1. Yes we bury it, if the toxic waste will cause an existential catastrophe.. If it does not, then the answer is no. The 100 people we save today have a moral responsibility toward the thousands who will suffer in 200 years. Additionally, we have certainty about the 100 lives today, but only an estimate about the thousands in the future, a massive risk that cannot be ignored. Ultimately, when lives are at stake, no choice feels morally comfortable. This is a dilemma I would never wish to face.
2. I would have been less excited about the donation if my intention was to save a life in those five years. However, I would still make the donation because my commitment is to save a life, regardless of when that happens. A life today is just as valuable as a life in 10 or even 100 years.
1. Yes we bury it, if the toxic waste will cause an existential catastrophe.. If it does not, then the answer is no. The 100 people we save today have a moral responsibility toward the thousands who will suffer in 200 years. Additionally, we have certainty about the 100 lives today, but only an estimate about the thousands in the future, a massive risk that cannot be ignored. Ultimately, when lives are at stake, no choice feels morally comfortable. This is a dilemma I would never wish to face.
2. I would have been less excited about the donation if my intention was to save a life in those five years. However, I would still make the donation because my commitment is to save a life, regardless of when that happens. A life today is just as valuable as a life in 10 or even 100 years.