Whether you are intrinsic or anthropocentric, we are affecting nature, and whether or not you think that nature only has a value if it affects us (a good or bad value) and nature is affecting us. Ex.) Vultures were declining because they were eating the carrion of cows who had been drugged so as to ward against inflammation. And now since a cow carcasses can't be consumed by a vulture carcass, wild dogs at the free, rotting meat which has created a boom in their population and as such, the huge number of rabid dogs have started to attack humans. Can you imagine that, as you pet you docile, if not a little jumpy or lazy, dog who licks you finger in sweet, innocent animal affection? Can you imagine be attacked by a savage dog?
Before we charge into a green forest to save the day, you need to do some research. Just because there's a lot of green stuff, doesn't mean there's a lot of biodiversity to be had, at least among the animal category. Those places are referred to as "hot spots" and tend to be where the nature reserves are. That's all fine and dandy, but if you are intrinsic, your beliefs are that that humans are part of nature, too, so if you had to barricade a section of land that locals depend on for their livelihood that means those locals are sunk. And if you are anthropocentric, those locals export medicines, furniture, food, etc. Enough said. But the ecosystem services strategy saves the endangered ecosystems that humans depended on without impairing the locals' life-stlye and, sub-sequently, yours.
And just because there aren't graceful, defenseless butterflies fluttering around; cute, fuzzy monkeys eating yellow bananas; or crystal-clear oceans lapping a pristine, sandy beach or dazzling blue waterfalls cascading into a pond with koi swimming around in it with the dense, rich brown of the bark of trees growing up to the heavens and stretching their gloriously green leaves and tendrils like fingers to the sky, doesn't mean it is of no use. Ex.) the mangroves. Let's all face facts, when you're honey-mooning, you are gonna choose the beaches of the Caribbean or the forests of Japan vs. the mangroves. I don't exactly see any sweet butterflies flying there: I see swarms of mosquitos coming to suck the blood out of me 'til I am bone-dry (THAT'S MORE OF A VAMPIRE THAN YOUR STUPID, VEGETARIAN VAMPS, MS. MEYER!), the monkeys there screech like banshees, the water is brown like sludge and under its murky depths lie snakes, piranhas * though they won't attack you, they are scavengers *, and deadly diseases. But it does have some attributes, it saves the people living there from hurricanes and tsunamis (believe me, the people in our village we were saving in our disaster simulation were thankful for our mangroves).
So let's say you care not a whit about the hot, muggy mangroves and that so long as you get your picture-perfect Caribbean honey-moon, it's all the same to you. Well, you know those amazing corals you are supposed to see? Sorry, but they are brown and dying. This is caused by the winds that blew sand over from Africa and deposited it in the very waters you are swimming, chocking the corals. 70% of rare fish live in corals and with dead corals, no rare fishies. Or no fishies at all since, either directly or indirectly, depend upon the corals. I suppose it would still be picture-perfect (if you're looking at pictures of a nature morgue).
But since you are too devastated by your now-ruined Caribbean honey-moon, you're offering you an alternative that may just yet save your pathetic vacation. Governments are taking money from visiting your vacation site and contributing that money to saving environments and protecting biodiversity. So hope on the band-wagon! More and more people are supporting organizations devoted to saving the world. Organizations are working to save hot-spots, life-raft ecosystems, and the ecosystem services strategy to save the world. But they don't have all the money. The money comes from you (or vicariously, through you by medium of your honey-moon. . . .) but it's not just your money. It's you time and effort that is need, as well. " Conservation will only become truly global and widely supported when people are central to its mission." You are being called to further our cause. Will you answer?
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