Summary
The moon has been added to the World Monuments Fund’s (WMF) list of threatened heritage sites for the first time due to risks from commercial and governmental lunar activities.
The WMF highlights concerns about looting and damage to artefacts from Apollo missions, such as Neil Armstrong’s footprints and objects left on the moon.
WMF calls for international protocols to protect lunar heritage as private space tourism and missions increase.
The 2024 list also includes sites in conflict zones and areas endangered by climate change or unsustainable tourism.
In principle I agree with this. The moon has been up there, relatively unchanged for the history of our species. It’s a meaningful connection to our deep past. It may even have helped life evolve on the planet. Romantically, it’s the only thing that we all can look up at and see so it’s a common shared experience for everyone. I think this is an important piece of our heritage and does need to be looked after. Also, I don’t really understand how morally one person has a right to do things on the moon but I don’t. - who gives them the ownership?
I’m not anti-science, or anti-progress, but some things are more important than, money or individual egos.
You can do anything to Mars, or the asteroids, they’re not culturally important, but the moon is, at least the side facing us.