Topic Battle

Mars has persisted for approximately 4.6 billion years, predating not merely avocados but all terrestrial life. The planet will continue existing for roughly another 5 billion years until the Sun's expansion potentially disrupts inner solar system stability. Mars has survived asteroid bombardment, atmospheric loss, and the cessation of its magnetic dynamo—challenges that would eliminate any fruit-based competitor. The planet's longevity exceeds human comprehension; it witnessed Earth's formation, waited patiently through the evolution of every species, and will likely outlast whatever civilisation eventually visits. This is permanence on a cosmic scale.

Mars offers versatility on an altogether different scale. The planet provides sufficient surface area—144.8 million square kilometres—to accommodate virtually any human activity currently constrained by terrestrial limitations. Proposed applications include agricultural domes, mining operations, scientific research facilities, and entire cities housing millions of colonists. Mars could serve as humanity's civilisational backup, a manufacturing hub exploiting lower gravity, or a staging point for deeper space exploration. The planet's moons, Phobos and Deimos, offer additional utility as orbital stations or resource extraction sites. Whilst current versatility remains theoretical, potential versatility approaches infinite.

Mars presents cost structures defying household budgeting. Current launch costs to Mars orbit approach $100 million per tonne of payload delivered. SpaceX projects eventual reduction to approximately $500,000 per person for colonial transport—roughly equivalent to 166,667 premium avocados at current pricing. A single Mars rover mission costs approximately $2.7 billion; a crewed mission would likely exceed $100 billion. For the individual consumer, Mars access remains financially impossible, whilst even viewing the planet adequately requires telescope investment exceeding the average avocado enthusiast's annual fruit budget.

Mars commands recognition spanning millennia rather than decades. Named for the Roman god of war, the planet has featured in human consciousness since Babylonian astronomers first tracked its distinctive reddish wandering across the night sky approximately 4,000 years ago. The planet has inspired 197 major films, thousands of literary works from H.G. Wells to Andy Weir, and the entire conceptual framework of interplanetary colonisation. Unlike the avocado, Mars recognition requires no marketing expenditure—the planet sells itself through sheer celestial presence, visible to the naked eye and positioned in cultural memory as humanity's most plausible extraterrestrial destination. Recognition: absolute. Accessibility: pending.

Mars presents paradoxical environmental considerations. The planet's current environment—barren, irradiated, atmospherically thin—cannot be degraded by human activity in any meaningful sense. Indeed, proposed terraforming schemes would constitute environmental improvement by terrestrial standards. However, Mars missions generate significant Earth-side environmental impact: rocket launches produce approximately 200-300 tonnes of CO2 per mission, whilst manufacturing spacecraft components consumes substantial resources. Long-term, Mars colonisation could reduce pressure on Earth's environment by distributing humanity's footprint across two worlds—environmental arithmetic that may ultimately favour planetary expansion.