The utility of biological conservation

Armsworth and coauthors write that conservation biology has failed in its aim of saving natural habitats and biodiversity, as "losses continue unabated," and advocate emphasizing the utilitarian value of ecosystems (Ecosystem-service science and the way forward for conservation, published in Conservation Biology).

If human dependence on nature becomes widely recognized, society will demand greater environmental stewardship.

Sure? We depend on water and not on diamonds but are willing to trade a drop of water for a diamond of the same size, and rightly so.