Lord Martin Rees's argument and discussion around space were incredibly eye-opening and compelling. his arguments caused me to speculate about the importance and necessity of space travel. It seems like a gamble with the future of humanity on the line. On the one hand, further exploration of space allows us to learn more about our own planet, and also potentially find both life on other planets, and a planet suitable for future human life. However, based on Lord Martin Rees's statements, the damage and risks we are incurring on our planet and astronauts are unnecessary, and should that we should be looking toward future space travel with sustainability and the long-term future of humanity.
Furthermore, many of the questions and observations my peers stated were interesting as well. The questions of proper investment into space travel and also the parties that are affected by our travels. to me, it all boils down to a question of economics and ethics. Should we be okay with sacrificing the lives of a few for a potentially positive future, and is it worth the funding? Of course, spending money on Space travel is better than war, but we could also be spending the money on our own planet rather than trying to run from it.
If I were the interviewer I would ask Lord Martin Rees if he believes that space travel should be our first priority right now. Would it not be more beneficial to focus on saving the planet that we live on currently, investing in global warming and other safety measures? Also to counter the potential argument of developing new technology based on research on different planets, I ask is that gamble worth it when we are already on the brink of environmental destruction in the next century?
I totally agree with your point! My comment also touched on the prioritization of space travel. While I think it is important to further scientific pursuits, our society has more pressing issues. Sending billionaires like Elon Musk to Mars should not take priority over solving the climate crisis, as this puts one man over the interests of over eight billion people. Though Lord Martin Rees acknowledges the climate crisis, he does not discuss the nuances of space exploration and its consequences in the way you outlined above.