Planetary Ecosynthesis—Environmental Ethics and Scientific Implications

The article examines selected issues of planetary ecosynthesis from both scientific and philosophical perspectives. The main object of the examination is terraforming—a purposeful alteration of a planetary environment to improve the chances of the survival of an indigenous biology or, in the absence of any native life-forms, to allow for the habitation of most, if not all, terrestrial life-forms. Although this process has been lively debated within environmental ethics for many years, it still requires more precise ethical analyses as well as an applicable legislation on the international space policy.