The Conservation Conundrum: How Do We Decide Which Species to Save?

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The Wall Street Journal

Technology

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 16 September 2022

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From “save the whales” to “protect the bumblebee,” animal conservationists rally advocates and officials to put resources toward ensuring the survival of a threatened species. But can we really save them all? Or are we overlooking the trade-offs as we decide which animals are protected to the detriment of others? WSJ’s Danny Lewis speaks to Dr. Rebecca Nesbit, ecologist and author of the book “Tickets for The Ark: From Wasps to Whales – How Do We Choose What to Save?” about the tricky ethical questions behind conservation. Further Reading: A Belgian City Opens a Hotel for an Unusual Clientele: Insects | WSJ Are Shark Attacks a Sign of Conservation Success? | WSJ Bird Populations Plummet in North America | WSJ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Join the Wall Street Journal online October 12th for WSJ Pro Sustainable Business Forum
0:05.9	and take away practical advice on how to build a sustainability strategy that's right for your business.
0:11.5	From now until September 21st, you can save 25% on your ticket by registering at WSJ.com
0:18.8	slash Sustainable Business, no code required. That's WSJ.com slash Sustainable Business.
0:25.2	What's your favorite animal? Is a question you've probably been asked since you were a kid?
0:35.1	And like Anna Sherman, you're allowed to have a few favorites.
0:38.7	I mean, I love dogs, but I also love octopuses.
0:45.0	But my follow-up question to her was a bit more biblical.
0:49.6	Between octopus or dog, one of them's going to have to go extinct. One, you're going to save.
0:54.0	What would you pick? That's when things got tricky for Anna.
0:59.7	Well, that's tough because I know that dogs are not exactly a threatened species,
1:05.2	but in terms of everyday enjoyment, I would have to keep dogs.
1:09.6	She's not the only one who had trouble playing Noah, choosing which species to save
1:14.0	and which will be lost forever. If you had to choose between dogs and cats, what would you pick
1:20.8	and why? I wouldn't be happy to see cats gone, but I am allergic to them. So selfishly, I'd be
1:28.8	using less Benadryl as a result. One you're going to save. One's going to go extinct between
1:34.8	a butterfly and a wasp. What would you choose? I wouldn't want to choose. I wouldn't want to choose,
1:42.3	but I probably choose butterfly. It can grew or a squirrel. What would you mean?
1:48.2	Unfortunately, I have to pick this squirrel. Bunnies or a turtle. I feel like somehow turtles
1:53.8	seem more important to the ecosystem, I think. Kevin House, Mary Santana,
2:00.0	Fable Flores, and Tyler Jones all struggled to answer. And look, it's a funny question to be
2:05.8	asked on the fly, but the dilemma of choosing which animals to save is a real one.
	...

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