Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

There is always the option of gathering nitrogen from Earth's atmosphere and sterilizing it.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

Earth has a massively deep gravity well. Also if you can sterilize that well, then why not live on/in Earth via arcologies?

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

The Earth also has a massive atmosphere. Using a mixture of static lift (I. E. Blimps) and dynamic lift (I. E. Jet Engines) could lighten the load.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

With what helium for the blimps and with what fuel for the jets?

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

Though that isn't quite the same thing as *forcing* everybody to accept a mod. You can pay the nuisance tax.

I think this is the key to making this sort of thing plausible. "Everybody" gets a mod, but those crazies who *really* don't want it, can opt out, it just leaves them unemployable outcastes or something.

But sure, a lot of it is subjective value judgement too, colored by which end of the special privileges/additional obligations involved you (or your identity group) are on. I think part of the reason people these days are willing to consider disabilities cultural things they want to keep is society has increasingly opted to force people without them to take on a lot of the burden. But it's still force, just applied to somebody else. Change what's possible and the consensus of who it's legitimate to force could easily alter. If your society's solution is "we'll fix it for free, and if you don't want it fixed you cope without our help", that seems at least as legitimate a solution as mandating ramps and braille on everything.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

Resettlement of the Earth would be a campaign in and of itself. However, a minor gas exchange on Titan or Mars would be a nuisance, on Plague Earth it could be a death sentence.

Still, as a source of nitrogen and exotic DNA, Earth would be unrivaled.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

Lengthy quarantines seem reasonable even if not technically needed if only, because the "sensibly paranoid" citizens would demand it.
That could easily lead to classic limited location adventures.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

Trying to find out what the bio-agent or agents that wiped out humanity, or most of it, would be a priority, after survival. Seeing if the bio-agent/s are still around and deadly would be important too.

But survival would come first.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

Fear usually helps, but sometimes hinders survival.
I can see friction between those saying air-mining Earth is necessary and those that calling it a death sentence to even go near the planet. But I see a middle group wanting a compromise of as close to pure automation involved as possible with harsh sterilization and quarantine protocols.

Re: New Sci Fi Setting Seeds
 

It is still going to be ten times as expensive to mine the Earth for nitrogen than to just get it from Titan. Or you couod mine the atmosphere of Venus for nitrogen, which costs half as much to mine than the atmosphere of Earth (normal air mixtures are lifting gases in the atmosphere of Venus, so you can support floating harvesters that use fusion-powered railguns to accelerate canisters to Venutian escape velocity). Or you could mine ammonia ice from Triton, which still costs half as much as mining the Earth for nitrogen. The only reason to take nitrogen from the Earth is if you lack the technology to get it from anywhere else.