Macro versus Micro

SAVE THE WHALES!!!!!!  How many times have you heard that?  The phrase is so common that there's even a TV show dedicated to those who protect the whales.  And the list goes on.  You could probably say, "Save the (rapidly dying off animal)" and most people would join in with, "Oh, yes, right, the poor dears, we must save them."  With one key exception.  "Save the Rhinderpest virus."  ...What? ...what's a rhinderpest virus?  Why on earth would we want to save a virus?  Ask these same people if they would save an animal, and unquestioningly most people are going to say, "oh, yeah, definately."  So, what's the difference?  It cannot be the whole "mortality" thing, since tigers kill people too.  Probably, it's just the fact that YOU CAN'T SEE VIRUSES.  So, when you can see them, people freak out.  When you can't see them, no body cares.  So, I have a slogan for you all now:  Unseen yes, unimportant no.  Save the itty-bittys!!!!!!!!!!