3-D Printing Homes: Mexico or Mars!

It's amazing to think that 3D homes are being built for poverty stricken areas like Mexico, while the same technology is being used to build habitats for life on Mars. Two models that exist simultaneously, use the same technology, and have diametrically opposed outcomes: one to stay on the Earth and make it affordable and habitable, and the other to leave the earth and make another planet habitable, and it's highly doubtful that model will be affordable to most.NASA has been working with companies for several years on developing the technology to create sustainable homes for Mars. A recent article by Business Insider, reports that NASA is seeking volunteers to spend a year living in these homes pretending that they are on Mars.In San Francisco, the organization New Story is focused on providing housing solutions to those in extreme poverty. They claim they have built the world's first community of 3-D homes and have developed a micro-mortgage model to help finance them.One question that arises when considering the materials being used is whether or not these homes are sustainable and eco-friendly or are we adding to the waste stream on Earth and about to bring our bad habits to Mars? One article from a 3-D Building company, Build with Rise, states that by limiting construction waste and material transportation costs, 3-D printers drastically reduce the carbon footprint associated with building homes. If you companies use sustainable and renewable materials, the effect on the environment will be event better.Many feel the era of 3-D printing has arrived. As time goes on and printing methods are perfected, it will be interesting to see which model dominates. Will we use the technology to save our existing planet and populations, or use it to make an exit from our dying planet to somewhere new?Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/business/3D-printing-homes.htmlhttps://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-mars-martian-habitat-icon-3d-printed-space-texas-2021-8https://www.iconbuild.com/updates/icon-3d-prints-the-first-simulated-mars-surface-habitat-for-nasahttps://thespaces.com/ai-space-factory-designs-homes-for-planet-mars/https://www.buildwithrise.com/stories/3d-printed-homes-sustainable-alternative