities rather than in the realtively lifeless moon?). Then, without debate and seemingly in an "isn't it obvious" tone, the man basically says: "Whew! Thank God that didn't happen!" I'm willing to bet many people, especially space advocates, would have been thrilled had Horizon been successful. Then, the DVD laments the Vietnam war by saying that humans could have gotten much farther in space using the money spent on the war on NASA instead, and that Vietnam would have become a communist nation sooner. Apparently, the DVD offers both explanations as equally good reasons not to have gone to war. Huh.

For those who can ignore profoundly radical left leaning ideology and focus on the space, this is a good show. For those that are radical environmentalists and openly socialist who love space, this is the DVD for you! For others, it might be best to crack open Mining the Sky, Moonrush, or the Third Industrial Revolution and avoid Gaia Selene. I'm not disappointed I bought it. I have used it with some success to convert left leaning friends to consider supporting the American space effort. Hey, every ally counts!

Review: Gaia Selene



by Douglas Jobes

Monday, August 15, 2005

Charles "Chip" Proser knows drama. With screenwriter credits for movies like Top Gun, story author and producer credits for movies such as Innerspace, and years of experience with Hollywood and the film industry, few are better than Proser at using the medium of film to stimulate the mind and evoke the deepest of human emotions. Proser delivers on both counts with his new non-fiction DVD documentary Gaia Selene: Saving the Earth by Colonizing the Moon. For those with an interest in the fate of humankind over the next century (which should be everyone) as well as those who have an innate yearning to see our species extend its range beyond the Earth, Gaia Selene is required viewing.



Gaia Selene is a collection of interviews with experts in fields as varied as the energy crisis, global warming, nuclear fusion technology, space militarization, lunar solar power, Near Earth Asteroids, space elevators, space tourism, and more. These seemingly disparate fields are woven together into a compelling theme through narration provided by the author. The common thread is that humanity is in trouble - we are depleting our resources at an unsustainable rate, in the process destroying the very biosphere we ourselves require for life - and that the only way we can sustain our species in the years ahead is by looking upward toward the Moon.



The renowned British astrophysicist Stephen Hawking once said he did not believe humanity would survive the next thousand years unless it moved into space. Proser and his experts underscore Hawking's dire prediction by noting the accelerating increase in the world's population, the rapid pace of extinction of animal species, the increasing violence of hurricanes and other extremes of weather, the loss of vast stretches of ocean coral, the growing size of the hole in the ozone layer, and many other troubling phenomena. Furthermore, as more and more of the Third World becomes connected to the worldwide power grid, the demand for electricity will skyrocket, far outpacing anyone's ability to provide it. Humanity's vast oil reserves are predicted to run out before the turn of the century, leaving the Earth in desperate straits for energy. Not to mention that over the next century there is a 1:455 chance of a cataclysmic asteroid impact ending all life on Earth.



Finding solutions for these problems begins with an examination of the resources and threats in space and on our near neighbor, the Moon. Gaia Selene makes a strong argument that humanity must, now, focus tightly on, and gain mastery of, the heavens. Concepts such as beaming solar power from the Moon to the Earth to provide energy, developing Helium 3 fusion technology to generate clean nuclear power, building settlements on the Moon to provide an expansion valve for humanity, and even converting threatening Near Earth Asteroids into sources of metals and carbon compounds for industry - these and other ideas are explored in detail.



In addition to the discussions and interviews that form the main body of the documentary, Proser has included additional features many will find useful. A number of scientific papers in .pdf format are appended which can be accessed if the DVD is loaded on a PC. There is an intriguing slide show illustrating various space structures and lunar activities, with both artist paintings and computer-generated renderings. (In fact, throughout the DVD are computer animations and illustrations of every kind.) There is even a short section of "online links" which from a PC can be used to access related Internet websites.



By barreling into our technological future unchecked, humanity risks running out of the resources that Earth has to provide. The Earth is finite, but the ability of humans to reproduce and to use increasingly more and more energy seems limitless. There are risks from without, such as asteroid impacts, that we must also take into account. As a species, we must accept responsibility for our future and exert control over these forces. The lives of our children, grandchildren, and the very fate of humanity depends on it. That is the lesson of Gaia Selene.
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This is an extremely thoughtful, well produced documentary about space exploration and how, using existing technologies, we can explore and develop the moon and its resources (Helium 3, lunar solar collectors) to solve many of our problems here on Earth - the energy crisis, global warming, nuclear waste, etc. (Who knew that the problem of nuclear waste was solvable? Apparently it is.)

The ideas presented here are thought provoking and suggest new and surprisingly practical ways of approaching seemingly intractable problems. The film could prove a great source of knowledge and inspiration to middle and high school students who might not otherwise be aware of the very real potential of outer space as a new frontier that could transform our world.

The filmmaker also explores the ways in which the Vietnam War diverted America's move into space in the 1960's and how the current conflicts in the Middle East are once again deflecting money and interest away from the economic growth and problem-solving possibilities of space exploration and development.

Our federal elected policymakers and their staff need to see this DVD. There are many reasons for a human return to the Moon whilst robotic spacecraft continue to explore Mars, Europa, Titan, and solar system locations. This DVD helps make the case that Americans invest in the science of a return to the Moon to stay.

This DVD is a fascinating review of some of the challenges facing our species and our planet, and offers some alternatives we don't often hear about. It's thoroughly researched and lays out logical reasons to develop the resources of space and the Moon to address in novel ways the challenges we face. I can't wait till we go! This would be a great DVD to donate to your local high school's science program.

This documentary shows compelling reasons for space exploration and
lunar colonies to provide clean energy for earth. The top experts in
the field speak to that. Beyond that, it reveals the secret history of
the moon race and the political conflicts of the time. Even the
architects of the War in Vietnam now admit that it was a mistake,
squandering billions of dollars and distracting us from the New
Frontier.

There are obvious parallels to today, where we've already spent over a
trillion dollars on a wrong war, money which we could have used to
obtain energy from space and the lunar surface. Some apologists may
take issue with this, but, the producer doesn't ask that you take it on
his word. Included in the DVD are the scientific papers backing up the
issues presented. In balance, the scientists and historians present a
clear picture of the space race as well as a positive view of the
future. Its informative as well as entertaining...Highly recommended.