Engineering To-Do List

So I kind of like the idea of the colonization of space, and eventually seeing human beings live permanently off-planet. Sort of as our species insurance policy, but also to make the solar system a more interesting and accessible place. But, space colonization is hard, and mainstream scientists say that we'll never establish a living presence in space. Sure we'll go to Mars, but we probably won't ever colonize it.

This might be disappointing at first, until you take a look at what's left to do to really conquer our own planet. Let's get these things done first, and when we've run out of big projects like these, then we'll tackle colonizing, maybe even terraforming, the other planets in the solar system.

Living inside or on top of mountains.

Giant airships, like cities in the air.

Cruise ships that people can permanently live and work on.

Platforms in the sea

Bubbles or structures at the bottom of the sea

Tunnels connecting cities on the land with cities under the sea

Tunnels stretching across ocean floor

Tunnels beneath the ocean floor

Tunnels floating beneath the surface

Bridges between all the continents. Including over the Bering Strait, the Strait of Gibraltar, and maybe even a North Atlantic bridge/tunnel.

Colonizing Northern Canada.

Colonizing Greenland: on the ice, in the ice, under the ice and in the rock.

Colonizing Antarctica: see Greenland

Superskyscrapers, including skyscraper scaffolds and lattices, like the Tokyo Pyramid City.

Land Reclaimed from the sea by dikes and levies, a la Netherlands.

Rail networks connecting up South America with North America.

Rail networks criss-crossing Africa.

Greening the deserts of the world.

Damming all major rivers to manage flooding and to generate power. (make sure to leave space for wildlife)

Solving the problem of nuclear power and urban development. Ie. The NIMBY problem.

Figuring out how to use or dispose of nuclear waste.

Cheap access to orbit, especially for the continued development of communications. Ie. space planes or private shuttle.

Space Elevator.

Tidal power management.

Tsunami and earthquake protection for vulnerable areas, ie. Ring of Fire.