Mars isn’t a short term solution. The best we’ve had so far is a human in space for a year and he said it was hell. I can’t imagine mars would be any different, it will take a gigantic effort to construct a colony that is better than a climate-change-destroyed earth.

Not saying we won’t manage it eventually, I just don’t think it’s very likely in Elon Musks lifetime. Perhaps he should start with building a mars colony... here on Earth first. Some kind of habitat dome thing perhaps.

That more impressive that he has started with something that may not pay off in his lifetime, but be vital for future generations down the road.

I agree. It takes a lot to create something that you know you likely won't see the fruits of. Its certainly a great thing to strive and work towards, but many people seem to think he'll have us on Mars in a decade such that we can just trash the earth because we won't need it anymore.