Do you think Apollo was a "waste"? Say goodbye to scratch-resistant lenses, freeze-dried food, athletic shoes, CAT scans, MRIs, cool suits, cordless power tools, transistors, and a host of other technologies, some of which are listed here.
In terms of energy for Earth, you might be more interested in the potential to be had on the Moon. Someone in this thread mentioned the possibility of Helium-3 mining, which is a terrific energy source. Also look to orbiting solar collectors, which beam electricity to Earth via microwaves. But that's not germane to the question of colonizing Mars.
Trying to find microbes on Mars really does`nt seem to have useful purpose.
You don't think knowing whether life on Earth is unique in the solar system (let alone the universe) is "useful"? Granted, it doesn't put food on anybody's table, but you yourself mentioned the profound theological implications. Isn't it better that such truths be proven, even if they have bad implications for your own religion? (And I'm not sure that would be the case...)
Many of the same scientists that are behind this say we will destroy life here within the next century.
Well if all life "here" (Earth) will be destroyed, all the more reason to get some (human) life in other places! (I'm being partially facetious; I don't subscribe to the idea that we'll destroy the Earth, but I think there's at least a slight chance that an asteroid or some other natural phenomenon might do the job for us, and that slight chance alone is reason enough to spread ourselves out.)
This is no where near a time needed to solve all the problems of trying to populate any solar body. For this reason I think a lot of this is pushed in academia for the purpose of diverting resources that could be better spent on our current protection, missile defense etc.
The problems are being solved without the government's intervention; it's a question of implementation. Given the way our government's budgeting process works, it's not like a dollar not spent on Mars will be spent on ABM systems; that is almost certainly not the motive for scientists to push Mars (or Moon) exploration. There are a bunch of good reasons to do so, which hopefully I've mentioned in this thread, not least of which is the fact that if we don't we condemn our species to die on this single, fragile, planet, if not tomorrow, then sometime in the far future. Either way, I don't want to see us leave this universe.
I have a belief as to the uniqueness of life hear on Earth.You`re correct this is a religious matter but setting that aside if we are not unique in the solar system or universe what does it really matter.Would proving that be justification for the expense of doing it.Our lives and outcome will not be changed just by knowing this.If hostilities are feared all I can say is I try not to worry to much about things that I have no control over.
There is a scientific agenda that has nothing to do with science and a lot to do with undermining the US.I do not wish to speak ill of the dead,but I remember Carl Sagan saying once that it was his dream for a new year(I don`t remember which one)that the defense budget be used to fund trying to land a man on Mars.
This was the scientist whose name was used to validate various ideas like a nuclear freeze and a nuclear winter.He had a leftist agenda and used "science"to vindicate it.
With that, this has been fun and as said before we all need to agree to disagree.Hope no feelings were hurt.Thanks.