As of 2014 only 15.4% of terrestrial and inland water areas were under some form of protected area status . Conservation experts know that this is insufficient to protect critical biodiversity, which underpins ecosystem services, and that the best projections will never reach a level that would come close to protecting and maintaining the ecosystem services that we as humans … [Read more...] about The Verdict Is Still Out on PES
Uncategorized
If Dollars Rule the World, Why Don’t the Bees Get a Bailout?
Attempts to put a dollar value on the natural world – so-called “natural capital” or “ecosystem services” – have produced some frankly staggering numbers. A seminal 1997 paper valued the world’s ecosystem services at US$33 trillion a year. This estimate was controversial, given that it dwarfed the entire global market economy, which at the time stood at roughly US$18 trillion a … [Read more...] about If Dollars Rule the World, Why Don’t the Bees Get a Bailout?
The Beef and Me
I remember back in the 80’s reading about an environmental assessment by a respected institution, the Union of Concerned Scientists. These were the early days of life-cycle analyses, and these Concerned Scientists were seeking the answer to the following question: Which behavior of the average US family had the most devastating environmental impacts, taking into account their … [Read more...] about The Beef and Me
Moving Forward the Natural Capital Agenda
A few weeks ago, I represented the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (BIO) Program at the first Natural Capital Summit in Stockholm. While the meeting’s attendants were few, they were strategically selected and the event is likely to have a significant impact on the future agenda of a community working to incorporate natural capital into development decisions. I can already … [Read more...] about Moving Forward the Natural Capital Agenda
Without Natural Resources, There Is No Viable Infrastructure
The Panama Canal is without a doubt an iconic example of a mega-infrastructure project in our Region. It represents 5% of the world's cargo traffic, 5% of world trade, and 25% of Panama's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Impressive. If we pay attention to the different news, academic papers, research reports or editorials that are written about the Canal, we find a trove of … [Read more...] about Without Natural Resources, There Is No Viable Infrastructure