I understand the need to preserve - but what's the point of preserving an environment we'll never, ever see, touch or notice? If the trade off is that we slow e

I understand the need to preserve - but what's the point of preserving an environment we'll never, ever see, touch or notice? If the trade off is that we slow economic growth and human prosperity, I'm not sure I'd take it. Of course if there are serious impacts (e.g. climate change or mass extinction of species) then we need to tread carefully.