Benefits of Inhabiting Mars

 Reaping the Rewards

Mars is rich in carbon,  nitrogen, hydrogen, and has the required raw materials need to support life and maintain human civilization, which will allow people to work to colonize Mars.

Geological history suggests that Mars may have concentrated mineral ores which can be concentrated into metals and transported back to Earth for profit. Deuterium also exists on Mars, which is "an essential material needed by the nuclear power industry to day (Zubrin), which can provide billions of dollars to Earth. 

Producing food on Mars by growing crops is possible since Mars' atmosphere is thick enough to protect the crops from solar flares, in conjunction with inflatable plastic greenhouses.