abnormalities of the gravity in the celestial body or of the black spots of the sun. Recently, my colleague, Professor Keiichi Nakamura, a psychologist, analyzed the theoretical structure of Nostradamus’s prophecy and reached the conclusion that an ice asteroid will crash in the Mediterranean Sea at 10 a.m. local time, on July 2 in the lunar calendar, or August 12 in the solar calendar of 1999 (3). Some gloomy predictions have also been made on scientific grounds, such as desertification and the greenhouse effect due to increased CO2 caused by industrialization, or conversely, the Earth’s turning into a frigid climate with the beginning of another glacial age. Furthermore, the Club of Rome forecasts the explosion of population and possible depletion of energy, which is interpreted as if human beings now stand close to their extinction. The Club of Rome holds that natural resources and energy are finite on the globe. On the other hand, when the resources and energy of space could be utilized, there should be great possibilities of progress for mankind. Macro-engineering takes this view, which has been suggested about the future of human beings that they may create another earth for continuation of their life (4). It is against this pessimistic background that I think an overall insurance scheme, to meet the problems of the end of this century, is important and useful for the creation of a second Earth and other activities. The premium may be pooled from which investments can be made for the betterment of the Earth's environment and other creative efforts such as space development and macro-projects. If a meteorite or an asteroid were to crash the Earth, this could be considered a spacial risk as stipulated by this scheme, and the insured is provided with the safety measures to prepare against the risk (5). For example, the insured who live in the Mediterranean Sea areas can opt for a transfer to a safer Asian area in the summer of 1999, or an evacuation from the Earth to a space station by Space Shuttle express, or to a safety zone by airship or spanloader, into an underground shelter. The insurance company on its part should make every possible effort to detect in advance any such risk by means of a telescope installed at a geosynchronous orbit or using a lunar station in order to avoid the use of Space Shuttle. When a meteorite does approach the Earth, the insurance company should deploy prompt operations to Intelsat and disintegrate them. NASA's planned Spacewatch and interorbit exploration of asteroids project can be promoted further, so that a missile can be launched to an asteroid before it attachs the Earth so as to change its orbit. A few hydrogen bombs will be able to cope with larger asteroids, and in anticipation of this, the use of hydrogen bombs on Earth must be frozen through cooperation of the insurance scheme which can also reduce the probability of a nuclear war on Earth. Subscription to this insurance scheme is left entirely to the choice of individuals. If the scale of operation is large enough, then it can also provide welfare projects for subscribers as well as nonsubscribers. It can monitor and prevent accidents like the explosion which occurred in Siberia in 1908 through defensive operations, and in this way it can contribute to the global well-being with benefits to all human beings. Nevertheless, such a spacial accident may occur very rarely, at a probability rate of once in 1000 years. Therefore, the unspent insurance premium should be invested for projects such as development of land and marine investigating satellites and telecommunication satellite. Since investment of this kind can generate revenue in a relatively short period of time, even refunds of a satisfactory amount may be guaranteed from the unused premium money. Subscribers and investors are welcome to participate in the peaceful international project as follows.
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