My sentiment or lament is not a false dichotomy. I didn’t present it as only two options. It’s more that most act like there’s only one option. Of course we can do both, but we don’t. In fact, we are actively harming the ocean.

> Not to mention that innovations derived from space exploration do end up in applications here on earth.

That’s part of the bias towards space. Plenty of innovations derived from other large technological developments and projects end up in unanticipated applications. This effect is not unique to space technology development and is not necessarily a strong argument for its funding. A huge swath of modern technology comes from defense spending. Should we increase the defense budget?

Again, my comment was more of a lament in the way treat and view the ocean.