I need to have a rant! With much fanfare it’s recently been announced that NASA is to begin more exploration of Mars. You can see some images of this planet here:
Now that you’ve undoubtedly been wowed by those images think of some earthly places you’ve seen. Just in Australia I’ve seen tropical rainforests, snow covered mountains, stony deserts, amazing coral reefs and beaches with kilometres of golden sands. I’ve seen giant Eucalyptus trees, tiny orchids and wonderful little insectivorous Sundews.
In my backyard I’ve seen Springtails so tiny you’d fit a dozen on a pinhead, absolutely beautiful rainbow coloured beetles and an hours drive away giant Southern Right Whales playing with their young off Middleton Beach.
Earth is home to millions of different species of plants and animals BUT the species which claims to be the cleverest is the one fouling it for everything else. People have caused the creation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch but it’s apparently “too difficult and too expensive” to clean it up. Not as expensive though as a little trip to Mars!
One country is prepared to spend over $2.47 billion on an expedition to Mars, a planet that to me is less appealing than the most inhospitable place on Earth I’ve ever been. I wish that the billions being spent on nuclear weapons and space exploration was instead used to remediate the damage done to this incredible planet we live on now.
Musings of a Retiring Person 
couldnt agree more. I despair for our world.
And now NASA is spending $1.5 billion on exploration of the sun!
Poor Mars! Hope humans stay away. Nothing is ever improved by having us explore it!
And even worse than exploring places is the apparent need to claim any place that seems worthwhile.
Way to much money spent with results we cannot predict.
One look at the images and it’s obvious that Earth is paradise compared with any other planets so far discovered!