Mainly aesthetics, to be honest. I could wax lyrical about reserves of biodiversity, about the intricate interactions of myriad species, invent evo-psych stories etc., but it comes down to my personal preferences, where I find that my appreciation of nature is proportional to its wildness. There’s also a lot of the illusion of freedom and self sufficiency mixed in. Footsteps on the moon are breathtaking in what they symbolize, but at the same time I get the feeling that they somehow taint it.
Agree about tradeoffs.
Why do you think that “untouched” nature is a value “in itself”?
Mainly aesthetics, to be honest. I could wax lyrical about reserves of biodiversity, about the intricate interactions of myriad species, invent evo-psych stories etc., but it comes down to my personal preferences, where I find that my appreciation of nature is proportional to its wildness. There’s also a lot of the illusion of freedom and self sufficiency mixed in. Footsteps on the moon are breathtaking in what they symbolize, but at the same time I get the feeling that they somehow taint it.