Abstract
Currently, the human settlement of planet Earth is suboptimal, roughly covering some
15% of its surface. Remediating this problem involves several approaches. Inhospitable
land areas can be "greened” by using modern technology, while the efficiency of
current settlements can be improved. But humans could also take advantage of such
new technologies to colonize the surface of still water bodies, underground and
underwater environments. This enterprise would help us learn revolutionary new ways
of providing food, light, heat and electricity to human populations, techniques that
would also be applicable to other celestial bodies.