All of Ofir's Comments + Replies
You neglect to mention that with a time preference discount rate high enough, the past counts disproportionately more than the future. As they say, "Tutankhamun was a billion times more important than you".
The Current figure estimated by GiveWell is $3,500 per life saved:
http://www.givewell.org/charities/against-malaria-foundation#Cost_per_life_saved
Wire-heading chickens as an EA cause area
Importance
It is well established that farm animal suffering is one of the largest moral disasters of our time, because of its negative moral value and scale (stemming from low costs).
We see these as an opportunity and call to action. By the same token, we can, with reasonable cost, raise a huge number of chickens who are wire-headed (using electrodes or chicken heroin) to believe they have the most wonderful life imaginable. This positive moral value can far outweigh the positive moral value of flourishing of human ... (read more)