To boldly go is a luxury I don't believe we can afford.

Can we afford not to look for alternatives to our present destructive behaviour? You are looking at short term solutions rather than the survival of the species. What matter if we save some people today if we lose the entire planet tomorrow? The technology being developed in this type of venture does not just send us into space but could well provide solutions for bigger problems than the ones you mention.

In my opinion.

DtG