drought and extraterrestrials

At the same time that serious scientists are pointing to the risk of a prolonged drought in the Southwest and Central Plains states here in the U.S., other (I guess they're serious) scientists are suggesting the human race get off its duff and send messages to what may be aliens in outer space.

A mega-drought would mean that even Republicans might run short of food and water so perhaps a denial of climate change deserves to be revisited.

I once heard the scientist and prolific writer Isaac Asimov say that he doubted there was 'intelligent' life elsewhere in the universe but that if it did exist, it was conceivable that it would exist in a form outside human comprehension ... something like "rivers of thought," he said.

Who is it who imagines that making new friends (if friends they turn out to be) makes much sense when the human race seems incapable of making friends with itself?