Ever since humans existed on our planet, they have constantly pursued their sense of wonder. They discovered where they lived, where they did not live, closer, farther, mountains, oceans, in short, everything. However, after a while, this started to seem insufficient to them. Now they are curious about the deepest of the oceans and the top of space. Of course, the desire to discover something is not the only reason for this curiosity. Where can humanity go if the Earth, the planet we live on now, turns into a place where survival is no longer possible? People started to resort to different ways because they were afraid of the uncertainty of the answer to this question. Some are fighting against climate change, while others are struggling to establish colonies on more distant planets. So, which makes more sense: fleeing our home Earth, or trying to restore it?
Simply put, who are the causes of climate change? I think the most obvious answer is “people”. So, what do most people prefer to do when they make a mistake? Putting all the blame on someone or something, or correcting their mistake? The best thing to do is to correct our mistakes. If that’s how we think, why there are people who prefer to leave our mistakes behind and flee our planet? Maybe they prefer this option because they think it’s easier, but I think it’s a point of dilemma. Let’s think about what we will lose if we leave the planet we live on. Our millions of years of history, our diverse culture, and many more… Losing these may mean losing our humanity at some point. But from one point of view, a small price may have to be paid for salvation.
Does a person know more about the past or the future? In my point of view, the answer must be past. We cannot be expected to know about something that we have not experienced. If it is clear that the past is more known than the future, why risk ourselves for an uncertain future? Tackling climate change is something anyone can do. Moreover, if we become successful our future will be clearer. Let us now return to the subject of “escape” from our planet. If we look at today’s technology and its prevalence, it is impossible to say that all humanity has enough knowledge about space. How can we take all humanity into space in such a situation? Assuming we succeed, of course, building a life on a new planet will not be as easy as in the movies. At this point, which option is more practical is being discussed again.
As I just mentioned, there are people who support both views. Of course, both views make sense at different points. However, I don’t think it is possible enough to establish a colony in space with today’s technology. Even if a colony was built, the idea of all humanity moving there makes no sense. Wouldn’t it be better if instead we realized the value of what we have and strived to save them? In short, if we manage to protect our current planet, we will be able to protect not only it but also our past and future. And of course, the most important thing to achieve this is human effort. Just as Robert Swan said: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”