The prospect of colonization of Mars serves as a safety net against unforeseen disasters on Earth. If humanity is threatened on Earth, be it due to climate change, asteroid impact, ecological collapse, or any other tragedy, having Mars as a backup planet surely seems like a sensible plan. Though the idea of exploring and settling on a new planet seems to be a rescue to humanity, the execution will require a lot of resources and astronomical funding. These costs could be better spent addressing and tackling the pressing issues on Earth such as poverty, healthcare, climate change, and many more.

Adapting to a new city is challenging; imagine adapting to an alien planet! While colonizing the red planet may enhance human civilization in the long term, it requires immense effort and astronomical funding. Moreover, prioritizing solving the problems we have at hand on earth is more urgent and practical than investing in a distant place whose habitability for humans is currently uncertain.

“The pursuit of more is a never-ending abyss.” Even if we achieve success in inhabiting mars, our innate human nature will not let us feel that its enough. The truth is, there will always be a risk of the human civilization getting doomed, no matter where we are- earth or mars or some other planet and we just cannot run away from it. Searching for a backup is prudent, but neglecting the present in fear of the future would be a dumb move. Access to basic healthcare, drinkable water, a discrimination-free society, control of climate change and many more urgent issues on our dear blue planet are what deserve more attention than colonizing Mars at present times.