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Suppose we lived in a universe with a limited amount of food. Every time you make food, there is slightly less food available in the future. (It is kind of a

by ohyes 16y ago

Suppose we lived in a universe with a limited amount of food. Every time you make food, there is slightly less food available in the future. (It is kind of a function where some of it gets replaced, but not all of it, so as you proceed, the function approaches an infinitesimal number). At what point on that timeline does the finiteness of the food outweigh the cost of a tupper-ware? It seems that the answer would be right at the beginning, because the sooner we start conserving the food, the longer we would be able to sustain our supply. If I had $1 million for the tupperware, I would pay it, because it is a matter of longterm survival vs. money.

jessriedel 16y ago
> If I had $1 million for the tupperware, I would pay it, because it is a matter of longterm survival vs. money. No you wouldn't. You could have eaten gruel today for breakfast, but you didn't. Unless you're really going to bite that bullet (that survival is the only morally valuable thing, so no one is allowed any non-survival-promoting fun) then you need to allow that other things, like happiness, are important. In particular, you need to allow for people to sacrifice some future survival (i.e. waste) for some happiness in some cases. How would you determine when this is OK? A cost-benefit analysis...
- ohyes 16y ago
  If I had data that told me we were running out of food, come hell or high water, I'd find some way to conserve it. I had strawberry yogurt for breakfast. I had it because it tastes good, and is relatively good for me. I could have gone with the cheap plain yogurt, but instead I had the slightly tastier more expensive stuff, on the chance that it is actually healthier and tastier. But the morality of my breakfast isn't at question here. (I could be totally amoral and still make a good argument for what should be done). I never said there wasn't an element of cost-benefit analysis, I said that it (waste specifically) wasn't a purely economic cost-benefit analysis (which is what was argued initially). It seems that you are agreeing with me, as you have 'allowed' for other things like 'happiness'. (Which would be an emotional cost-benefit analysis). It makes me happy to think that future generations will be able to enjoy the things that I enjoy currently. Glad to have changed your mind. Please Recycle.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]

by ohyes 16y ago

jessriedel 16y ago

> If I had $1 million for the tupperware, I would pay it, because it is a matter of longterm survival vs. money. No you wouldn't. You could have eaten gruel today for breakfast, but you didn't. Unless you're really going to bite that bullet (that survival is the only morally valuable thing, so no one is allowed any non-survival-promoting fun) then you need to allow that other things, like happiness, are important. In particular, you need to allow for people to sacrifice some future survival (i.e. waste) for some happiness in some cases. How would you determine when this is OK? A cost-benefit analysis...

ohyes 16y ago
If I had data that told me we were running out of food, come hell or high water, I'd find some way to conserve it. I had strawberry yogurt for breakfast. I had it because it tastes good, and is relatively good for me. I could have gone with the cheap plain yogurt, but instead I had the slightly tastier more expensive stuff, on the chance that it is actually healthier and tastier. But the morality of my breakfast isn't at question here. (I could be totally amoral and still make a good argument for what should be done). I never said there wasn't an element of cost-benefit analysis, I said that it (waste specifically) wasn't a purely economic cost-benefit analysis (which is what was argued initially). It seems that you are agreeing with me, as you have 'allowed' for other things like 'happiness'. (Which would be an emotional cost-benefit analysis). It makes me happy to think that future generations will be able to enjoy the things that I enjoy currently. Glad to have changed your mind. Please Recycle.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]