Recycling nutrients for space travel is essential. Astronauts already drink water that is extracting from human urine. Extracting proteins and lipids from human waste could be just as important.

This is a common logical fallacy. We don't incarcerate people for stealing $0.50 candy bars to prevent the theft of further $0.50 candy bars. We do it to preserve the rule of law in our society. Consider the crime of perjury in federal court. No one is losing money when perjury is committed. But the government is willing to spend millions of dollars prosecuting perjury none-the-less. The reason is the same, to preserve the integrity of our legal system. So yes, stealing one or two towels isn't the end of the world. But we still prosecute it because theft is bad, and not punishing thieves only encourages widespread theft.

A lot of people talk big on Nuclear Energy as a solution to our energy needs, but when it comes to actually deciding where to build the reactor, or where to put the waste, no one wants any part of it. I don't see any cities or counties volunteering to house a Nuclear power plant or nuclear waste any time soon...