"Boca Chica, on the Gulf of Mexico in Texas, provides habitat for a rich diversity of wildlife, including endangered species like ocelots, piping plovers and aplomado falcons. It's one of the few places where Kemp's ridley sea turtles — the most critically endangered sea turtles on the planet — come ashore to nest."
"Boca Chica sits at the intersection of the Rio Grande, the region’s largest river, and the
Laguna Madre, the world’s largest hypersaline bay system, which creates a habitat mosaic of expansive wetlands, coastal prairies,
Tamaulipan thornscrub, barrier island dune grasslands, wind-tidal flats and Gulf beaches. It is also home to federally endangered species including piping plovers, red knots,
sea turtles and occasional
ocelots. The
lower Laguna Madre is also vital habitat for migrating shorebirds and wintering raptors. "
When you look at the map of Starbase, you can see that it's clearly surrounded by a State Park, a Widlife Refuge, and a Wildlife Management Area, all of which were there long before Starbase. Looks like Musk and team picked the area for its launch properties (closer to the equator), not because it's location would cause less environmental impact.
Maybe before we start spreading to other planets we should show that we're committed to protecting the environment on our current planet.