Earth as Hospice (Cynical Thoughts on Climate Change)

Should we care about anthropogenic global warming at all? I lean toward no, for at least the following reasons:

(1) nothing is going to change because of the multinational collective action problems involved, compounded by fossil fuel industry's considerable wealth (which enables it to distort governmental agendas through lobbying or outright corruption, and to influence public perception through propaganda or industry-friendly "research"), compounded by human selfishness, stupidity, and/or inability to properly assess (i.e., weigh) future risks; and

(2) the extinction of life (human or otherwise) on Earth makes no difference no me, either morally or practically, in part but not entirely because I will not have any offspring.

The countervailing moral consideration is the deleterious impact that climate change will likely have on already existing lifeforms (particularly human) on the planet,¹ but see consideration (1) above and consider, given limited amounts of time, material resources, and mental capacity available to be devoted to various social problems, the cost-benefit ratio of environmentalism versus other causes.

Bottom line (in soundbite form): I consider the planet a giant hospice; our goal should be to make the death of the patient as painless as possible, rather than to extend its life (which is, however unfortunately, a fruitless endeavor).² Please note, I am quite willing to be talked out of this rather cynical position.

[FN1] Interesting question(s) raised by the above: Is it theoretically coherent to believe that currently existing life has some moral currency if one believes that life in general does not? If so, does that call into question whether one should favor certain currently existing lifeforms (i.e., humans) over others in his or her ethical calculations?

[FN2] Just as cancer could conceivably be cured tomorrow, it is possible that cold fusion or clean carbon (or whatever) could be developed before the planet is toast. If so, then great, but I am not going to make a case for action or inaction based upon some generalized faith in technological progress.