 Eliminativists want to get rid of the term “biodiversity”, with the claim that this would allow for a clearer connection between humanity’s interests in the environment and conservation practice. But this is just one of at least three proposed fates for the problematic term “biodiversity”. Those advocating core biodiversity definitions and values based on variety (call them “variationists”, see also Burch-Brown and Archer 2017), might advocate adoption of this basic definition, with the claim that it not only accords best with the extinction crisis and core anthropocentric values (including insurance and investment), but also effectively allows trade-offs and synergies with humanity’s other interests.