What Is Our Duty to Future Generations?

LOCATION & DAY: Johnny Pistolas in Adams Morgan on Wednesday. We will meet on the 1st floor by the back bar area.
The purpose of Thinkers and Drinkers is to facilitate casual but meaningful and interesting conversations with other people in a face-to-face setting. The topics cover a wide variety of issues and are different for every meeting. While conversations may get heated at times, we ask that all members be respectful of each other and refrain from personal insults.

Note: Please try to arrive on time, so we can start not long after 7 PM. (Also, happy hour ends at 7:30).

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Topic: What is our Duty to Future Generations?

For a variety of issues, many people believe we have a moral obligation to make the world a better place for future generations. When asked about this, people SAY they want change to reflect their concerns, yet rarely does this change manifest. Climate change continues to accelerate, the national debt continues to rise, and little has been done to address existential risks like AI.

Is all the talk of "For future generations" and "Saving the planet" just moral posturing? Are there systematic problems with implementing needed change in society? Does long-term planning clash with short-term political cycles, market incentives, and our own attention spans?

Other questions to consider:
- Do we have a moral obligation in the first place?
- How much should one sacrifice for future generations?
- Is the obligation a personal responsibility? (Up to the individual to recycle)
- Were previous generations better at upholding this moral obligation?
- Are future lives worth less than current ones?

Polls and Surveys

• A 2023 Aspen Institute survey found that 74% of Americans believe we have a moral obligation to address climate change, not just for our own children, but for all future children.
• A Peterson Foundation poll in 2025 showed 84% of voters think stabilizing the national debt should be a top congressional priority, with 77% saying any budget bill should reduce the deficit, reflecting broad concern about long-term fiscal sustainability.
• Global UN polling found that nearly 70% of respondents were willing to sacrifice a portion of their income for climate action, and 89% wanted stronger long-term commitments from political leaders.
• Among young people in the U.S., over 80% say they worry about climate change’s impact on their future, and many say it’s affecting their life plans—whether to have children, what careers to pursue, and where to live.