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It sounds like a plot from Star Trek but actor William Shatner predicts we’ll be working away from Earth and using it as our holiday destination within 100 years.
The Captain Kirk legend, who last year became the oldest human to fly into space, reckons its the way to save our planet.
Shatner, 91, says: “The idea is to get people accustomed to going into space, and then have the population excited about the idea of sending polluting industries up into space.
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“So the industries that are polluting send their energy down mechanically.
“You come down here every two weeks to enjoy the beauty of Earth and go up there and work. The technology exists. It’s the ambition and the money.”
The idea is being promoted by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who took Shatner into space aboard his Blue Origin flight last October.
It would see processes such as the manufacturing of computer chips taking place in outer space.
Shatner laughs: “I said to him, ‘But that’s 100 years. We don’t have 100 years.’ He said, ‘But you have to have hope. Without hope, what have you got?’
“We’re destroying ourselves. We’ve got to do something.”
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When he was in space, the actor was struck by the beauty of our world compared to space.
Shatner says: “When I got up there and saw how black and deathlike it was, and looking back at the warmth, the beiges, the blues and whites of the Earth, it was just so small.
“I felt great grief. When I came down, I was crying. It took me hours to understand. I’m weeping for the planet.”
While Shatner believes we’re at a crossroads, he himself is facing a more immediate battle as old age encroaches.
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He’s busier than ever with the third run of his documentary series The UnXplained currently airing on Sky History, which also became a top three hit for Netflix.
But at 91, he says: “The mystery of death, which is the greatest mystery of all, is still frightening to me, and I’m getting more and more frightened.
“There is a strong ambition. Take your breath, breathe out and keep doing it.”
Shatner is mostly in good health but his arthritis causes him the most trouble. “My shoulders hurt,” he adds. “I’ve got an arthritic shoulder. So old age has its pains and its problems. I’m really in good health. So I’m very lucky.”
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Back in 2016 the star was misdiagnosed with prostate cancer and thought his time was up. Fortunately it was a false alarm caused by testosterone supplements but fearing he was at the end has changed his outlook on life.
He says: “I hold on to each day as vividly as I can, trying to be aware of the magic around me as much as I can.”
While he’ll always be remembered as Captain Kirk, Shatner has had enormous success over his seven decades in show business, appearing in everything from Miss Congeniality to Boston Legal. He’s even enjoyed success on Broadway and last year released his album Bill.
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And the actor credits the universe with gifting him much of his success.
He says: “I 90% believe that everything is vibrating. We’re vibrating. If you can connect to that vibration, the universe kind of takes care of you. I think the universe has been taking care of me.
“You have to contribute to the vibration. If you work hard, you get lucky, no question about that. But on the other hand, it’s possible to think there are no coincidences, that everything happens for a reason.”
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