Oh dear - Lass die Lasagne fliegen!
Read the article again. A lot of the things RAW and Leary wrote were purely and optimistically speculative. The technology available to them in the 1960s to 1980s provided minimal signs that any of the things they wanted to see were actually possible. How different things look now.
You need to start prefacing statements like “The energy it takes to leave this planet is so overwhelmingly” with the phrase “With current technology…”. Something new and far more sustainable could be just around the corner.
And, as Bob pointed out, optimists live longer, so you might get to see them!
