Because society is built upon the concept of money, the first and most important advantage of biodiversity is economic. Commercial, agricultural and pharmaceutical value can be derived from greater biodiversity. Indeed, increased biodiversity in rainforests is beneficial, because it derives a greater likelihood for the discovery of life-saving products. Critics might however argue that the likelihood of this is not very significant, and the process of "bioprospecting" for the purpose of conservation does not compare well in terms of costs and benefits. The prospect of benefits is somewhat small and unlikely in terms of the cost incurred. Another economic possibility Atkinson addresses is the possibility of ecotourism. This is a somewhat better prospect in terms of money that tourists are willing to invest in seeing animals in their natural habitats.

In conclusion, I do not think that biodiversity is overprotected, if one is to understand the term quite literally. On...
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