Environmental issues such as climate change and pollution are one of the biggest problems that humanity faces today. There is evidence to suggest that it might be classed as an existential threat to our species. As such, there are some who believe that abandoning this planet and finding a new one is the only way to ensure the survival of our species. While there is merit to this argument, I disagree with the assumption that our planet is beyond saving.
Over the past 200 years, we have seen humanity advance at an alarming rate in almost every aspect of our lives. Our great capability of designing sustainable solutions to any problem at hand has improved at an exponential rate. This however, has produced quite a few brypoducts, many of which harm our environment and our climate to the point where now, our planet may not be sustainable for much longer if we continue down this path. But the upliftiing part of this story, is that time and time again, we have proved that we can overcome obstacles that we previously never thought possible. Therein lies the first part of my agrument against leaving this great planet, which is that we can find the solution we need here if we put our collective effort into it.
Secondly, there is the matter of the futility of finding another planet out there that can sustain life and the short time frame that we have to contend with to find it. These environmental issues that we have got at this moment have not just accumulated over time, they halve also increased exponentially. This suggests that we might not have adequate time left to find other planets out there for us, let alone design the means to get us there. And despite the best efforts of Elon Musk and Space X, we are still a long way away from achieving the capability of sustainable space travel.
In the end, as understandable as the need to find a new home for humanity is, there exists no feasable plan to do so. As such, I believe our energy and resources are better spent at finding long lasting solutions to our current predicament and taking better care of the planet we call home.