“Be a better ancestor” has become a pithy slogan for taking care of the environment well enough that our descendants have a healthy ecosystem to inhabit. Yet, what exactly does it mean to be “better”?

Obviously a good first step is to start doing things that actually benefit the environment, but many techno-optimists consider barreling forward into superintelligent AI is the best option. Others warn that this may tip us past a point of no return even if we did manage to create such an AI.

These and other dilemmas have led me to try building a better map that can be used to justify a better way of living. If we can understand how the biodiversity of life is necessary for the good functioning of human beings, then we are far better able to justify why seeing biodiversity as having value beyond the wants of humans is, ironically, important for human flourishing.