All our manufacturing currently takes place on Earth and, as a result, all its harmful byproducts and wasteful processes end up wreaking Earthbound havoc. In this forward-thinking talk, James Orsulak argues that the fix is to move manufacturing operations off-planet, using automated labor to mine resources and perform all those ecosystem-destabilizing processes in the void of space. "If we do this, we reverse the human supply chain," he says. "Imagine if you walked outside one day and there were no factories, power plants, refineries or oil rigs. We've now zoned the earth for residential access only."

James Orsulak: Why we need to move manufacturing off-planet

Why we need to move manufacturing off-planet

At 43% land conversion by humans, Earth's ecosystem teeters on collapse. Space resources could avert this crisis by 2050.

Infinite space resources—energy, metals, water—unlock a future where Earth is zoned for residential use, sparing it from industrial harm.

Reimagining the human supply chain: Manufacture in space using asteroids' resources, returning only finished products to Earth.