Earth would be a much less interesting place without its full complement of species, but there are also significant economic and cultural reasons for prioritizing species conservation. There are numerous examples in both categories, but the American Bald Eagle is a good example of a cultural icon that was almost lost from much of its range due to pesticide poisoning. Wildlife viewing generates enormous economic benefits worldwide. For example, in the USA $34 billion per year (USFWS, 2007) alone was spent on nature-related products and services. Species provide a vast array of ecological services, including pest control, pollination, medicine, ocean health, etc that equates to enormous financial benefits.
via www.zeroextinction.org
I came across this purpose statement from the Alliance for Zero Extinction while reading a story about the imperiled Golden Poison Frog (the deadliest animal on earth...cue eerie music)--but then I lost the link to the story I was reading, crud. To make up for my lack of organization, I included a picture of the frog to the right.
Did you know that the tiny Golden Poison Frog has enough poison to kill 10 humans within minutes?
Did you know the human head weighs eight pounds, Jerry?
I know I am a crass, unsubtle, economist, but my initial reaction to any statement about the enormous benefits of, well, whatever, is, "but what about the cost?"
