Help save planetary exploration

[greatspaceadventure]

I've noticed some people keep pointing out that we need to focus on what is going on here on earth as opposed to "fancy, future space travel". as an avid cosmonautical fanatic, I have to say that the concept of colonizing space is not mutually exclusive from bettering life on earth. there are many things to discover from terraforming mars, from the fact that remains of water were found there to the fact that it doesn't have an atmosphere, which reflects a possible direction earth may be headed towards in the near future (near, here, used as a relative term).

obviously I'm not saying FORGET EARTH LET'S JUST GO ON SPACE ADVENTURES AND SHIT but, you know, why can't we instigate advancement as a species both through terral and spacial progress?