> Long term financial benefits These are unknowable at these scales and levels of complexity. Such lack of imagination shouldn't be an obstacle to starting any

> Long term financial benefits These are unknowable at these scales and levels of complexity. Such lack of imagination shouldn't be an obstacle to starting anyway. Some things are self-evidently "gonna be great". I am fascinated by the era of National Projects, like Apollo and the Hoover (Boulder) dam. What we need in this world right now (other than love sweet love) is a massive feel-good project. 7bn is piffling small change in the context of projects like Apollo (the US Moon landings). What we now understand about the "space race" in its cold-war context is that it was more about pride, signalling achievement and willpower than any actual strategic significance. Stuff you do "because you can". William James penned "The Moral Equivalent of War" (which president Carter riffed on) in an era when there was so much less cynicism, disaffection, resignation and apathy, and when grand projects were something people got excited about, and got behind instead of shrugging "who will pay for it?" Instead of seeing this as a chore, and arguing about whose garbage it is, a smart political leader would see an opportunity. America (or whatever coalition gets there first) might re-invent herself as the "responsible citizen" of the Earth. There are good, and unexpected things that happen to wealth when stepping up and becoming the "moral leader".