Stephen Hawking is a Crazy Eddie

Discovery News on YouTube has the story in Hawking: We Need to Leave Earth.

Renowned scientist Stephen Hawking says we have 1000 years left on Earth before all the planet's resources will be used up. Laci looks at the problems we'll face and Hawking's solution to saving humanity.

Dr. Hawking expresses the ultimate reason why I support space exploration.  Not only is it a sign of an advancing technological civilization, it's a way to avoid collapse altogether.  There are worse consequences from the archetypal science-fiction tragic plot of withdrawing from space than mere loss of technological superiority.  It could ultimately lead to extinction.