Interstellar Flight: Perspectives and Patience

The comment by Benjamin Stockton on the article page is spot-on:

>I just wonder if humanity’s adventurous nature is leading us away from a proper focus on the sustainability of our civilization, our specie, and our fragile planetary environment?

But we still need spaceflight at least for planetary defense against asteroids, mining asteroids(so we don't have to mine Earth), etc.

What resources are on asteroids that justify the energy expenditure to get from space and back? Can't be many of them...

"What resources are on asteroids that justify the energy expenditure to get from space and back? Can't be many of them..."

I suggest re-framing the the question as the cost of preserving the objectively limited and to the best of our knowledge singularly unique in the Universe resource, which is the surface of Earth.

Acquiring resources that do not deplete or spoil the future of life on this planet should be in everyone's best interest.