Life on Earth started elsewhere?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24488604

Of course the idea that life was carried to Earth from somewhere "out there" is not a new idea. But it seems to be gaining traction these days. Why? Could it be because scientists are finally starting to secretly admit to themselves that they can't figure out how life could have arisen on Earth, or how there is so much water on Earth, so they're ready to embrace and promulgate the idea that it came from space? Pushing life's origins to a more distant location, one that isn't yet easily accessible, tremendously lessens the pressure to figure out how it could all have begun on Earth. You know, "Life came from somewhere else, so we don't need to figure out its Earthly origins any more. And we can't carry out direct research on alien worlds yet, so we'll just postpone figuring out life's ultimate origins." Very convenient.

The only problem is, pushing the origin of life on Earth into space still doesn't explain how life would have arisen elsewhere. The question still remains. But it enables scientists to smugly say, "How did life first arise on Earth? It didn't. It came from space." And then they can leave it at that, because they have now explained the origins of life on Earth.

All they're doing is sweeping the dust under the rug and hoping nobody notices the lump in the rug.