If you were to ask me that question, I might answer with “What earthly good is a chocolate chip cookie?”. Although I dearly love chocolate chip cookies, you might think they are simply awful. So, is that cookie objectively good? No, it is not. But it’s not objectively bad either. Let’s think about birds instead of cookies. Besides, birds never made anyone gain weight.
- Birds add beauty and delight to our lives. Anyone who actually birdwatches knows this.
- Birds are fascinating to watch since they are almost always in motion. We have a concrete patio, and I marvel at the many times a finch will peck small seeds without beating its brains out.
- Birds are an integral part of any natural ecosystem. They spread seeds and pollinate, they help control bothersome insects.
- Birds have real economic value. Just ask any farmer watching crows eat grubs. Also, birdwatching is a big business which accounts for more than $41 billion in the USA (see market-analysis-bird-based-tourism.pdf (responsibletravel.org) market-analysis-bird-based-tourism.pdf (responsibletravel.org)
- Some birds – see vultures and ravens – keep things clean by being scavengers.
As much as I like cookies, I have to admit that they don’t come close to providing value like birds do.