Space exploration has become increasingly popular due to the contributions of SpaceX and NASA. People are divided as to whether governments should allocate more money to these missions, while others believe we should focus on solving problems occurring on Earth. While I recognize the importance of space expeditions for developing a backup plan and gaining new knowledge, I believe that focusing on issues like soil degradation and deforestation should be prioritized first.
To begin with, there are several reasons why it is important to explore outer space. For one, having a plan B could save humanity in the event of catastrophic disasters, including a nuclear war. The destruction of Japanese cities during the first use of these weapons shows that future conflicts could be even more devastating. Additionally, searching for other planets expands our understanding of the universe, helping us learn about the formation of planets, galaxies, atmospheres, and potentially even life on other worlds. This knowledge could lead to technological advancements and new scientific breakthroughs, which might foster human civilization in the long run.
Despite these benefits of spending money with the intention of searching for life on other planets, I believe the funds should be invested in problems that are facing Earth. The primary reason why this should be taken into account is that the soil we use today for several purposes, particularly for food production, has begun losing its fertility over the years. More specifically, over 40% of the land is no longer suitable for use, meaning this can shorten the food manufacturing. Only Americans themselves, for example, consume over a quarter food in comparison to entire world, meaning as population continue to grow, we need another method to come up, which require huge amount of money. Not only that, but deforestation is one of the problems we must deal with. This is because forests have been neglected, and instead of cutting down trees for industrial purposes, we should conserve them, as they have a significant impact on the food chain. Taking care of these forests can be time-consuming and requires a large amount of funding.
In conclusion, although space research might offer some opportunities, I still hold the view that we should prioritize the issues such as soil degradation and forest loss.