Shouldn't we embark on an 'Expedition to Planet Earth?'?

Question

If robotic spacecraft on Mars discovered life and sent accounts back of an estimated 10% of the species, Americans would gladly spend billions to find and classify the remaining 90%.

Yet here on Earth, less than 10% of the life forms are known to science. Fewer than 1%have been studied beyond a basic anatomical description, and a few notes on natural history.

Aren't we a bit slow in fully exploring the home planet?

Answer 1

no.. we knw a lot more about them... 99.9% of species are extinct and fossils are rare... tell me how we study all of them or just admit that it was time to move to the next planet, which is mars... where they know has ice=water= important for life....

Answer 2

Most of the undiscovered species are variations of beetles or other insects living in small ranges in distant forests.  I would rather put my money on exploring Mars since government funding is needed for space exploration IMO but is a black hole when used for general science.  That said, I would love it if universities put more effort in discovering Planet Earth.  I don't think tax payers need to pay for it, however.