I'll take both, please!

This is an old and tired viewpoint, that space is just a huge waste of resources that could be applied to more down to Earth (haha) needs. It's usually used when discussing poverty, though.

For the current climate emergency, it's factually wrong, without even getting into philosophy. Two words: artificial satellites. Without them we would be unable to track deforestation, thinning ice sheets, atmospheric composition, surface temperature, all of which are absolutely critical in understanding climate change and monitoring our impact.

And while the rockets that have placed these satellites in orbit are not capable of sending humanity to other worlds, I'm sure that the people that design them would love for that to be the case.