Words: 672
Is the space race really worth it? In a world embroiled in endless problems, starting from rising food and oil prices, poverty, hunger, illiteracy, high infant mortality rate, terrorism to the threat of global warming and climate change, one may question the significance of the world beyond ours. In a state of global political and social instability, is the space race really worth it? Taking into account the 8 millennium development goals, projected to be achieved by 2030 instead of 2015, and the prosperity the achievement of these goals will bring about, the space race does not seem superficial to it.
The importance of human lives is irreplaceable. Thus, striving to locate extra terrestrial life forms is not worth the effort; especially when every 3. 6 seconds a person dies of poverty and hunger. With 72 million children being deprived the right of education and a prevalent 75% poverty, only in Africa, the advantages of space advancement appear not to be advantages rather wasted expenditure on the part of countries. The under developed nations where people can not enjoy basic commodities such as food, health and sanitation, are completely deprived off the benefits of space technology.
This aids in widening the pre-existent gap between the underdeveloped and developed world in terms of advancement. The goal of halving the population of underweight children will be missed by 30 million due to slow progress in Africa and Asia. So does the rat race of acquiring advancements in space technology seem superficial to the intelligent minds of today? Has the sense of universal brotherhood and fraternity been lost upon those living in better conditions? Political disorder has brought the economic condition of countries to a stand still.
The tainted picture is further disembodied by the sky high prices of food and oil. Furthermore, the absence of civil liberties in countries such as Burma and Pakistan forms impenetrable ozone of tension and anxiety. People are not only being subjected to the hazards of dictatorship and military rule, but are also forced to learn the art of living amidst an economic standstill. Prosperity can not be attained while there is devoid of job vacancies. Hunger can not be fought if the food prices keep rising.
Unemployment will prevail due to the draught in job vacancies. The world will lapse into a state of utter turmoil if these issues are not dealt with. Financial and technical assistance needs to be given to those who deserve it. Rather than running the marathon of space advancements, which are greatly exhausting the financial and physical resources of countries, help should be extended to those deserving it. Keeping in view that 81% of the global population is unable to enjoy even the basic necessities of life; do we really find the space race worth it?
The world we live in is plagued with endless complexities. Apart from the tradition poverty, hunger and unemployment, we face newer challenges. Global warming poses the threat of the destruction of this world if measures are not taken to stop the thinning of ozone. If the world we are currently living in is under the umbrella of such a disastrous threat, can we really find any reason to penetrate in to the space rather than using our resources in combating this epidemic? U. S the biggest producer of greenhouse gases is spending billions on its space program.
But what benefit would that be to the lay man who does not even have a decent job to support his family? In a nutshell, one can not deny the advantages of space technology yet the primary concern at the moment is achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The rat race of acquiring advancement in the field of space technology is not worth all the finances and hype, while the world is suffering immense loses due to the pre existing epidemics. Thus, it is mandatory to solve the problems at home first. It is vital to protect our home, before running in the marathon of, “the space race”