Biodiversity is not necessarily beneficial, so it should not justify the de-extinction of animals.

Question

Answer

Pro: Diversity of some species, like viruses, is not always beneficial for human health.

Answer

Con: Preserving biodiversity helps regulate climate systems, which benefits all ecosystems.

Answer

Pro: Increasing biodiversity for the sake of it may damage a natural environment. For example, building a zoo in the Sahara Desert would increase the number of different species, but would destroy much of the desert.

Answer

Con: Ecosystems are the sum of the natural environment and biodiversity. If biodiversity is not relatively stable, then ecosystems can collapse. Because humans depend on ecosystems, ecosystem collapse can be disastrous for human life.

Could the de-extinction of certain species help the environment?

Biodiversity is not necessarily beneficial, so it should not justify the de-extinction of animals.

Pros

Cons

Diversity of some species, like viruses, is not always beneficial for human health.

Increasing biodiversity for the sake of it may damage a natural environment. For example, building a zoo in the Sahara Desert would increase the number of different species, but would destroy much of the desert.

Preserving biodiversity helps regulate climate systems, which benefits all ecosystems.

Ecosystems are the sum of the natural environment and biodiversity. If biodiversity is not relatively stable, then ecosystems can collapse. Because humans depend on ecosystems, ecosystem collapse can be disastrous for human life.

Selected claim, opposing its parent

Biodiversity is not necessarily beneficial, so it should not justify the de-extinction of animals.

Pro claim 1, children below

Diversity of some species, like viruses, is not always beneficial for human health.

Pro claim 2

Increasing biodiversity for the sake of it may damage a natural environment. For example, building a zoo in the Sahara Desert would increase the number of different species, but would destroy much of the desert.

Con claim 1

Preserving biodiversity helps regulate climate systems, which benefits all ecosystems.

Con claim 2

Ecosystems are the sum of the natural environment and biodiversity. If biodiversity is not relatively stable, then ecosystems can collapse. Because humans depend on ecosystems, ecosystem collapse can be disastrous for human life.