We’re working on it! A quick synopsis of the more fleshed-out argument I’m hoping to post soon on the foundational philosophy: It seems oddly universal that people to care about nature. For another it seems like the sort of scarce resource (like historical artifacts) that future humans will value. I think we will place great value on it after we reach takeoff, post-scarcity, etc. Furthermore I think that a variety of experiences existing is better than a world full of similar experiences.
A portion of the philosophical basis you are looking for was recently posted on the EA forum (it was one of the winners of the Essays on Longtermism competition!). The essay illustrates the value of “now-or-never” preservation and explores to what degree information is valuable to future generations. The essay suggests that preservation of species themselves is valuable but not practical compared to documentation. I think there are practical actions we can take to preserve species, but our second recommended intervention was biobanking for the reasoning given in the essay. The essay also touches on the concern of arbitrariness.
For context, we’ve never said that extinction is an x-risk or otherwise a top-priority cause area. But I’m a believer in big-tent EA. In my view lots of things like improving housing policy or etc are good, even if not maximally good compared to the most-important cause. I certainly don’t want to take people off of x-risk work, but I think this still falls under the Effective Altruism umbrella.
There’s lots of environmental conservation money being spent. People value something they label “nature”, and it seems good for people to get more of what they want without being confused, counterproductive, economically destructive, etc, as so much of the environmental movement is. I also think its important to work on clarifying what exactly they/we are valuing. I hope to contribute on that front as well.
We’re working on it! A quick synopsis of the more fleshed-out argument I’m hoping to post soon on the foundational philosophy: It seems oddly universal that people to care about nature. For another it seems like the sort of scarce resource (like historical artifacts) that future humans will value. I think we will place great value on it after we reach takeoff, post-scarcity, etc. Furthermore I think that a variety of experiences existing is better than a world full of similar experiences.
A portion of the philosophical basis you are looking for was recently posted on the EA forum (it was one of the winners of the Essays on Longtermism competition!). The essay illustrates the value of “now-or-never” preservation and explores to what degree information is valuable to future generations. The essay suggests that preservation of species themselves is valuable but not practical compared to documentation. I think there are practical actions we can take to preserve species, but our second recommended intervention was biobanking for the reasoning given in the essay. The essay also touches on the concern of arbitrariness.
For context, we’ve never said that extinction is an x-risk or otherwise a top-priority cause area. But I’m a believer in big-tent EA. In my view lots of things like improving housing policy or etc are good, even if not maximally good compared to the most-important cause. I certainly don’t want to take people off of x-risk work, but I think this still falls under the Effective Altruism umbrella.
There’s lots of environmental conservation money being spent. People value something they label “nature”, and it seems good for people to get more of what they want without being confused, counterproductive, economically destructive, etc, as so much of the environmental movement is. I also think its important to work on clarifying what exactly they/we are valuing. I hope to contribute on that front as well.
So, yes, very important, and we’re working on it!